DENVER – Attorney General Phil Weiser is urging the federal government to protect the health and safety of U.S. meat and poultry workers. Weiser joined a coalition of 20-attorneys general on Tuesday, calling for the federal government to take immediate action to ensure the health and safety of processing plant employees, who have been deemed essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over 10,000 COVID-19 cases and 45 worker deaths have been tied to meat processing plants across the country, including 340 reported positive cases and eight reported deaths at the JBS meat packing plant in Greeley.
The incidence of COVID-19 infections among meat and poultry industry workers is serious, with many plants reporting hundreds of workers testing positive. The clusters of infections are also impacting their surrounding communities.
The USDA is currently allowing facilities to continue to operate under voluntary guidelines for promoting safe working conditions. In their letter, the attorneys general say health and safety standards must be stronger, mandatory, and enforceable, including priority testing for workers in the processing plants; suspension of all line speed waivers; a halt to approval of any additional waivers; immediate access to adequate PPE; 6-foot physical distancing where possible and plexiglass barriers where distancing cannot be achieved; and isolation and quarantine of COVID-19 positive workers, with full pay.
