Tyson Foods Workers Are Risking Their Lives to Feed America | NYT Opinion
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- Опубликовано: 16 июн 2020
- You’re a worker at a Tyson Foods poultry plant and still punching in even though the coronavirus continues to run rampant through meat-processing plants across the country. You’re proud that your job helps keep supermarkets stocked. Your family supports Donald Trump. But the president’s executive order to keep meat plants open - issued after the Tyson Foods chairman, John Tyson, publicly warned of supply shortages - worries you. You think company leadership pushed for plants to stay open and to run at top speed instead of doing more to keep workers safe. This is the reality for Jerald Brooks, a Tyson poultry processing plant worker in Glen Allen, Va. He is not alone.
Meat plant workers rarely speak out for fear of reprisal. But in the video above, Jerald and Lakesha Bailey, a former worker at a Tyson plant, urge the company to slow down the processing lines. Chicken carcasses zoom along the lines at breakneck speeds, and workers are often packed shoulder to shoulder to keep up - making it impossible to social distance.
Tyson Foods claims one of its core values is “Workplace Safety,” yet 570 workers tested positive for the coronavirus in a single poultry plant in Wilkes, N.C. And at Tyson plants around the country, over 7,000 employees have tested positive for the virus. Workers continue to die from Covid-19. Despite this, the company recently reverted to its pre-coronavirus absentee policy; workers who fear getting infected will now be penalized for staying home.
Workers like Jerald and Lakesha want to continue to feed America. But they don’t want to have to sacrifice their safety or that of their families to do so.
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The longer we avoid the conversation about class in this country the longer this crap will continue.
ugh Tyson. They need to care a little less about profits, and more about their workers health.
God, bless you. I am thankful for all of the workers. I recognize, all of your sacrifices. Please get better guidelines, to keep these essential workers safe.
I think this may be a time we can rethink our meat industry in America. Tyson treats its chickens in a very inhumane manner, not to talk about these workers who are treated like crap. I understand workers like this need Tyson, but healthy, sustainable poultry farms would need just as many, if not more, workers. I am not necessarily saying, "Let's be vegetarian" or "let's be vegan". I am saying, "Let's make sure that the meat we eat is humane, local, and eco-friendly".
Vegan nation on the horizon
How
SHUT UP NO ONE CARES MONEY MONEY MONEY
Agreed. I’m all for Americans purchasing less meat and eating a more vegetable-oriented diet. Perhaps if we all had to pay for the true cost of our meat, and not let taxes subsidize the meat industry, we would more naturalistically adjust our diets.
Bethany My comment above ^
So are McDonalds, restaurants and grocery store employees. And we thank them.👍🏼
You might thank them, but they could be feeding you delicious, healthy food without ever harming some poor animal. Safer for them. Safer for meat industry workers. Safer for you and no more terrorised, tortured animals.
Prices are going up people. Does extra money feed the system
Thank you for your work. Please consider this when you vote. Do you really want another 4 years of Trump??
Yes, please God, please
Split the workforce into two teams, have each team work two weeks on then two weeks off. Tyson can certainly afford to pay both teams as if they are working full time. It takes time to train people to process poultry safely. Keeping workers healthy and safe is in everyone’s best interest, including Tyson shareholders.
Bless all these workers, thank you all for everything you do 🙏🏼
So much respect to these people working hard and risking their lives to help the others in the pandemic, where everyone is struggling. Thank you for all the work and bless these food workers!
Should we stop buying Tyson? Would the workers want that?! I am asking you for your own opinion. I WOULD RATHER EAT BEANS THAN HAVE YOU DIE!!!! I care more about you than eating chicken!!
Eat the beans. Stop buying the meat
@lisa Blodgett: It depends on what you're trying to accomplish. If you're concerned about the exploitation of workers in meat-processing facilities, the 2 most effective actions are: (1) voting for representatives who support worker protections and (2) buying meat from a direct competitor that has worker protections you support. (Buying beans won't register as a market signal to Tyson, but Tyson notices if they lose market share.)
