This Lawsuit is Why McConnell Will not Pass Covid Relief

[Milchshake]

McConnell is holding up Covid relief legislation in the Senate is because he wants to protect corporations from lawsuits exactly like this one:

“Tyson Foods ordered employees to report for work while supervisors privately wagered money on the number of workers who would be sickened by the deadly virus.”


A wrongful death lawsuit tied to COVID-19 infections in a Waterloo pork processing plant alleges that during the initial stages the pandemic, Tyson Foods ordered employees to report for work while supervisors privately wagered money on the number of workers who would be sickened by the deadly virus.

The lawsuit was recently amended and includes a number of new allegations against the company and plant officials. Among them:

• In mid-April, around the time Black Hawk County Sherriff Tony Thompson visited the plant and reported the working conditions there “shook [him] to the core,” plant manager Tom Hart organized a cash-buy-in, winner-take-all, betting pool for supervisors and managers to wager how many plant employees would test positive for COVID-19.
• John Casey, an upper-level manager at the plant, is alleged to have explicitly directed supervisors to ignore symptoms of COVID-19, telling them to show up to work even if they were exhibiting symptoms of the virus. Casey reportedly referred to COVID-19 as the “glorified flu” and told workers not to worry about it because “it’s not a big deal” and “everyone is going to get it.” On one occasion, Casey intercepted a sick supervisor who was on his way to be tested and ordered him to get back to work, saying, “We all have symptoms — you have a job to do.” After one employee vomited on the production line, managers reportedly allowed the man to continue working and then return to work the next day.
• In late March or early April, as the pandemic spread across Iowa, managers at the Waterloo plant reportedly began avoiding the plant floor for fear of contracting the virus. As a result, they increasingly delegated managerial authority and responsibilities to low-level supervisors who had no management training or experience. The supervisors did not require truck drivers and subcontractors to have their temperatures checked before entering the plant.
• In March and April, plant supervisors falsely denied the existence of any confirmed cases or positive tests for COVID-19 within the plant, and allegedly told workers they had a responsibility to keep working to ensure Americans didn’t go hungry as the result of a shutdown.
• Tyson paid out $500 “thank you bonuses” to employees who turned up for every scheduled shift for three months — a policy decision that allegedly incentivized sick workers to continue reporting for work.
• Tyson executives allegedly lobbied Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds for COVID-19 liability protections that would shield the company from lawsuits, and successfully lobbied the governor to declare that only the state government, not local governments, had the authority to close businesses in response to the pandemic.

Remember, people pushing the Rural/Urban Divide, never talk the vast majority agricultural workers. Rural minorities are often erased by those narratives.
It's cover for Big Ag lobby.

[Breccia]

McConnell is holding up Covid relief legislation in the Senate is because he wants to protect corporations from lawsuits exactly like this one:

The absolute evil of the details aside, yes, McConnell has routinely been on the record of wanting businesses to have legal immunity for forcing workers into unsafe conditions.

The details of that suit should not be covered by...anything. Wagering on how many of your employees die is Belko Exerpiment level of insane.

[beanman12345]

Business liability protection is poison. plain and simple.

[Cthulhu 2020]

I already knew Tyson chicken was garbage, but this further clenches the fact that I will never ever buy their chicken. In fact, I'm going to be extremely sad if this whole mess doesn't topple Tyson. They need to be disbanded and torn apart. Fuck the economic consequences, this is just fucking toxic.

[Slirith]

I already knew Tyson chicken was garbage, but this further clenches the fact that I will never ever buy their chicken. In fact, I'm going to be extremely sad if this whole mess doesn't topple Tyson. They need to be disbanded and torn apart. Fuck the economic consequences, this is just fucking toxic.

Here's other brands Tyson owns
https://www.tysonfoods.com/our-brands

[Shadowferal]

McConnell will stall until January anyway.

[Milchshake]

The absolute evil of the details aside, yes, McConnell has routinely been on the record of wanting businesses to have legal immunity for forcing workers into unsafe conditions.

The details of that suit should not be covered by...anything. Wagering on how many of your employees die is Belko Exerpiment level of insane.

This is the clearest example why the blanket liability protections McConnell kept pushing for. Are so dangerous for workers: it removes the incentive for employers to keep employees safe,

Without basic protections, your job becomes being a tribute to this Hunger Games type stuff.

[Felya]

I think just about everyone who isn’t a Trump supporter, realizes that the stimulus is being held up due to GOP choosing corporations over workers of said corporations.

Also, just to highlight how dastardly this is... The act of incorporating, already dissolve liability... this is keeping stimulus away from workers, to provide another layer of limited liability.

