Trump orders meat plants to stay open in move slammed by union

Washington

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday that compels slaughterhouses to remain open, setting up a showdown between the giant companies that produce America's meat and the unions and activists who want to protect workers in a pandemic.

Meat processing plants around the US have shut down because of the novel coronavirus, but Mr Trump said in the order that "such closures threaten the continued functioning of the national meat and poultry supply chain, undermining critical infrastructure during the national emergency".

Using the Defense Production Act, the president is ordering plants to stay open as part of the critical infrastructure needed to keep people fed amid growing supply disruptions from the novel coronavirus outbreak. The government will provide additional protective gear for employees as well as guidance.

The move came just days after Tyson Foods, the biggest US meat processor, ran paid advertisements in national newspapers stating that the food supply chain was "broken". A handful of companies account for the majority of the nation's meat, and as workers fell sick in March, plants initially continued to run. But pressure from local health officials and unions led to voluntary closures.

Companies have been pressing to re-open. The president himself has long agitated for Americans to return to work and restore an economy crippled by social distancing measures.

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Environmental Working Group called the order a potential death sentence. The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union said in a statement that if workers are not safe, the food supply will not be either. At least 20 workers in meat and food processing have died, and 5,000 meatpacking workers have either tested positive for the virus or were forced to self-quarantine, said UFCW.

While unions have been speaking out against unsafe plant conditions and working for boosts in pay, collective bargaining agreements often restrict them from organising or endorsing strikes. Still, lives are stake, unions said.

"People should never be expected to put their lives at risk by going to work," said Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. "If they can't be assured of their safety, they have every right to make their concerns heard by their employers."

Mr Trump signalled the executive action at the White House on Tuesday, saying he planned to sign an order aimed at Tyson's liability, which had become "a road block" for the company. He did not elaborate.

The order, though, is not limited to Tyson, an administration official said. It will affect many processing plants supplying beef, chicken, eggs and pork.

Shares in Tyson and poultry producer Sanderson Farms extended gains after the news, while JBS, the world's top meat producer, was little changed.

JBS's local unit and Smithfield Foods did not immediately respond to calls and e-mails, while Tyson and Cargill said they could not comment because they do not have the executive order. Tyson did say safety remains its top priority "while we work to continue fulfilling our role of feeding families across the country".

The White House decided to make the move amid estimated that as much as 80 per cent of US meat production capacity could shut down. But a union representing plant workers accused the administration of failing to develop meaningful safety requirements that would have helped contain the disruptions.

'Breaking' chain

On Sunday, Tyson Foods Chairman John Tyson said in a blog post and paid advertisements in several newspapers that the US food supply chain "is breaking", with millions of pounds of meat set to "disappear" as plants close.

Illnesses in the meat-processing industry and shifts in demand after restaurants closed have disrupted the supply chain. Dairy farmers are dumping milk that cannot be sold to processors, broiler operations have been breaking eggs to reduce supplies and some fruit and vegetables are rotting in fields amid labour and distribution disruptions.

Many low-income Americans, at the same time, have been waiting in long lines at food banks, which have reported shortages. Asked about the country's food supply, Mr Trump said: "There's plenty of supply."

The Defense Production Act allows the government broad power to direct industrial production in crises. Mr Trump has previously invoked the law - or threatened to invoke it - in order to increase the supply of medical gear including ventilators, masks and swabs to test for coronavirus infection. BLOOMBERG