A recent coronavirus outbreak at one of Smithfield Foods’ pork factories in Sioux Falls, S.D. has prompted the closure of the facility, causing widespread concern about the safety and welfare of industrial food employees.
Over 900 confirmed COVID-19 cases have been linked to the factory — nearly half of South Dakota’s total instances — making it the country’s largest coronavirus hot spot last week. The factory’s employees, who are from all around the globe and rely on their jobs for financial stability, are now grappling with both sudden unemployment and a highly increased risk of disease.
Unsanitary working conditions were likely a major contributor to the disease’s rapid spread throughout the facility, safety groups claim.
“You are asked to wear a mask and social distance when you’re outside of the workplace,” the director of the National Employment Law Project’s worker health and safety program Debbie Berkowitz told The Hill. “But when you’re in the workplace, the employers can require you to work shoulder to shoulder with other workers, [and] pile into break rooms.”
Advocates and union leaders are also accusing Smithfield Foods of waiting too long to act in the interest of workers’ safety, instead focusing disproportionately on productivity. By the time the factory implemented heightened safety protocols, it was too late to prevent the virus from spreading.
For the hundreds of employees who regularly worked double shifts and relied on overtime pay to support their families, the pay they’re receiving after the indefinite closure probably isn’t enough to make rent and pay grocery bills.
Despite this tragedy, Smithfield Foods and government officials are considering reopening the plant.
“We’re working closely with the plant to make sure it’s an environment that’s safe for the employees,” said Gov. Kristi Noem, “and also, we’re doing it in a time frame to help our ag producers who are looking to market their hogs.”
This story reminds us that we must remember to put the lives of people and animals before profit.
Please stop the practice of factory farming!
Please stop the practice of factory farming!
Nothing but savage horror! I will never understand these cruel barbarians that work there
Agree.
It’s about time to treat animals kind. They have feeling and they feel pain.
Hate the way these poor animals are being kept ! So incredibly cruel! Their living conditions should be improved!!
They want to reopen, anyone surprised? since this filthy, horrendously cruel factory farm is owned by who? the Chinese.
Unsanitary work environment at Smithfield? Well, I wonder why? Maybe it’s In the cruel nature that they treat animals- let’s start there. Smithfield needs to close…period.
LEAVE ANIMALS ALONE !!!!!!
Be kind to animals. 🐷🐖🐽
these on-going human caused atrocities someday soon, hopefully will be looked at as horrific, unnecessary, disgusting, soulless activities inflicted on defenseless animals all for the sake of the human selfish palate!
God awful!!
these on-going human caused atrocities someday soon, hopefully will be looked at as horrific, unnecessary, disgusting, soulless activities inflicted on defenseless animals all for the sake of the human selfish palate!
God awful!!
It’s not hard doing without meat. Eating animals is something I cannot do. There are 2 things in my life that I am satisfied with.
One is being vegetarian.
moche
the message is so clear WE NEED TO S TOP EATING ANIMALS RAISED ON FACTORY FARMS.
SMALL INDEPENDENT FARMS THAT RAISE AND KILL THEIR ANIMALS WITH COMPASSION AND NO PAIN ,, WILL BE THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE
THEN MEAT WILL BE LIKE CAVIER AND COST 35-40 A LB AND BE A TRUE DELICASY
What level of humanity towards people or animals can one expect from a company that is a wholly owned subsidiary of the WH Group of China. This is a fact.
Totally agree!!!
What level of humanity towards people or animals can one expect from a company that is a wholly owned subsidiary of the WH Group of China. This is a fact.