US meat industry workers are massively affected by COVID-19: how will this affect prices and shortages

Currently, more than 11 cases of coronavirus in the country are associated with companies Tyson Foods, Smithfield Foods and JBS, writes The Washington Post. The US meat industry is trying to return to normal, but workers are still sick, so the country's meat deficit could worsen.

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Tyson Foods, the largest meat processing plant in the United States, has transformed its facilities across the country since many of its workers fell ill with COVID-19. The company created first-aid posts, checked workers for fever at the beginning of the shift, demanded the use of personal protective accessories, installed plastic partitions between workstations and took a number of other measures to slow the spread of the virus. Despite these efforts, the number of employees with coronavirus increased from 1600 to over 7000 in just a month.

What happened at Tyson—and the meat industry in general—shows how difficult it is to return the nation to normalcy, even in important areas like the food industry. Meat companies have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on measures such as protective equipment, paid leave and ventilation systems and have been forced to close dozens of plants that have been among major COVID-19 hotspots outside urban areas.

But there is still a surge in cases in the industry, and some companies are limited in their ability to separate employees from each other. Only part of the workforce has returned to its duties, and the supply of meat in the country remains very tense, especially given the start of the barbecue season.

A May report by CoBank, specializing in serving rural America, warns that meat deliveries to grocery stores could drop by 35%, prices could jump sharply by 20%, and the consequences could be even more acute this year.

Grocery stores were able to partially meet consumer demand thanks to meat already in the supply chain in March, when a pandemic broke out, but the report said these supplies were quickly depleted. The prospect of a long-term shortage triggers a growing debate about whether the industry should open faster or should security be given priority, even through food supplies in the country.

By a decree of April 28, which encourages the opening of meat factories, the Trump administration said that a balance must be struck between the need to supply food and maintaining security in the country. Over a month, more than half of the 30 meat processing plants that closed due to coronavirus reopened.

“Our goal is two equal goals,” Vice President Pence said during a meeting with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds in early May. “The first is the safety and health of the workforce in our meat processing plants and the second is creating a stable food supply and getting people back to work.”

But others say safety must be a top priority - and that the industry still has a long way to go before facilities are safe again.

“Absolutely, absolutely no life should be sacrificed so that I can get a cheaper hamburger,” former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, told Yahoo News.

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Meat processing officials say they are doing everything possible to protect workers, while trying to ensure a reliable food supply to the country.

“The safety of our team members is of the utmost importance, and we only reopen our facilities when we believe we can do so safely,” said Gary Mickelson, director of media relations for Tyson.

It is clear that the industry's efforts, while capable of reducing the spread of the virus, are no closer to stopping the pandemic. In the past month, the number of infections linked to the nation's three largest meatpacking plants — Tyson Foods, Smithfield Foods and JBS — has risen from just over 3000 to more than 11, according to a Post analysis.

According to the Midwest Investigation Center, the number of deaths among workers has tripled, from 17 to 63 at least. Outbreaks in 4 plants that were reopened showed outbreaks, with more than 700 cases recorded at Tyson Foods in Logansport, Indiana; in Perry, Iowa and Waterloo, Iowa; and the Smithfield plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

In Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota, coronavirus cases associated with meat workers account for 18%, 20%, and 29% of the total in these states, respectively (according to the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit human rights organization).

Many newly opened factories operate with reduced capacity, either because of the light load, or because of the reduction in the number of workers per shift, introduced in order to ensure social distance. Job closures affected 45 people, according to the International Union of Food and Commercial Workers.

JBS, the second largest meat processor in the United States, said it pays workers who might be especially vulnerable to COVID-19 (about 10%) to stay home.

The re-opening discussion, even in safer conditions, can be a difficult choice.

Meat plants are usually located in rural areas, where they are one of the largest employers. According to the Working Group on Environmental Protection, the prevalence of coronavirus infection in settlements within a radius of 15 miles from meat factories is 2 times higher than the national average.

Recent closures have also affected the local economy, as farmers supplying animals to factories have nowhere to go. According to estimates by the National Council of Pork Producers, current production capacities create reserves of 170 pigs per day.

