MEAT+POULTRY - September 2024 - 12

BUSINESS NOTES
BUSINESS NOTES
OSHA
investigates
Smithfield
Federal judge blocks
DOL's H-2A rule
US District Judge Lisa Godbey Wood of the
US District Court for the Southern District
of Georgia granted a preliminary injunction
of a US Dept. of Labor rule written to
shield temporary H-2A farmworkers from
retaliation if they decided to attempt to
form a union.
Wood said the rule violated the
National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and
was unconstitutional.
" Through this Final Rule, the DOL
seeks to create law by affording some
agricultural workers - H-2A workers and
American workers similarly situated - the
right to collectively bargain, " Wood wrote.
" Congress has not created that right. And
in fact, the NLRA reflects Congressional
intent to not create such a right. "
Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach
in a statement criticized the Biden
administration for trying to provide rights
to H-2A workers that are unavailable to
American agriculture workers.
" That's why Kansas took the lead in
filing this lawsuit, " Kobach said. " The rule
of law has prevailed. "
The H-2A program allows US
employers who meet specific regulations
to bring foreign nationals into the United
States to fill temporary agricultural jobs.
The ruling restricts enforcement of the rule
to the 17 states that joined in the lawsuit.
plant
The Occupational
Safety and Health
Administration
(OSHA) has opened
an investigation into
a workplace injury
at a Smithfield pork
processing plant in Sioux
Falls, SD. OSHA opened
the inquiry on Aug. 20,
however the agency
declined to release any
additional information
until it has completed
the investigation.
Colombia airs HPAI concerns to USDA, USMEF
Representatives from the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF) and the US Department of
Agriculture (USDA) sat down with Colombian officials in a seminar designed to address
import challenges in Colombia, including the country's recent ban on beef imports from
states where highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been detected in dairy cows.
In April, Colombia began restricting the import of fresh and frozen US beef from
states with dairy cattle testing positive for HPAI. However, studies conducted by the
USDA so far indicate that the beef supply remains safe for consumption.
During the seminar, US representatives offered a farm-to-fork view of the US meat
industry to give the Colombian officials a better understanding of USDA's food safety
oversight and protocols.
Courtney Heller, USMEF director of export services, explained the different structural
approaches to the meat industry in the United States compared to Colombia that could
lead to misunderstandings. Following the seminar, both countries expressed interest in
continuing the event on an annual basis.
12 MEAT+POULTRY | 09.24 | www.meatpoultry.com
" An employee at our
Sioux Falls facility was
injured in a work-related
incident, " Ray Atkinson,
spokesperson for
Smithfield said. " We are
investigating and are
cooperating with local
authorities and OSHA. "
The Sioux Falls plant
employs more than 3,000
people and processes
pork, bacon, deli meats,
hot dogs and smoked
meats for at least 130
million servings of food
per week.
For more news,
visit MEATPOULTRY.com
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MEAT+POULTRY - September 2024

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