Groups blast Perdue on worker safety, wages
As Tyson Foods announced sweeping workplace reforms Wednesday, worker advocates turned their attention to another poultry industry giant on the Delmarva Peninsula: Perdue.
About a dozen protesters gathered in a gray mist outside Perdue's Salisbury processing plant, calling on the company to raise wages and improve working conditions for its plant employees nationwide.
In an industry that blends a fast-paced work environment with repetitive and sometimes-dangerous tasks, Perdue portrays itself as a leader in protecting workers from harm, said Alex Galimberti, a senior adviser with the anti-poverty group Oxfam America. But plant managers and supervisors often fail to live up to those lofty standards, he said.
"Although all companies say they have priorities to ensure workplace health and safety, we see evidence those are not always being applied," Galimberti said.
Perdue denied those claims Wednesday, citing Occupational Safety and Health Administration figures showing its workplaces are among the safest in the manufacturing sector. The company's incidence rate is about half the sector's average while the number of injuries leading to lost work time is one-quarter of the average, spokeswoman Andrea Staub said.
The safety and well-being of our Perdue associates is a top priority," she said in a statement. "The claims made by Oxfam year after year have not been confirmed by our internal reviews and are completely inconsistent with our belief and practice of putting people first."
The Salisbury-based meat producer has amassed 18 OSHA violations since 2010, resulting in more than $218,000 in fines, according to the federal agency's website.
Meat processors have come under intense scrutiny from worker advocates and some consumers in recent years over workplace conditions.
The Salisbury protest was the latest action in a campaign launched by Oxfam in 2015 against the country's top four poultry companies, which include Tyson and Perdue. The organization, citing interviews with workers, accused the industry of pressuring employees to work faster, even denying them bathroom breaks to keep the line moving.
On Wednesday, Tyson vowed to improve working conditions for its 95,000 production employees. The Arkansas-based company, whose holdings include a production facility in Temperanceville, Virginia, said it would, among other things, hire more trainers and expand a safety council program to all plants.
BACKGROUND: Perdue's new CEO promises to continue the company's innovative spirit.
Tyson also said it would look into allowing more frequent restroom breaks and a paid time-off system.
"We believe sustainability is about continuous improvement and solutions that last, and this includes a healthier workplace,” said Noel White, Tyson's chief operations officer. “We’ve always been committed to supporting our employees and have sound workplace practices in place, but also want to do better."
Galimberti applauded Tyson's actions, calling them a "positive step." He called on Perdue to make similar commitments.
The protesters received a handful of honks of support from passing traffic along Business Route 50 in front of the plant's entrance.
Oxfam was joined by the farmworker support group CATA at Wednesday's protest. Leila Borrero Krouse, a CATA organizer, said the plant's demographics aggravate many of the issues. Many of the workers are Hispanic or Haitian and fear retaliation if they call out safety problems, she said.
"The workers are not being heard," she said. "They're here to serve a purpose, to support their families. They don't want to lose their job."
At Perdue, Staub said, every employee is allowed to give input on safety decisions, including shutting down a line if there's an issue. In the meantime, the company continues to invest millions of dollars in technologies that automate repetitive tasks and others that help shield employees from stress injuries, she added.
As for wages, Perdue offers competitive pay and benefits, with a total compensation of $17 per hour, Staub said. The company also has paid out a profit-sharing bonus three years running.
Ahead of the protest, Oxfam collected 100,000 signatures from consumers. The organizers placed the papers on foam trays wrapped in a clear sheet of plastic — the way Perdue might sell cuts of chicken breast.
A Perdue official wearing a puffy dark blue vest and khaki pants politely greeted the group in front of the entrance. He collected stack of trays from several of the activists, thanked them and walked back inside the plant's gate, using his chin to steady the tower from the top.
410-845-4630
On Twitter @Jeremy_Cox