Rumored Trump Administration Slaughterhouse Order Could Threaten Worker Safety

WASHINGTON – According to published press reports, despite multiple COVID-19 hotspots popping up in slaughterhouses, the Trump Administration plans to release an executive order forcing meat processing facilities to stay open during the pandemic and shield them from liability.  

Following is a response from Valerie Baron, Director of Animal Agriculture at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):
"The Trump Administration must require adequate protections for workers if these facilities are going to be required to operate during the pandemic. Food system workers are the backbone of our food economy and deserve protective equipment, paid sick leave, access to health care--including coronavirus testing--and vigorous federal enforcement of safety standards. Without these protections, food system workers will not be able to fulfill their essential mission of keeping safe food on America's tables. It is wrong to force workers, however essential they may be, to stay on the job without providing for their safety and well-being."
More information can be found on Valerie’s blog.

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The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org