Of course, there are plenty of good reasons to reduce meat consumption.
lisa Blodgett- All these meat processing plants in America are on the Stock Market. These plants are making a lot of money for a lot of investors. These plants are not going anywhere soon due to stock investments.
The fact that they were processing the chicken without having face masks before COVID is horrible news.
It is truly heartening to hear the pride that Jerald and Lakesha have for the work that they do at Tyson. They’re an embodiment of “service above self.” Now, we just need America and Tyson to return the favor.
Consumers need to demand humane treatment of the people and the product behind their food.
Respect. Some good folks sacrificing everything for the greater good. I'm not gonna touch how Tyson Foods is killing the family farmers of this nation, that's for another day.
Thank you all so much for placing food 🥘 on out tables.
What would America do without our chicky nuggies 😱😱
I care more about your lives than eating chicken. The whole planet can switch to legumes - soy, peas, lentils, all variety of beans and nuts and nut-like fruits
Even if just temporarily til pandemic ends. Plus, can covid-19 positive workers contaminate the meat or packaging?
I eat more vegetarian food than meat, because of this, it is healthier that meat, and animals won’t have to die for a peace of meat🥺,
Hello dear can we be friends...?
Keep cutting down the amazon to grow your avocados and nuts
Vinyl Mixer you’re not aware that acres of rainforest are cut down to grow said fruits, oh dear
RIP poor chicken😣
thank you to these people from Canada.
Much respect for this men because he is at a high risk of COVID-19 and have serious concerns about it of is health, i can not inmage to work there with a vulnerable health (heart problems, asthma, diabetic) in a risky place like this, Stay strong and bless the people that work by Tyson🙏🏼
I worked for Tyson for 17 years my wife has worked for Tyson 25 years
Thank you for your work🙏
I got that shirt and they destroyed my body.
I’m a Tyson worker it’s not easy
If that so, we should also need to thank about other companies that make all our day to day essentials.
They risk their lives to have food production uninterrupted, so the nation doesn’t run of food supplies.
Thank You cannot be said enough & seems insignificant.
As far as I know, I don’t eat chicken…
That dude with the orange mask at 1:08 is what you call lazy. Mans doesn’t even turn the chicken fully making it slightly worse for the person to his right.
You don’t need to slow down all Tyson needs is build the more spaces for the workers I love Tyson products Keep it’s up Thanks you all your works for the Grate America.
How grateful we must be, for they Are keeping us fed 😲😏😞. No matter if its meat Or vegetables, all need processing & packaging. bless 'em 🙏😘
Government regulations is the only way the processing plant work environment will improve since the retail buyers will often purchase based on price because we end consumers at least with food items often also purchase based on price.
Every time I go to the store or anywhere social distancing is impossible people walk down the same isle all the time and when is the last time you went to Walmart and people actually social distanced or even wear masks and gloves?
Wow.
Aged like fine wine 🤌
The speed of the line won’t slow down. It’s the same in pig plants. But, The covid concern was important. Honestly I seen other plants that took good measures. But to expect all their chains to isn’t realistic. Some factory owners don’t care as much as others do.
Need to get mixcan works I'm voting for Trump
they sound as miserable as those chickens. sad!!
Blessings to all people in the world
Do the right thing CJ and i promise i will help save u too
Im so sorry these people did this to you.. i know its lonely. I am always with you tho. Dad.
Indeed. Massive respect to u folks. U r heroes. They need oxygen masks for u all! So m e of us need our neat n u need help jobs. Bless u.
You're health and safety is not in their bottom line. Just another brick in the wall.
I may never eat chicken again!!!
We are comminists at Tyson if you dont enjoy our labor camps you can leave. 12 to 16 hr shifts MANDATE YOU WILL OBEY YOU WILL EAT THE BUGS!
So are Chickens. #FowlLivesMatter
Salute to heroes 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻❤️❤️
I am glad I became a vegetarian.
There is no need to eat meat to live healthfully! duh!
2 years later and we still working in the same conditions btw.
