About 150 employees of Tyson Foods' chicken plant in Van Buren, Arkansas, went on strike on Monday, demanding better treatment from the company ahead of the plant's closure on May 12. This move by Tyson is aimed at improving performance in its chicken business, but it will result in the loss of jobs for 969 employees.
The employees refused to work after Tyson announced that they would not receive full payouts for vacation time accrued, according to Magaly Licolli, director of Venceremos, an organization advocating for poultry workers in Arkansas. The strike could continue on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Tyson has since announced that it will pay full payouts to employees with unused vacation or holiday time and give a $1,000 bonus to workers who stay in their jobs until the plant closes. The company has also offered financial incentives for relocating to another facility in Texas, with compensation for the move. However, many workers do not want to leave their lives or families behind.
The announcement of the plant's closure has already led to some workers quitting, leaving more work for the remaining employees. Workers who previously suffered injuries on the job worry they will struggle to find employment elsewhere. Maritza Sandoval, who has worked at the plant for more than 14 years, suffered elbow and knee injuries from the job and was among those protesting. She said, "We are being treated really bad."
Tyson also faced pushback over its plan to shut a chicken plant in Glen Allen, Virginia, with 692 employees. The company has said that it will shift demand to other facilities from the plants it is closing.
Members of LevelFields received the alert of this event on April 11, 6:05 PM ET
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