The exterior of a Tyson Fresh Meats factory is seen on May 1, 2020 in Wallula, Washington. More than 150 workers at the plant have tested positive for COVID-19, according to local health officials.
David Ryder | Getty Images
Meatpacker Tyson Foods announced on Tuesday that it will require its U.S. employees to be fully immunized this year.
The company said 56,000 U.S. employees, representing less than half of its national workforce, had been vaccinated so far. Office workers have until October 1 to get a full vaccine, while factory workers have until November 1.
On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the seven-day average of new Covid cases exceeded last summer’s peak, before the country had access to vaccines. Covid cases in the United States, based on a seven-day moving average, reached 72,790 on Friday, agency data showed. The delta variant is fueling the outbreak of cases, especially in areas with low vaccination rates.
“It is quite clear that getting vaccinated is the most effective thing we can do to protect ourselves, our families and our communities,” Tyson CEO Donnie King wrote in a note to employees.
Tyson plans to give frontline workers who get vaccinated a bonus of $ 200, in addition to the current policy of providing up to four hours of pay for getting vaccinated outside of work or through an external supplier. The salary supplement, as well as the time limit, are the subject of discussions with the unions which represent these employees.
The company said it would allow exceptions to the vaccination mandate for medical or religious reasons.
Throughout the pandemic, many meat and poultry processing facilities have been forced to shut down temporarily after Covid-19 outbreaks swept through their workforce. Conditions in factories require workers to be close to each other for hours, making social distancing nearly impossible. Shared transport to and from work and collective housing also increases contact between workers.
As of July 30, at least 132 meat packing workers who belonged to the United Food and Commercial Workers have died after contracting Covid-19, according to the union.