As a grocery store clerk at one of the largest food market companies on the east coast, it’s something else every day to see Americans complain about chicken shortages. The only reason why people eat so much chicken is because it tastes great and is usually cheap. Companies need to push plant based products , which imitate chicken more, but keep their prices affordable. AMERICA CANNOT AFFORD TO BE HEALTHY AND THIS IS WHY WE EAT SO MUCH CHICKEN. Humans survive off protein and we have evolved to expect chicken to fall out of the sky.
Loved It!
Plz don't risk your life and others, change your job thank you🙏
Such a thoughtless comment SMH 🙄 if it was that easy they wouldn't be there..hmmm let's ask any 8 year old what they want to be when they get older y I'm sure they won't say poultry butcher.
OPINION.....means it is not true.
i work for Tyson in Dardanelle. I am working on Masterpack 2. Everyday i have to pour mysekf body and mind to keep from rage quitting. Am a large fat man so when i say im not slow its because i am forcing myself to move and haul @$$. That said its not enough and ive lost sleep feeling like a failure at the end of the day when i really do love what i do i live for repettitive work. well getting asked to go faster feels like an insult line wont stop they force it to keep going til it backs up then when your thinking its gonna be fine after five minutes half is gone they turn back on that machine again. Sad thing is that it is worse on every other line with insane speeds
Dam Mercia
Hold up the chicken
Stay safe all of you
They are no heroes, they just need to go to work and take care them selves. Although the company should provide all the measures to stop the spread, keep feeding America its more important.
Boycott Chinese product
Does he still support trump?
3 years later….. 🔪
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They are no heroes, they just need to go to work and take care them selves. AlthoughThe company should provide all the measures to stop the spread, keep feeding America its more important.
Don’t vote for Trump that’s how
My heart broke when he said his family supports the Trump administration...how can this man have fooled so many that he actually cares about the working class? I understand during his election campaign, I don't agree but I understand. Now? I absolutely cannot grasp that kind of cognitive dissonance. It's heartbreaking.
That’s my brother
They risk their lives because they need jobs.
Kwaku Anansi- Folks have been risking their lives for centuries in order to have and keep their jobs. Look at coal miners. Black Lung has not stopped coal mining.
R V I agree to certain extent. I try not to judge because I’m not in their shoes. That being said, they are in this video framing the situation as being the result of altruistic endeavors. The factory farm food system is a business that is at times cruel. And there are other ways that we could provide wholesome and nutritious food to the masses. But that’s another conversation.
They just want free pay and time off
No person should die at the altar of capitalism. #WorkersRightsAreHumanRights
Pay them more now
Boycott Tyson Foods
What a load
I'm boycotting Tyson's android Smithfields foods and national food corporations like Monsantos ( Bayer)
Hello dear can we be friends...?
Don’t support tyson foods
3:00 I support Trump until he does something that affects me. Now you know how black people feel.
Vote with your wallets: I have reduced the amount of meat products I purchase for this very reason. The unrelenting demand feeds these factories & they won't slow the lines at all. I've gone to a plant-based style of eating, and only use meat as an accent or garnish, if I use it at all. There are lessons we need to learn.
Plant-Based Meat
Risking Their Lives for the Money NOT FOR ANYTHING ELSE, stop lying!
Show some respect to the people who give you your food.
You want $1 KFC Chicken nuggets? = You get slave labor wages
Just quit your job then you can social distance all you want.
Gerald brooks richmond va... google him
Stop killing these poor souls.
Well... time to go vegan and respect the lives of our fellow creatures. Show common sense and compassion.
He lost me when he said both he and his family support the Trump administration.
Now y'all ain't got no jobs
Can people not realize that you don't actually HAVE to eat chicken? Go vegetarian or vegan and save animal and human lives.
Yeah yeah chicken beating after biden$chicken feed up
Walk off the job
Please please please go vegan... if not for the animals how about the World.
No way! I don't eat any veggies. Not one. Well, does ketchup count? I'd starve
Tyson has a long history of abusing animals during slaughter and staff working conditions.
You're crazy to eat their product.
*You need to wear facemask while at work!*
If The Work place could be humidified that's even better!
COVID-19 Is A DRY AIR SICKNESS!