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        <title><![CDATA[Workers at US meat plants blame coronavirus outbreaks on company policies]]></title>
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        <link>https://usagag.com/2020/04/26/workers-at-us-meat-plants-blame-coronavirus-outbreaks-on-company-policies/</link>
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            <media:title type="html">Workers at US meat plants blame coronavirus outbreaks on company policies</media:title>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Workers from some of the country&#8217;s largest meat plants said they were ordered to work in crowded conditions even while sick and not provided appropriate protective gear, leading the <strong>facilities to become hotspots</strong> for coronavirus, according to a new report.</p><p>The outbreaks have caused three major meat producers — Tyson Foods, JBS USA and Smithfield Foods — to shutter at least 15 plants across the nation, further disrupt the country&#8217;s meat supply during the pandemic, <strong>the Washington Post reported</strong>.</p><p>The report found that more than 30 plants have been hit with the virus, which has sickened at least 3,300 workers and killed 17.</p><p>Employees from facilities across the country blamed the spread of the virus in the workplace on the companies&#8217; policies.</p><p>Workers at JBS beef processing plant in Colorado claimed managers encouraged them to work for shifts even when they appeared sick, according to the outlet.</p><p>Meanwhile, three workers at a Smithfield distribution center in Indiana said they were told that the virus couldn&#8217;t spread in the facilities&#8217; frigid temperatures despite there being no scientific evidence to back up this claim, the report said.</p><p>And some workers at a Tyson pork plant in Iowa used bandanas and sleep eyewear as facial coverings, while others wore no protection at all, the report said.</p><p>Workers from all three plants claimed that personal protective equipment was not immediately available as the number of coronavirus cases continued to climb throughout the country, according to the newspaper.</p><p>JBS USA said that it didn&#8217;t receive masks for workers until April 2, but didn&#8217;t make their use mandatory until April 13.</p><p>Tyson, however, said that they didn&#8217;t require all workers to wear masks until April 15, the report said.</p><p>Smithfield said it made masks available to all their workers, but didn&#8217;t say when this occurred, according to the report.</p><p>The three companies defended their efforts to prevent outbreaks of the virus among their employees, the newspaper reported.</p><p>Smithfield and Tyson said they implemented preventative measures &#8211; including educating workers about coronavirus &#8211; in February, while JBS said that it began doing the same in mid-March, according to the report.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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