Trump to Order U.S. Meat Plants to Stay Open Amid Pandemic

[demmiblue]

Source: Bloomberg

President Donald Trump plans to order meat-processing plants to remain open, declaring them critical infrastructure as the nation confronts growing disruptions to the food supply, a person familiar with the matter said.

Trump plans to use the Defense Production Act to order the companies to stay open, and the government will provide additional protective gear for employees as well as guidance, according to the person.

Trump signaled the executive action at the White House on Tuesday, saying he planned to sign an order aimed at Tyson Foods Inc.’s liability, which had become “a road block” for the company. He didn’t elaborate.

The order, though, will not be limited to Tyson, the person said. It will affect all processing plants supplying beef, chicken, eggs and pork.

Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-28/trump-says-he-s-issuing-order-for-tyson-s-unique-liability?utm_content=politics&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=socialflow-organic&cmpid%3D=socialflow-twitter-politics

[George II]

1. How can he order a business to stay open? Hope he eats lots of pork and chicken next week.

[marybourg]

5. By invoking the Defense Production Act as the OP reported.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

21. Can the DPA be used to force people to engage in life-threatening activities?

I don't see any provision for continually testing and quarantining infected employees. Providing PPEs is good as far as it goes -- although I don't understand how meat packing plants will obtain them when hospitals are having such a difficult time getting the equipment, especially with FEMA stealing so many orders. PPEs are not 100% effective, otherwise health workers wouldn't be getting infected.

[marybourg]

25. I'm not an expert on the statute. I just saw tbe answer in

the OP.

[Marthe48]

40. TRMS featured a union pres

Talking about the JBS plant in Greeley. It is a Covid-19 hotspot. It was closed for a few days, then reopened. At least 5 employees are dead. Supervisors were tested, and 40% were positive for Covid-19, so they quit testing and in spite of illness and death, it is reopening today. The sheriff or somebody in the county is defying Gov Polis's orders abiut closing.

I'm pretty sick of mafia sheriffs popping up defying governors' orders. Who the hell do they think they are?

[Massacure]

46. No, not anymore anyway.

Of the seven original titles within the DPA, only three are still active. The POTUS lost the ability to set price and wage controls (Title IV) and to forcibly settle labor disputes (Title V) in 1953.

https://fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RS20587.pdf

[totodeinhere]

12. As far as I know it is very unlikely that one could contract the virus from food.

So I think he could eat all the pork and chicken he wants. But what concerns me is the health of the workers at those facilities. As we know, there have been outbreaks in several meat packing plants both here and in Canada. I don't think that the health of those workers should be endangered. So we need to keep those plants closed. If this results in a shortage of meat then so be it. The health of the workers is more important than whether or not I can have a steak for dinner.

[eppur_se_muova]

2. WORK OR DIE !

Or both, as may be the case.

[RandySF]

3. How man people will the order kill?

[totodeinhere]

13. It will probably kill some, and others will get very sick and although they might survive

they will be left with permanent organ damage and long term health problems. All that just so I can have a steak for dinner.

[cstanleytech]

22. That's unknown as a lot of it will depend on the employees using proper safety measures.

Even then there are bound to be some that die either from contracting it on the job or from someplace else.

[DanieRains]

4. Go To Work And Die Because You Have Little Protection And No Testing Available Says Trump

I have this correct right?

[Coventina]

6. A Modest Proposal: workers who drop dead be processed as well.

Keep those supply chains moving! No matter the cost!!!!

(disclosure: I'm a vegetarian)

[brewens]

8. Soylent Orange? Might go well with fava beans and a nice chianti. n/t

[Coventina]

10. Soylent Orange!!!!! I love it!!

[machoneman]

14. Soylent Orange is brilliant! Chop 'em up, I say! Sounds like the old chestnut where Lucille Ball....

and her sidekick are in the chocolate wrapping plant! Speed her up!

[demtenjeep]

47. Read The Jungle

by Upton Sinclair.

you are not far off-

[FailureToCommunicate]

7. Seems like Trump will have ALL of us lined up heading into a slaughterhouse. Some cartoonist

is welcome to run with that image.

Death before dollar loss!

[murielm99]

9. I think this will be up to the states,

and even more local authorities than that. A meat processing plant in my county was ordered to close after a large number of employees tested positive. They were asked to close voluntarily, and did not comply. The county health department stepped in and made them close.

