Tyson Foods has laid off seven plant employees following an independent investigation into claims that company leaders were betting on how many workers would become infected with COVID-19, the company announced Wednesday. Complaints against the administrators of the Waterloo, Iowa plant were part of a lawsuit presented by the son of an employee who died of the coronavirus in April.
“We value our people and expect all team members, especially our leaders, to operate with integrity and care in everything we do,” Tyson Foods President and CEO Dean Banks said in a statement. . “The behaviors these individuals exhibit do not represent Tyson’s core values, which is why we took immediate and appropriate action to get to the truth. Now that the investigation is over, we are taking action based on the findings.”
The lawsuit, filed in early November, alleges that the plant manager at the Waterloo facility “organized a reserve of bets for the purchase of cash and winners by supervisors and managers to bet how many employees would test positive for COVID-19 “.
The lawsuit also alleges that supervisors were directed to “ignore the symptoms of COVID-19” and encouraged workers to work even if they had symptoms of the virus. The lawsuit also alleges that the company did not provide adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) and did not implement the appropriate social distancing measures.
CBS News previously reported that Tyson has denied many of the claims in the lawsuit. On Wednesday, when asked about the lawsuit, a spokesman said the company “is saddened by the loss of any member of Tyson’s team and shares it with their families. Our top priority is health and safety. of our workers and we have implemented a number of protective measures in place at our facilities that meet or exceed CDC and OSHA guidelines to prevent COVID-19. ”
Tyson said it suspended executives accused of betting on COVID evidence days after the lawsuit was filed, and hired former Attorney General Eric Holder to do an independent review of the claims.
This is not the only time the plant is facing controversy over its handling of COVID-19. In April, The Associated Press reported that local lawmakers were urging the plant to close, warning that the rapid transmission of the virus among workers was dangerous for both employees and the community. At that time, meat plants from all over the country were emerging as hot spots for the virus.
Tyson temporarily closed the plant on April 22 and invited its 2,800 employees to test at the facility, CBS subsidiary KCCI-TV reported. The company reopened two weeks later, and at the time, officials said more than 1,000 Tyson workers had been infected, according to AP.
A lawsuit filed earlier this month accused the company of discouraging performers from discussing the virus, apart from falsely stating that it was not a problem at the facility. A Tyson spokesman declined to comment on the lawsuit at the time.
Kate Gibson contributed to this report.