JBS, a meatpacker, and Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation, a chicken company, say they’ll pay $100 to American workers who voluntarily get the COVID-19 vaccine. Yahoo News Dot Com says thousands of U.S. meatpacking workers were infected last year, so the bonus will, hopefully, encourage employees to get the inoculations.
COVID outbreaks temporarily halted most meat production in the spring of 2020, which pushed meat prices higher as supplies tightened up on consumers. Company surveys already show that between 60% and 90% of their employees at different facilities were willing to be vaccinated. The companies launched educational efforts to promote the vaccine as a positive step for their employees, some of whom are immigrants from around the world.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, food and agricultural workers will receive the vaccine during a later phase of the rollout, after healthcare workers and people over 75 years old.
Rival company Tyson Foods said late last week that it will offer the vaccines on-site at its facilities, so employees can get inoculated while they’re at work.
(From the National Association of Farm Broadcasters)