Workers from other counties also tested positive. That one plant spread the illness beyond county lines and put more stress on our already limited resources. Trump will not help. He does not get a say in this. His executive orders are meaningless.

[stopdiggin]

27. "He does not get a say in this. His executive orders are meaningless."

That's a pretty silly statement. In what universe?

Workers can of course quit. They have the option of choosing their health over a paycheck. But most won't. And the idea that the county Health Department is going to be successful (or would even attempt) in pulling rank on the Feds is ... Well, kinda silly.

I guess we can always hope that this is mostly blathering on the part of Trump .. and will be quietly pushed aside and forgotten in a few days. We've certainly seen that before. But it's without question that he has the power and authority to do this.

[murielm99]

31. See post 29,

and stop being silly.

[stopdiggin]

34. the answer is, "YES .. he most certainly can."

[The Mouth]

42. They are not being 'silly'

With all respect, you are in factual error.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/24/politics/defense-production-act-coronavirus/index.html

https://apnews.com/16bf293467703f6b4fceae5a7f272ab5

Any challange to this being a 'defense' related act is going to take a long long time to go through the courts.

In short, Trump *does* have this authority.

Regards.

[bucolic_frolic]

11. Food riots would not be popular

Peace, land, bread. The Fed buys stocks and bonds and Trump orders companies about. None dare call it National Socialism.

[Freethinker65]

15. I have an idea

So no PPA for PPE, but put American workers lives at risk for Tyson, Hormel, Smithfield, etc.
Fine. Have upper/middle white collar workers and Trump's kids do the food processing for next two weeks, while those processors already exposed to COVID-19 get 14 day quarantine.

[not fooled]

16. Aren't most meat plants in red states?

If so, the orange anus will have plenty of cooperation in doing this.

Just one little fly in their ointment: it's not as though sick workers will just infect each other, so it's OK because only poorly paid peasants will die . They will transmit the virus to many others in red state communities, outside the plants. Of course, the plant owners are no doubt far, far away.

[beachbumbob]

17. is trump going to order all americans to by meat when ZERO safety of the product is 100% garanteed?

I know, I will no longer purchase any "fresh meat" until we have a system in place that looks at MY safety in making such purchases.

[stopdiggin]

28. the product safety to the consumer is not the issue

it is worker safety (and virus spread) -- versus supply chain.

[beachbumbob]

45. Virus can be on meat packaging for days, for weeks if frozen

[stopdiggin]

49. OK. you want to stop eating, fine.

Not really sure how packaging for meat products would be different from all other products. Any more, or less, prone to viral spread. But suit yourself.
--- ---

[beachbumbob]

51. temperatures, cooler longer lasting infectous virus

no meatpacker would be allowed to remain open if they had a whooping cough in employees or any number of infectious diseases

[stopdiggin]

54. but whooping cough would be OK if they were

packaging fruits and vegetables .. or hand lotion .. or Amazon orders .. or widgets and car parts ..

[IronLionZion]

18. Just issue an order for America to become great again

and resign from office

[Bernardo de La Paz]

19. Aww, all the little wussy snowflakes gotta have meat. Can't imagine eating vegetables. . . .nt

[QED]

20. He just wants to save his bacon.

Workers? fodder

[turbinetree]

23. Because zippy the orange hair glue head didn't read his PDB's like a responsible president does

the economy is becoming a failure.................and the death toll keeps rising.............and his lackeys (son) want to sell bottle of trump wine during a pandemic................and then he comes out and screams and orders meat packing plants to stay open, and food is rotting in the field.................and to top it all off he has tariffs in place to massage his ego..............and then he plays doctor with Lysol and and UV light ...................anything else to make this country the laughing stock of the world...................Oh I forgot 1,000,000 reported infections and over 57,000 dead.......and now he's jumping up and down about states re-opening and marching into death camp mode to satisfy his and there libertarian egos so they deny people unemployment benefit to keep there family and them safe .................and then a senator from Kentucky telling the states that are blue states are whining about bailouts........... and you just can't make this shit up....................

[Botany]

24. No national action on C-19 tests, treatments, PPE, and vaccines

but orders on meat plants? He wants to kill us. And his border shut down order raises the ?s
1) Who is gonna pick the crops?
b) Who is gonna work in the meat packing plants?

