
“Workers need to feel confident they can remain healthy and safe at work; farmers need plants like JBS Worthington up and running to keep hogs moving through the supply chain; and consumers need and want meat on the shelves in the grocery store. Those things can’t happen without one another, so the efforts by JBS, by the UFCW, and by the state to come together and talk this through will help us get there.
“First, we’ve got to have testing done broadly enough to know exactly the scale of the infections. Second, workers need masks, faceshields and other PPE, as well as a plan that keeps them a safe distance apart from each other. Our USDA meat inspectors need to be provided with the PPEs necessary to keep them safe and healthy as well. Finally, the plants need to run at a scale and a speed that accounts for the reduced workforce levels we’ll have as we get started. Only after workers are confident those needs are met can plants reopen safely.
“JBS, UFCW and the state are all committed to working through these steps together to get back on-line as soon as possible, which will begin to help clear the backup of hogs and make sure our grocery shelves are stocked. I hope that other plants, unions, and states can use the task force and its plan as a model to keep their employees safe and get their plants back up and running too.”