Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and several other senators recently introduced a bill aimed at protecting worker safety on meat processing lines.
The bill, Safe Line Speeds in COVID-19 Act, would suspend USDA waivers and regulations, which allow companies to increase production line speeds at meatpacking plants. A companion bill was introduced in the House of Representatives by Reps. Marcia L. Fudge (D-OH-11), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-3), and Bennie Thompson (D-MS-2) on July 9.
The rules issued by USDA in October 2019, and implemented in December, removed the federal limits on the speed of production lines. Additionally, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service issued several waivers for meat and poultry processing plants to increase production line speed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
While the pandemic continues, the bill would suspend all waivers issued by the USDA related to line speeds at meat and poultry establishments and suspend the New Swine Slaughter Inspection System established under USDA’s final rule implemented in October.
The Safe Line Speeds in COVID-19 Act would also:
• “Ensure the provisions of the bill are in addition to, not in lieu of, any state laws or regulations designed to further protect worker safety or animal welfare beyond what this bill provides;
• Require the Government Accountability Office to review the effectiveness of various actions taken by USDA, the Department of Labor (DOL), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and meat and poultry establishments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to protect animal, food and worker safety; and
• Require USDA, DOL and HHS to issue a report to Congress by December 31, 2020, including their respective actions taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to protect animal, food and worker safety,” said Booker in a press release.
“The meat and poultry processing industry has been devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic, with infection hotspots appearing in plants across the country,” said Fudge. “Fast line speeds make the dangerous conditions workers at these plants already face even worse by packing them closer together and placing them at greater risk of contracting or spreading the virus.
“Waiving limits on processing speeds also threatens the safety of our food supply. As COVID-19 cases continue to soar at processing plants, we must prioritize worker, food, and animal safety over increased production and profits.”
The bill is supported by several animal rights groups, the National Employment Law Project and the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW).
UFCW suit
UFCW earlier in July sued the USDA in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to set aside the waiver program and the waivers granted at 10 poultry plants. The suit alleges the waiver on speeds – which were increased from 140 to 175 birds per minute – are a violation of the Administrative Procedure Act because USDA failed to provide public notice or allow public comment.
“America’s meatpacking workers have been on the frontlines of this pandemic since day one, putting themselves in harm’s way to make sure our families have the food we need,” said UFCW President Marc Perrone.
“As COVID-19 continues to put our country’s meatpacking workers at risk, we must take action to reduce line speeds in these plants to ensure workers can maintain social distancing and stay safe on the job.”
According to the Food and Environmental Reporting Network, more than 30,000 meatpacking workers have tested positive for COVID-19, and more than 100 have died. The UFCW reports April was the most significant spike in the number of cases with 8,632 workers infected or exposed. They also reported 38 worker death in May, the highest month yet.
Tyson expands testing
On July 30, Tyson announced it was enacting new testing and monitoring programs and was hiring a chief medical officer and adding around 200 nurses and administrative support personnel. The strategy includes ongoing testing of workers without symptoms, those with specific symptoms, and those who have come into close contact with someone who tests positive.
“What we’re adopting is a strategic, ongoing approach to combatting COVID-19,” Donnie King, Tyson Foods group president and chief administrative officer, said in a statement. “It involves weekly testing of team members at our facilities to monitor for the presence of the virus. By using data science to test a statistically sound sample of team members, we have a better chance of staying ahead of any potential virus spread and protecting our teams and communities.” — Charles Wallace, WLJ editor
