“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.” - Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU).

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…

“We only wish that this administration cared as much about the lives of working people as it does about meat, pork and poultry products. When poultry plants shut down, it's for deep cleaning and to save workers' lives. If the administration had developed meaningful safety requirements early on as they should have and still must do, this would not even have become an issue. Employers and government must do better. If they want to keep the meat and poultry supply chain healthy, they need to make sure that workers are safe and healthy,” said Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU).