Server: Microsoft-IIS/3.0 Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 06:16:42 GMT Content-Type: text/html Accept-Ranges: bytes Last-Modified: Fri, 25 Jul 1997 21:15:21 GMT Content-Length: 6116 Tyson Responds to Allegations of Harsh Working Conditions (11/29/96)

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Tyson Responds to Allegations of Hash Working Conditions Within Poultry Industry


Springdale, Ark. (Nov. 29, 1996)--The "National Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice" in conjunction with the Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) issued a news release on November 26, 1996, encouraging the U.S.Department of Labor to investigate "mistreatment throughout the poultry industry." The charges within the LIUNA release ran a full gamut from worker safety to exploitation of immigrant workers to "environmental degradation." Labor Secretary Reich and the U.S. Department of Labor replied with a news release of their own sympathizing with the concerns of this group about the "harsh and perhaps unlawful conditions faced by workers in the poultry processing industry," and promising a "special targeted enforcement project to gauge the seriousness and extent of the problems."

These charges are unfounded as they might relate to Tyson Foods.
We offer in response, the following:

Representatives of the federal government are in our plants every day. The USDA maintains a constant presence. OSHA routinely monitors worker safety records and inspects our plants. The INS keeps a close watch on any potential violations of immigrant labor regulations. If the Labor Department wants to visit us with a special "enforcement" action, we have nothing to hide, although we can think of better uses for our tax money.

Regarding the specific issues within the LIUNA press release:

*Worker Safety. Tyson has a superlative safety record. In fact, our lost time injury rate of 1.33 per 100 workers annually, is two to three times lower than the national average for ALL manufacturing industries. Within the past three years, we've had 23 facilities exceed 1,000,000 manhours without a lost-time accident.

*Immigrant Labor. The consequences of knowingly hiring illegal workers are quite simply too high for us to hire people without proper documentation. So are the consequences of discriminating against workers who do have proper documentation. We support our immigrant laborers with many assimilation programs including English As A Second Language classes. We encourage all of our resident aliens to pursue citizenship and support them in these efforts. Virtually all of our immigrant laborers have come to us as a result of word-of-mouth from friends and families, not recruiters.

*Benefits. Tyson team members, regardless of nationality, are afforded some of the best benefits in the business. Very low-priced health insurance, including dental and vision benefits, with low deductibles. Employee stock options and retirement plans in which the company matches contributions. Paid vacations.

*Wages. Tyson starts all of its team members out at wages commensurate with the standards of the communities in which our respective facilities are located. All starting wages are well above the federal minimum wage. We have no minimum wage jobs in the company.

*Consumer Safety. The American poultry inspection system is one of the safest in the world, made even safer by the science-based USDA inspection regulations currently being brought into effect. For more information, see the releases "Food Safety Background Information" and "New Meat and Poultry Inspection Program Background" on the News Release section of this site.

*"Environmental Degradation" Tyson's environmental record is exemplary. If you need more information, see the "Environment" section on this site .

*"Corporate Welfare" This charge comes completely from left field. To answer their only specific allegation, Tyson receives no "subsidies" to export our products overseas.

    Contact:
    Ed Nicholson (501) 290-4591
    Corporate Public Relations Manager
    email: nicholsone@tyson.com