[Kryctos]

Well, never buying Jimmy Dean sandwiches nor tyson nuggets ever again.

[Felya]

Well, never buying Jimmy Dean sandwiches nor tyson nuggets ever again.

Just don’t destroy the ones you already have... that doesn’t help anything.

[Paranoid Android]

Hey! What do you know I posted the Tyson Food topic in COVID-19 thread. I was tempted to post political for this reason but did not mention it.

First of all, Tyson can piss off. An oh btw, on the Tyson Twitter site you cannot comment on any of their posts. Great social media Tyson!

So we knew this all along? Republicans want to protect corporations. OK we can do the frivolous lawsuit take, with how do we know who/how someone gets Coronavirus. Yet this is the problem today of businesses willing to open up and if their employees get sick will they be compensated and not fired.

I can say some grey area here, but with McConnell it becomes more clear.

[unfilteredJW]

This is the kind of thing I wish I could read later in the day rather than at the start.

Because I'll be screaming in my head for a few hours at least.

[beanman12345]

This is the clearest example why the blanket liability protections McConnell kept pushing for. Are so dangerous for workers: it removes the incentive for employers to keep employees safe,

Without basic protections, your job becomes being a tribute to this Hunger Games type stuff.

Mostly employee's, but also consumers. A factory like Tyson this only effects employee's, Amazon another one that's effects employee's, but the ripple effect, grocery chains no longer safe for employee's also means it's not safe for consumers. Department stores, hardware stores, restaurants, etc etc. It's truely horrifying on multiple levels.

[Egomaniac]

There's a lot of reasons why McConnell won't do covid relief...but I don't think this is one of them.

That's not to say Moscow Mitch doesn't want to prevent these kinds of lawsuits... just that he has other methods for that.

Mitch won't pass Covid relief because he wants to keep people desperate...so they have to keep these shit jobs working for shit companies that make a game of their health. And then he wants to pass legislation that keeps those shit companies from being sued over it.

[beanman12345]

There's a lot of reasons why McConnell won't do covid relief...but I don't think this is one of them.

That's not to say Moscow Mitch doesn't want to prevent these kinds of lawsuits... just that he has other methods for that.

Mitch won't pass Covid relief because he wants to keep people desperate...so they have to keep these shit jobs working for shit companies that make a game of their health. And then he wants to pass legislation that keeps those shit companies from being sued over it.

Nah, this is 100% the reason. Yeah he wants to keep people desperate, no question, but he was willing to pass a skinny stimulus months ago now but only if it had liability protections in it. liability protections is his main priority, desperation is a lesser priority.

[Egomaniac]

Nah, this is 100% the reason. Yeah he wants to keep people desperate, no question, but he was willing to pass a skinny stimulus months ago now but only if it had liability protections in it. liability protections is his main priority, desperation is a lesser priority.

THat's what I mean though...it's liability protections that he's interested in. Once he gets that...he'll go for a skinny stimulus...which will mostly go towards bailing out companies like this rather than to the desperate people that actually need it.

[beanman12345]

THat's what I mean though...it's liability protections that he's interested in. Once he gets that...he'll go for a skinny stimulus...which will mostly go towards bailing out companies like this rather than to the desperate people that actually need it.

Right, his exec buddies don't need the stimulus, they're loaded as is, but once they're protected from losing any money at the cost of their employee's and customers lives, then he'll hand over the piggy bank to make them even more loaded.

[Egomaniac]

Right, his exec buddies don't need the stimulus, they're loaded as is, but once they're protected from losing any money at the cost of their employee's and customers lives, then he'll hand over the piggy bank to make them even more loaded.

Exactly, yes.

But he's not against a stimulus. He's against a stimulus that goes to the desperate people that need relief.

[beanman12345]

Exactly, yes.

But he's not against a stimulus. He's against a stimulus that goes to the desperate people that need relief.

he's not against a stimulus as long as buddies and donors are protected from being sued. the desperate people that need relief are rightly fucked with or without it. like those moratoriums are temporary, the bill is gonna soon be due. 1200 check 6 months late ain't gonna do shit for these people.

[Egomaniac]

he's not against a stimulus as long as buddies and donors are protected from being sued. the desperate people that need relief are rightly fucked with or without it. like those moratoriums are temporary, the bill is gonna soon be due. 1200 check 6 months late ain't gonna do shit for these people.

Which again, shows his priorities, protecting his buddies from being sued. If he can't get it through a stimulus bill...he'll find another way to get it.

I'm not really sure why you're arguing here. We agree on the fundamentals. I'm just saying it's part of a bigger thing.