About 150 people staged a protest on April 10 at the closing Tyson Foods poultry plant in Van Buren, Arkansas, citing unhappiness with how workers are being treated by the company.
“Tyson Workers in Van Buren are on strike! After the announcement of the Van Buren plant closure, workers were notified that they would receive no severance pay. Workers were told they would only be paid up to 60% of accrued vacation time. Tyson is also refusing to take responsibility for countless injuries from workers who report that their complaints fell on deaf ears. We stand in solidarity with workers,” Venceremos stated on its Facebook page.
Venceremos is an organization that advocates for poultry industry workers in Arkansas.
Venceremos director Magaly Licolli told Reuters the strike could continue for up to two more days.
Tyson Foods announced in mid-March that it planned to not only close the Van Buren plant, but also the processing, broiler and hatching operations in Glen Allen, Virginia.
In explaining the decision to cease those operations, Tyson Foods stated: “To strengthen our chicken business, we are focused on operational excellence and optimizing our network to reach full capacity in every Tyson Foods facility. With that said, the current scale and inability to economically improve operations has led to the difficult decision to close the facilities.”
Tyson Foods responds to allegations
In an email to WATT Global Media, Tyson Foods Derek Burleson said what is happening in Van Buren could better be described as a protest, rather than a strike, since the plant is not unionized. He also stated that the plant is still in operation.
A company statement included in that same email contradicted some of the claims made by Venceremos.
“We realize this is a difficult situation and supporting our affected team members is our top priority. We’ve been in regular communication with our Van Buren team to ensure they have resources and assistance available to them, including a $1,000 stay on bonus for all team members who remain with Tyson Foods until the plant closes, the statement read.
“We’re offering team members relocation assistance with financial incentives, while also ensuring they have the option to apply for open positions where applicable to other Tyson Foods facilities. Team members with unused vacation or holiday time earned prior to the plant’s closing will be paid in full.”
Tyson Foods also stated that it is working closely with state and local officials, including the Arkansas Division of Workforce Services and others, to connect all team members who choose not to relocate with resources available to them in their local community. Among those efforts, the company said, include coordinating with a previously announced job fair in Van Buren.
