Thread by @weareoversight

Journalists, watchdogs, & congressional committees have uncovered negligence and misconduct that fueled outbreaks in meat-packing plants across the country.

One year into the Covid-19 pandemic, here’s what we know about coronavirus in meat-packing plants.
americanoversight.org/one-year-of-th…

According to health experts, meat and poultry workers, who work in harsh conditions, have been at unique risk for contracting Covid-19: In processing plants, workers handle meat at a fast pace, forcing them to stand close together.

The majority of workers are Black, Latino, and/or immigrants — groups that have disproportionately suffered during the pandemic.
epi.org/blog/meat-and-…

Reports found that company officials avoided and delayed introducing mitigation measures that could have saved lives, and even evinced a startling lack of concern for their employees’ lives.

ProPublica obtained documents that showed meatpacking companies spent early weeks delaying the implementation of mitigation tactics such as social distancing and mask-wearing. The lack of proactive measures enabled early coronavirus spread.

Allegations surfaced that supervisors at a Tyson Foods plant in Iowa had placed bets on how many workers would get infected with Covid-19. While managers took measures to protect themselves, by May more than 1,000 employees had been infected.

Despite the risks, on April 28, then-President Donald Trump signed an executive order labeling meat-processing plants “critical infrastructure,” which allowed plants to remain open during the pandemic.

We obtained documents, along with Public Citizen, that showed that one week prior to the executive order, meat industry representatives provided the administration with a very similar draft order.

The documents also showed USDA officials gave plants the go-ahead to reopen after major outbreaks.
americanoversight.org/emails-reveal-…

In an oversight report, the House Committee on Education and Labor discussed how the Trump administration pushed CDC officials to water down important Covid-19 recommendations for a Smithfield meatpacking plant that was in the midst of a major outbreak.
edlabor.house.gov/imo/media/doc/…

While workers suffered under policies that served to increase profits, not safety, the virus spread. As of March 2021, more than 80,000 meat and food processing workers had tested positive for Covid-19.
thefern.org/2020/04/mappin…

For more information about oversight of Covid-19 spread among vulnerable populations, visit our Oversight Tracker.
americanoversight.org/oversight-trac…