Editor's Note: Tyson Foods issued the following open letter to its employees on May 1 regarding safety at facilities.
Together, we’ll feed the nation.
At Tyson, we are proud of you, our team members, and the work you are doing to help feed America. And, we want you to know that your safety is our top priority during this national crisis.
Day in and day out, in the midst of the challenges so many families are facing during this pandemic, frontline workers at our facilities across the country go above and beyond to help us maintain a healthy and stable food supply for tens of millions of Americans – so from all of us to all of you, thank you!
We’re not alone in honoring the tremendous contribution our team members make to this nation’s food security.
This week, the U.S. government took decisive action to recognize the essential work of our company by prioritizing support for meat and poultry processors and clarifying the standards America should follow to return workers safely back to the workplace. We thank the Administration for this action and look forward to working with the Department of Agriculture and others to help ensure we can meet our mission to produce and market trusted, quality food products – and do it safely.
Because make no mistake: The health and wellbeing of our team members and their loved ones is, and remains, our priority.
It’s why we’ve put in place a host of safeguards and guidelines at all our facilities to protect our teams. As we’ve shown in recent days, we will not hesitate to idle any plant for deep cleaning when the need arises. And, we’re partnering with Matrix Medical Network, a leading provider of mobile health clinics, to give team members onsite access to testing for COVID-19 and other wellness services as we reopen idled facilities.
In recognizing our team members, we understand that we don’t feed a nation alone. We continue to work closely with federal, state and local health and safety authorities to keep our communities safe, and we rely on America’s farmers and ranchers to supply our livestock, poultry and feed.
This week’s action under the Defense Production Act establishes clear lines of authority and consistent standards that will help us continue to provide American families with a reliable supply of beef, pork and poultry.
The responsibility of feeding the nation goes beyond any one business. Working together, we’re confident we can help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in our communities, help keep it out of our plants and help keep the food supply chain intact.
Because if one thing has become clear in these uncertain times, it’s this: we’re in this together and the only way forward is together.
Thank you for all you do to feed America every day.
