For many, the holiday season is a time filled with joy and shared with loved ones. It is a time when families come together and share gratitude and food. While gathering may look different this year, we should all be able to come home safely to our loved ones. But Nebraskans who process our food in meat and poultry plants still face unsafe conditions.
Recent news continues to illuminate a pattern of callous disregard for the people who perform essential work in meat and poultry plants — from plant managers who took bets on how many workers would get COVID-19 to further examples of inhuman treatment in Nebraska plants exposed in a new ACLU lawsuit. A new study shows how meatpacking plant failures link to broader community spread.
Call your senator as they prepare for the new legislative session.
The Nebraska Legislature convenes on January 6th, 2021. Despite months of pleas from workers, their families, and communities for the Legislature to act, they failed to address the working conditions in meat and poultry plants during the last session.
Nebraska’s meat and poultry workforce need essential protections:
- Most importantly, 6-foot physical distancing in all areas of the plant, including locker rooms, break areas, and the processing floor
- At least two weeks of paid sick leave so people can afford to stay home and monitor symptoms or care for a family member with symptoms
- Protective equipment including the best available masks
- Effective screening and quarantine practices with transparency of information for employees
[button style=”danger” href=”tel:4025435799″]Call Your State Senator[/button]
Call your senator at (402) 543-5799 as they prepare for the January session. Let them know you are grateful for the Nebraska neighbors, family members, and friends who process our food and who, after many months, are still at risk every day. Tell your senator you expect action in January. Together, we can make a difference and establish clear and enforceable COVID-19 protections for meat and poultry workplaces.