Meatpackers welcome Trump order; others question virus risks

— Big meatpacking companies that have struggled to keep plants running during the coronavirus crisis said Wednesday that they welcomed President Donald Trump’s executive order requiring them to stay open, but unions, some employees and Democrats questioned whether workers could be kept safe. Trump, who consulted with industry leaders before issuing the order, said it would relieve “bottlenecks” that the largest companies faced after workers fell ill and some died. Smithfield Foods, which is working on a plan to reopen the Sioux Falls plant, said in a statement welcoming Trump’s order that it should make for easier access to protective equipment and testing for employees. The USDA said in a statement Wednesday that a team including the Department of Labor and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would review companies’ mitigation plans “and work in consultation with the state and local authorities to resume and/or ensure continuity of operations at these critical facilities.” Twenty meatpacking workers have died nationwide, and another 5,000 have been infected by the virus or shown symptoms of COVID-19, according to the union, which represents roughly 80% of beef and pork workers and 33% of poultry workers nationwide.