Union says meat packaging workers need to be vaccinated sooner

OMAHA, Neb. Hundreds of meat packaging workers have been vaccinated against the coronavirus, but the union, which represents many of them, says a few hundred thousand more, despite the risks they still face at work.

The United Food and Commercial Workers International is campaigning to increase the priority lists for vaccinations, and large meat companies have launched campaigns to educate employees and dispel rumors about the vaccines. One offered bonuses for workers who are vaccinated.

But in most countries, meat packaging workers are still waiting their turn to be vaccinated and are on the rankings of health care workers, residents of long-term care centers and people aged 65 and older.

Marc Perrone, president of UCFW, argues that employees for meat packaging, employees of grocery stores and other essential workers should be vaccinated in front of older people who do not have other health conditions.

“Those who need to keep our economy going and let our food supply run must, in fact, be the following,” Perrone said.

Ticker	Safety	Last	Alter	Alter%
JBSAY	JBS	9.94	+0.19	+ 1.95%
TSN	TYSON FOODS INC.	65.48	+0.24	+ 0.37%

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Although large meat companies have not pleaded for their workers, JBS, Smithfield Foods, Cargill and Tyson Foods are urging to have their workers vaccinated soon.

“We have seen a worrying trend in some jurisdictions, where our vital team members who were previously prioritized in the vaccination strategy are further pushed to the priority list,” said JBS spokeswoman Nikki Richardson.

Among the first to be shot were 45 older workers last week at a Tyson Foods plant in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. JBS officials estimate that 500 of their nationwide employees have been vaccinated because they meet age requirements or work in occupational health work, but that is a small percentage of the total workforce. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the industry employs more than 500,000, though not all are production jobs.

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Antonio Jimenez, who works at a JBS pork factory in Worthington, Minnesota, said he was out of work for months after contracting the virus last year, and he still has persistent symptoms, including fatigue. He believes he and his colleagues should be close to the main line for COVID-19 vaccines.

“I do not want anyone else to go through with it,” Jimenez said. “Essential workers like us who keep America safe must be vaccinated.”

Some companies are trying to set up vaccination clinics at their plants. JBS works with health officials to vaccinate eligible workers because of their age, while discussing the possibility of vaccinating all employees of the factory.

“We have not yet had the opportunity to vaccinate an entire facility, but we continue to review every option to ensure the availability of vaccines for essential workers as soon as possible,” Richardson said. “We are currently committed to achieving the highest possible voluntary participation rate and avoiding barriers to vaccination.”

Last spring, the virus tore through meat packaging plants, where workers stand shoulder to shoulder on production lines, and as a result, the UFCW believes members will be eager for vaccinations. In a recent union survey that also included groceries and other food production workers, 70% of respondents said they wanted to be vaccinated.

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“They went through a bit of hell during this pandemic and I think they are ready to get the shots and get the pandemic behind them,” said Mark Lauritsen, the union’s vice president for food processing and meat packaging.

The UFCW, which represents about 80% of the country’s meat and pork workers and 33% of its poultry workers, estimates that at least 21,900 meat packaging workers have been infected or exposed, and that 132 have died from COVID-19.

After the outbreaks last spring, meat producers tried to protect workers by setting up temperature controls and wellness tests, installing plastic dividers between workstations, increasing plant remediation, conducting random virus tests and requiring masks and other protective equipment. In some cases, companies have upgraded their plant ventilation systems.

The companies say these measures have reduced infections in their plants, even though the virus has spread widely this past fall. The industry has been able to keep production to near capacity since the summer by expanding operations from just weekdays to more Saturdays, and by producing larger cuts of meat to save time.

“We are still seeing success from our approach, even amid the current increase in the country in cases,” said Keira Lombardo, Smithfield’s chief executive. “While the country has been in a period of relative incidence, we are still seeing a long period of low relative incidence – and many employees, from coast to coast, report feeling safer at work than elsewhere in the community.”

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BJ Motley, president of the union for workers at a large Smithfield pig processing plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is concerned that they remain vulnerable and are not receiving vaccinations fast enough. As new variants of the virus emerge and a handful of infections are still reported weekly in Smithfield, he needs to be vaccinated urgently.

Last spring, more than 1,000 Smithfield workers in Sioux Falls fell ill and four died. Other meat packaging plants also experienced major outbreaks and at some point in April, the industry’s meat production fell to about 60% of normal levels.

“I think the company is not insisting enough to get these people vaccinated, but now they want them to show up at work,” Motley said.

Sandra Sibert, who worked at the Sioux Falls plant for 15 years, said even with additional safety measures, workers remain concerned about the coronavirus.

‘Meatpacking workers are still getting sick at my plant. And I know that they get sick from other plants across the country, ”said Sibert. “Workers like meat packaging still run a risk every day.”