“These pigs will end up staying on farms too long and becoming too large for mills to accept. It is estimated that up to 10 market pigs need to be euthanized,” the pork industry group said in a recent newsletter.

Opinions on security are divided

Although companies are trying to get back to work, union and local officials are wondering if they are actually ready for this.

Tyson's largest pork plant in Waterloo reopened May 7 with new safety precautions and social distancing policies. It was the same day that health officials in Black Hawk County, where the plant is located, reported that more than 1000 of its 2700 employees had tested positive for the coronavirus. Rep. Rus Smith, D-Waterloo, called the plant's handling of such an outbreak "horrifying."

Smith and Rep. Timi Brown-Powers said they suspect President Trump's executive order prompted Tyson to reopen faster, causing controversy at the company. The plant closed on April 22 after weeks of resisting calls from local officials. Lawmakers said they met with the human resources director on May 1 and were told the facility was weeks away from opening. After 4 days, they said, they were told that production would resume on May 7. There was no explanation for the new schedule, so Brown-Powers attributed it to "pressure from above."

Federal push for discovery

Announcing an executive order on April 28, Trump announced that he would solve the “liability problems” for companies and force them to remain open during a pandemic.

In practice, the order was narrower, lawyers say. He identified meat producers as critical infrastructure and ordered them to follow federal guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Office of Safety and Health. It also allowed the head of the Department of Agriculture, Sonny Purdue, to take steps to obtain federal meat company contracts and access to protective equipment.

OSHA, the federal agency responsible for worker safety, has not issued applicable guidelines to protect workers from the coronavirus as it did during the 1 H1N2009 outbreak, instead opting for voluntary guidance. The agency said it does not plan any enforcement actions so as not to overburden companies during the pandemic.

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Smithfield officials cited Trump's executive order in federal court in Missouri, arguing that local and state authorities no longer have power over meat processors. This was part of the company's defense in a lawsuit filed by an unnamed employee alleging that Smithfield was unable to protect workers by not introducing social distance and not allowing sick workers to stay home.

US District Judge David Gregory Case dismissed the case 12 days later, citing "significant steps" taken at Smithfield to reduce the risk of coronavirus infection at a plant in Milan, Missouri. In a press release, the company stated that the case was "frivolous, full of false allegations that did not have actual or legal significance."

Less than two weeks after the case was dismissed, voluntary testing at a factory in Milan revealed an outbreak at the facility. A staff member told The Post that fearful employees stay home, and those who are replacing work overtime to support production. Smithfield representatives said the Milan plant is “operational,” but declined to provide additional information. The company said it would not confirm cases of the disease "out of respect for the legitimate confidentiality of employees."

Employees are afraid to go to work

On April 16, the JBS Greeley plant was forced to shut down after approximately 100 workers contracted the virus and three died. Another worker died during the closing period and another 4 since the opening of the facility on April 24. The number of cases of coronavirus in the plant currently exceeds 300, according to the Department of Health and the Environment of Colorado.

“We're making noise because the numbers keep growing,” said local union president Kim Cordova. — People are afraid to go to work because many continue to get sick. There are hundreds of workers who have not returned to work. We don't know whether they have moved or are on a ventilator. We can't find them."

Nikki Richardson, spokeswoman for JBS, said the company has taken enhanced security measures worth more than $ 100 million, including “strengthening hygiene and disinfection measures, checking health and temperature, training team members, physical distance, lowering linear speeds and increased the availability of personal protective equipment, including face masks. "

In late May, Cordoba toured the Grills factory and reported that improvements had been made in the area of ​​beef processing facilities. Between the workplaces, metal partitions and protective equipment were installed. Nevertheless, according to her, it is necessary to take additional security measures to reduce the risk of infection. There are too many employees in the workshops, and because of the noise, they take off their masks and lean closer to talk to the leaders.

Richardson said the company is "going above and beyond" to ensure safety and has hired health workers to ensure social distancing and other coronavirus precautions are followed.

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