Finkenauer

Rep. Abby Finkenauer, (D-Iowa), wants to provide testing equipment to meat processing plants in Iowa, including JBS Swift and Company.

She sent letters to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) asking for enforceable safety standards, COVID-19 testing and personal protective equipment for employees at meat processing plants around the state.

“This week, I’ve heard from workers across my district facing dangerous conditions as they perform essential jobs in the middle of a deadly pandemic,” Finkenauer said. “I’m asking the USDA, the CDC and the Department of Labor to provide clear guidance and standards to protect the wellbeing of these frontline workers as well as our food supply and agricultural economy.”

The letter also asks for additional federal resources to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and look for updates to safety standards at food processing plants that are enforceable.

“Iowa plays a critical role in our nation’s economy as a major player in the domestic food supply chain. By protecting the essential employees who work in our processing plants, we are protecting the future of our state,” wrote Finkenauer in her letters to USDA and DOL. “They need testing, personal protective equipment, and leave policies that put their health ahead of the bottom line. Employers also need resources and clarity on how to protect them.”

Her letter comes as reports of infections are spreading in meat processing plants around Iowa, including Tyson in Waterloo where workers have sounded an alarm about a potential unreported outbreak.

Finkenauer also asked the CDC to deploy public health professionals to any affected community that requests additional assistance to help prevent and control the spread of COVID-19 among these essential workers.

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Contact Thomas Nelson at tnelson@timesrepublican.com