JBS USA is one of the largest meatpackers in the United States. It has created an internal company that will clean its plants. This comes after a private sanitation company accused it of hiring children to do dangerous work.
The launch highlights the complexity of replacing Packers Sanitation Services Inc. (PSSI), an organization that cleans slaughterhouses under contract. In February, the U.S. Government announced that PSSI had paid $1.5M in penalties after employing over 100 teenagers under age at meat plants in eight states.
According to a recent statement, the new company JBS Sanitation will “immediately start the transition” in cleaning 10 JBS USA beef and pork production facilities. JBS Sanitation also will do internal cleaning for Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. and create “hundreds” of union jobs, according to the statement.
JBS USA, the North American division of JBS SA in Brazil, also owns Pilgrim’s Pride.
Nikki Richardson, spokesperson for JBS USA, said Thursday that JBS Sanitation will be competitively priced with other service providers. She did not provide any details.
The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), the largest meatpacking union in America, has announced that it will be working with JBS USA to improve sanitation within its facilities.
PSSI says it does not employ minors.
JBS USA had previously stated that it terminated PSSI contracts at “numerous facilities,” including three plants where there were alleged child labor violations. According to the statement, third-party companies who meet employment verification standards can continue to clean certain JBS USA and Pilgrim’s Pride facilities.
Cargill Inc., a rival meatpacking company, said that it would be cutting all ties to PSSI. However, the process could take several months.
Last month, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack wrote to the biggest U.S. chicken and meat processing companies to urge them to check their supply chains to look for signs of child labor.
New York City’s subway system will be suspended temporarily for several hours each night in order for a thorough cleaning to be performed.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the Governor of New York, announced Thursday that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority would shut down the subways from 1 am to 5 am each night starting May 6 to disinfect the trains.
She says that “what I believe is missing is a sense of empathy and coordinated federal, state and local responses, particularly for those who are on the low end.” “People with limited means who may be living paycheck-to-paycheck will find it difficult to buy groceries, even if they are able to leave the house.”
Busette believes it is time to stop disconnecting those who cannot pay their utility bills. She also believes that similar exceptions need to be made for people who are unable to afford housing, cell phone service, car payments, and medical care. She says that we should be compassionate with those who can’t afford to pay their bills.
Brandi Tonkel was a 16-year waitress at Pizza Hut Fort Wayne in Indiana when the state temporarily ended in-person dining.
She says, “My boss sent me a text message and said that if there were any kitchen or delivery hours available I could come,” she says. But it’s still not guaranteed. He said that they had no other choice and didn’t wish it to be this way.
Tonkel, a mother of a 13-year-old daughter, began looking for online work on Tuesday. She says, “I am pretty good at saving money so I have an Emergency Fund.” If this situation continues beyond the end of March, then I will panic.