Labor unions have agreed to support Tyson Foods’ requirement for U.S. employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by November, the company said.
“This vaccine agreement with Tyson shows just how critical it is for companies to meet with unions before making unilateral mandates. We’re proud to have secured paid time off for workers to get the vaccine and additional paid time off should they experience any symptoms, vaccine locations at our facilities, and a job exchange plan to ensure workers with medical and religious exemptions can maintain employment in areas with low interpersonal contact. This historic agreement will protect workers and our communities, and is a clear blueprint many other industries can and should follow,” said Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU).
The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) now also supports the vaccine mandate. Previously, the UCFW raised objections, citing concerns that the requirement did not wait until the vaccine was fully approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
In addition to the vaccine requirement, fully vaccinated Tyson Foods' employees in the U.S. will now be eligible to earn up to 20 hours of paid sick leave per year and will qualify for paid vacation time in six months, versus one year, starting on January 1, 2022, the company said.
"Today, UFCW is pleased to join Tyson in announcing the first national agreement to provide paid sick leave to American meatpacking workers. Paid sick leave is critical to ensuring workers can get vaccinated without losing a paycheck," UFCW International President Marc Perrone said in a statement. "Every company in America must follow Tyson’s lead and act now to guarantee paid leave to help even more of our country’s essential workers get vaccinated as soon as possible."
The two unions represent more than 80% of Tyson’s 31,000 unionized workers in the U.S.
Incentivizing vaccinations
All Tyson Foods U.S. employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by November 1, 2021, the company announced August 3. The company is also offering employees at its U.S. chicken processing plants who have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine an opportunity to win $10,000.
Three-quarters of Tyson Food’s 120,000 U.S. employees are currently vaccinated, up from 56,000 prior to the mandate. All front-line employees who receive the vaccine are eligible for a $200 bonus, as well as up to four hours of pay if they get inoculated outside of work.
Tyson Foods did not respond to a WATTPoultry request for comment.
Tyson Foods, headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas, is the largest chicken producer in the United States and the fifth largest turkey producer. It is also one of the nation’s four largest beef producer and a major producer of pork. The company is also expanding its presence in the plant-based protein sector.
