FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 28, 2021

Contact: Chelsea Connor | cconnor@rwdsu.org | 347-866-6259

STATEMENT: GAINESVILLE POULTRY PLANT CHEMICAL LEAK

(NEW YORK, NY) – Today, sadly six workers lost their lives in a chemical leak of liquid nitrogen at one of the many non-union poultry facilities in Gainesville, Georgia. Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), which represents over 15,000 poultry workers at facilities across the southern United States issued the following statement:

“It is a complete and utter tragedy that six workers at a poultry facility in Gainesville, Georgia will never be returning home to their families after the nitrogen leak today. 

“The health and safety of workers must be a top priority at poultry plants, the same plants that are providing essential food on dinner tables in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Had simple safety protocols been followed today workers lives wouldn’t have been on the line. The egregious, lack of standards at non-union facilities like the one in Gainesville cost essential workers their lives today. 

“We cannot allow this to continue to happen. Workers' lives are not disposable. 

“We stand with the workers at this facility and countless others who need worker-led health and safety committees, to prevent needless injuries, or as we tragically saw today deaths.”

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 The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) represents 100,000 members throughout the United States. The RWDSU is affiliated with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW). For more information, please visit our website at www.rwdsu.org, Facebook:/RWDSU.UFCW Twitter:@RWDSU.