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Arkansas poultry workers testify about working conditions during pandemic

On Oct. 27., an Arkansas woman testified in front of a House Subcommittee against what she calls “inhumane working conditions" during the pandemic.

ARKANSAS, USA — Testimonies during the House Subcommittee meeting grilled companies like Tyson, Simmons, Butterball and others, who allegedly chose to make record-high profits over their employees during the coronavirus pandemic. 

"Poultry workers' lives, dignity, and humanity are more important than company profits," said Magaly Licolli, founder of Venceremos, an Arkansas poultry workers' rights group.

On Oct.27., witness testimonies featured many examples and reasons why five meatpacking companies were the cause of more than 60,000 COVID-19 cases among employees and more than 250 deaths, 9,000 of those happening in Arkansas.

"Poultry workers should have never been put in the position between choosing between their livelihood and their lives,” Licolli said. “We should provide humane working conditions.”

Licolli and other witnesses say in the early stages of the pandemic, workers were forced to work longer shifts in crowded enclosed environments, with no masks.

"If they took off from their job, even though they were sick they would be fired," said California Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters.

Witnesses say the meatpacking giants did not follow CDC guidelines for workers to quarantine if they were sick.

"The industry in fact incentivized sick workers to come back to work and kept exposed workers on the lines," said Debbie Berkowitz, former Occupational Safety and Health Administration Chief of Staff.

"These companies are treating the worker in the plant not much better than the animals that go through them," said Democratic Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin.

Witnesses say when workers complained, OSHA did nothing to protect them and gave the companies passes.

"OSHA totally abandoned their responsibilities to protect workers," Berkowitz said.

Tyson expressed regret in a statement from spokesman Gary Mickelson. 

"Even one illness or loss of life to COVID-19 is one too many, which is why we've taken progressive action from the start of the pandemic to protect the health and safety of our workers, including extensive testing and a vaccine requirement that has led to over 96% of our U.S. workforce being vaccinated," Gary Mickelson said.

"It's immoral that companies are able to profit from the injury, suffering, and death of workers and it must end now," said Licolli.

Funds of around $600 were appropriated to go to these meatpacking workers as relief payments through Congress. The subcommittee did say they would continue the investigation on the impact of the virus on meatpacker employees.

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