
|
Tyson Responds to Allegations of Hash Working Conditions Within
Poultry Industry
Springdale, Ark. (Nov. 29, 1996)--The "National Interfaith Committee
for Worker Justice" in conjunction with the Laborers International
Union of North America (LIUNA) issued a news release on November 26, 1996,
encouraging the U.S.Department of Labor to investigate "mistreatment
throughout the poultry industry." The charges within the LIUNA release
ran a full gamut from worker safety to exploitation of immigrant workers
to "environmental degradation." Labor Secretary Reich and the
U.S. Department of Labor replied with a news release of their own sympathizing
with the concerns of this group about the "harsh and perhaps unlawful
conditions faced by workers in the poultry processing industry," and
promising a "special targeted enforcement project to gauge the seriousness
and extent of the problems."
These charges are unfounded as they might relate to Tyson Foods.
We offer in response, the following:
Representatives of the federal government are in our plants every day. The
USDA maintains a constant presence. OSHA routinely monitors worker safety
records and inspects our plants. The INS keeps a close watch on any potential
violations of immigrant labor regulations. If the Labor Department wants
to visit us with a special "enforcement" action, we have nothing
to hide, although we can think of better uses for our tax money.
Regarding the specific issues within the LIUNA press release:
*Worker Safety. Tyson has a superlative safety record. In fact, our lost
time injury rate of 1.33 per 100 workers annually, is two to three times
lower than the national average for ALL manufacturing industries. Within
the past three years, we've had 23 facilities exceed 1,000,000 manhours
without a lost-time accident.
*Immigrant Labor. The consequences of knowingly hiring illegal workers are
quite simply too high for us to hire people without proper documentation.
So are the consequences of discriminating against workers who do have proper
documentation. We support our immigrant laborers with many assimilation
programs including English As A Second Language classes. We encourage all
of our resident aliens to pursue citizenship and support them in these efforts.
Virtually all of our immigrant laborers have come to us as a result of word-of-mouth
from friends and families, not recruiters.
*Benefits. Tyson team members, regardless of nationality, are afforded some
of the best benefits in the business. Very low-priced health insurance,
including dental and vision benefits, with low deductibles. Employee stock
options and retirement plans in which the company matches contributions.
Paid vacations.
*Wages. Tyson starts all of its team members out at wages commensurate with
the standards of the communities in which our respective facilities are
located. All starting wages are well above the federal minimum wage. We
have no minimum wage jobs in the company.
*Consumer Safety. The American poultry inspection system is one of the safest
in the world, made even safer by the science-based USDA inspection regulations
currently being brought into effect. For more information, see the releases
"Food Safety Background Information"
and "New Meat and Poultry Inspection Program
Background" on the News Release section of this site.
*"Environmental Degradation" Tyson's environmental record is exemplary.
If you need more information, see the "Environment"
section on this site .
*"Corporate Welfare" This charge comes completely from left field.
To answer their only specific allegation, Tyson receives no "subsidies"
to export our products overseas.
|