Wolgamott Authors Legislation to Increase Safety at Meat Processing Plants

Meat is shown at Westborn Market in Berkley, Mich., Wednesday, April 29, 2020. President Donald Trump ordered meat processing plants to stay open amid concerns over growing coronavirus COVID-19 cases and the impact on the nation’s food supply. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

(KNSI) – Lawmakers in the Minnesota House of Representatives are introducing a bill, authored by St. Cloud DFL Rep. Dan Wolgamott, that would require more safety measures to protect workers in the state’s meatpacking plants.

The Minnesota Safe Workplaces for Meat and Poultry Processing Workers Act proposes creating a new position within the Department of Labor and Industry: worker’s rights coordinator. That person would investigate and prosecute workers’ rights violations.

Additionally, the bill calls for meat and food processing employers to provide paid leave for workers who are sick, injured or need time off to care for an ill family member.

“When COVID-19 first hit Central Minnesota in the spring of 2020, I heard heartbreaking and horrifying stories from my constituents about the unhealthy working conditions at meat processing plants that were jeopardizing the health and financial well-being of their families,” Wolgamott said.

Last year, meatpacking workers as close as Cold Spring were affected by COVID-19 outbreaks at their workplaces. Wolgamott’s bill would also require employers to provide PPE to employees for free, amp up disinfection efforts in high-traffic areas and allow more break time so processors can wash their hands.

The bill would also address employer discrimination; if passed, the legislation would prohibit employers from taking negative action against an employee, like threatening to report their immigration status.

“Every day myself and my coworkers put our lives on the line when we go to work,” says Antonio Jimenez, who works at JBS in Worthington. “I was here at the plant when the COVID-19 outbreak happened. No one ever wants that to happen again. This legislation is about safety, not just about me but for all the meatpacking workers in the state.”