ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Tyson fires seven managers after probe into COVID-19 wagering at pork plant

The lawsuit claimed that plant managers misled workers about COVID-19, bet on workers catching the virus and allowed sick employees to continue working.

2020-11-19T200803Z_991223639_RC2K6K9KRMNV_RTRMADP_3_HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS-USA-TYSON.JPG
A Tyson Foods pork processing plant, temporarily closed due to an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), is seen in Waterloo, Iowa, U.S. April 29, 2020. Brenna Norman / Reuters

Tyson Foods Inc said on Wednesday, Dec. 16, it had fired seven managers at an Iowa pork plant after investigating allegations that they took bets on how many employees would catch COVID-19.

The independent investigation, led by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, came in response to a lawsuit filed by the son of a worker at a Tyson facility in Waterloo, Iowa, who died in April of complications from the virus.

RELATED STORY: Tyson Foods suspends employees after lawsuit alleges managers bet on workers catching COVID-19

The lawsuit claimed that plant managers misled workers about COVID-19, bet on workers catching the virus and allowed sick employees to continue working.

Tyson in November suspended the employees accused of wagering at the Waterloo facility — its largest U.S. pork plant.

ADVERTISEMENT

The COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged the meatpacking industry, infecting thousands of workers at slaughterhouses hit by outbreaks.

(Reporting by Uday Sampath in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath)

What To Read Next
Get Local

ADVERTISEMENT