Tyson Foods has suspended managers suspected of being involved in a betting pool regarding how many staffers would become sick with COVID-19.
Dean Banks, President and CEO, announced also on Monday the meat brand has launched an investigation into the allegations led by Eric Holder, former Attorney General. The suspensions come 24 hours after the family of a dead staffer filed a lawsuit asserting “fraudulent misrepresentations, gross negligence, and incorrigible, willful and wanton disregard for worker safety at its pork processing facility in Waterloo, Iowa.” Banks spoke in a statement.: “We are extremely upset about the accusations involving some of the leadership at our Waterloo plant.
“We have suspended, without pay, the individuals allegedly involved and have retained the law firm Covington & Burling LLP to conduct an independent investigation led by former Attorney General Eric Holder.” The lawyer called the supposed behavior “disturbing.” In the U.S. the Waterloo plant is the biggest pork plant, employing roughly 2,800 workers. It’s one of the various Tyson centers that has endured grievous outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 which has prompted some to shut down temporarily. Since the beginning of the epidemic, more than 1,000 Waterloo facility employees have been infected with the coronavirus, according to court filings.
Bank said in his statement Monday that the meat company has allocated “hundreds of millions of dollars to transform our U.S. facilities, including the Waterloo plant.” He added Tyson has instituted “walk-through temperature scanners and workstation dividers to social distance monitors and always-on testing.” On April 22, Tyson suspended work ultimately at the Waterloo plant, 10 days after twenty-four staffers were hospitalized in a local ER. The suspended managers have yet to release a statement.
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