[keithbvadu2]

26. There are plenty of unemployed republicans who should welcome a job.

There are plenty of unemployed republicans who should welcome a job.

Unless they would rather stay on unemployment.

Isn't that one of the right wing talking points?

[Greybnk48]

29. He can't override a Governors order, can he? Ours are closed or closing

in the past few days because of a massive outbreak in Brown County.

https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/wisconsin/2020/04/26/coronavirus-wisconsin-meatpacking-plant-closed-cases-surge-jbs-green-bay/3030456001/

[murielm99]

30. I don't believe he can.

Be careful. Someone might call you silly for suggesting such a thing.

[stopdiggin]

36. executive powers are extremely broad

and are generally expanded even beyond normal scope during "emergencies." A pandemic, with all 50 states under major disaster emergency declarations would probably qualify under most definitions. Now .. you might find some fighting cock legal representation willing to take on the case .. but I think the safe money here is on the Feds. Where it has always been.

[keithbvadu2]

38. Total authority, of course.

[left-of-center2012]

32. "Soylent Green"

"People Food"

[bucolic_frolic]

33. Mr. I Am Not Responsible Leave It To The Governors wants to force people into hazardous conditions

or lose their jobs without unemployment. Fear of COVID-19 is not a valid excuse they say.

[Igel]

37. It's not a constraint on workers.

It's a constraint on companies.

Might be a constraint on unions, as well. But not in individuals.

[FailureToCommunicate]

35. Trump's latest business venture: a Trump cookbook...

[Steelrolled]

39. There is some key information in the article

the government will provide additional protective gear for employees as well as guidance

sign an order aimed at Tyson Foods Inc.’s liability, which had become “a road block” for the company

[Marthe48]

41. working on sending the Four Horsemen

traitor has plague and famine mounted and running, working on war (traitor has civil war on the burner) and conquest (will he bow to russia?)

[mahatmakanejeeves]

43. Meat and Poultry Processing Workers and Employers Interim Guidance from CDC and OSHA

As soon as robots evolve to the point where they can cut up carcasses, these jobs will be eliminated.

Business

OSHA releases guidance to keep meatpacking workers safe amid surging cases, food supply fears

By Taylor Telford
April 27, 2020 at 3:13 p.m. EDT

The federal government released joint coronavirus guidance Sunday for meat processing and packing facilities amid widespread outbreaks that have killed at least 17 workers, sickened more than 3,000 and threatened the national food supply.

The interim guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration outlines procedures for cleaning shared equipment and reconfiguring workstations. The guidance includes how companies can use physical barriers to create at least six feet between employees, who typically stand shoulder to shoulder in the plants.

{snip}

Taylor Telford
Taylor Telford is a reporter covering national and breaking news. Follow https://twitter.com/taylormtelford

Meat and Poultry Processing Workers and Employers

Interim Guidance from CDC and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

{snip}

[Mendocino]

44. The meat myth

[link:

&t=375|

[James48]

48. Today is TUESDAY!

and Tuesday is Soylent Green day!

They can't be out already, can they? Today is TUESDAY!!!

[flvegan]

50. The irony of the responses

to this issue (not just this one post), on this site, is absolutely palpable.

[Vinca]

52. There is one thing no one on air or in print is discussing. If you went to a restaurant and they

told you the meal would be a little delayed because the chef had the flu and was not operating as quickly as usual, would you stay? If the counterperson at McDonald's had a runny nose, would you want the open container of fries? These are food products. People who might have an illness should be nowhere near the processing of them. If they want to test every employee every day plus provide fresh PPE everyday it's probably okay, but they're just opening the door. I know Covid 19 isn't spread through the digestive tract and cooking would kill any virus on the meat, but just the thought of a company sending out packaged Covid 19 if horrifying.

[Steelrolled]

53. It's not just meat, most of the fruits and vegetables I buy were probably

handled by a number of people, including customers who touch it while looking.

I let everything I buy sit a couple days, and wash it before using, and then wash my hands after handling it. Just another food safety routine.

[BrightKnight]

55. They have done nothing to protect the food supply chain.

That is why all the plants are closing. No government is just no government. Telling employers that they can kill their employees is not going to fix the problem.