Tyson Foods recently hosted League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) CEO Sindy Benavides to an on-site COVID-19 vaccination event for nearly 200 Tyson employees at the company’s plant in Houston.
Benavides met with Tyson workers to encourage vaccine participation and share LULAC’s mission.As the oldest and largest Latino civil rights organization in the country, LULAC is committed to supporting essential workers in the food industry and ensuring they have access to the COVID-19 vaccine.
“According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, of the 525,000 workers in 3,500 meat processing facilities nationwide, 44% or 231,000 are Latino,” said Benavides. “We applaud Tyson Foods for being at the forefront of on-site vaccination programs which are proving to be the most successful. We all share the same goal of promoting the health and safety of America’s essential workers as they help nourish our nation.”
Companywide, 28% of Tyson Foods employees identify as Hispanic or Latino.
Tyson Foods recently announced that free, on-site vaccination events will include family members of employees as well as others living in their homes. Vaccinations for team members are voluntary, but highly encouraged.
“We appreciate LULAC’s partnership and thank Sindy for helping drive awareness about the importance of the vaccine with our team members,” said Hector Gonzalez, senior vice president, human resources for U.S. Business and Administration, Tyson Foods. “Our focus has been on providing education and access to the vaccine and this event helped accomplish both of those goals.”
More than 44,000 Tyson Foods employees have been vaccinated so far at more than 100 events held onsite at Tyson facilities or in nearby community facilities. In preparation for vaccinations, Tyson Foods has been providing expert resources and education about the vaccine to team members. This information is available in multiple languages and team members also have access to a hotline to ask questions. In addition to offering free, on-site vaccinations, the company is also compensating workers for up to four hours of regular pay if they are vaccinated outside of their normal shift or through an external source.
Providing workers access to the vaccine is the latest in a series of measures Tyson Foods has taken to fight COVID-19. Since the spring of 2020, the company invested hundreds of millions of dollars to transform its U.S. facilities with protective measures, from walk-through temperature scanners and workstation dividers to social distance monitors and always-on testing, as well as provide additional team member pay and benefits. Tyson Foods has also expanded its health services staff, added a chief medical officer and plans to pilot health clinics for team members and their families early this year.
