Nov 23, 2020

Lawsuit: Firm did not protect meatpacking workers from virus

Posted Nov 23, 2020 7:53 PM

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A group of meatpacking workers has filed a lawsuit alleging that a small Nebraska plant failed to take adequate precautions to protect them from the coronavirus.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed the federal lawsuit on Monday against Noah’s Ark Processors in Hastings, Nebraska.

The lawsuit says the plant has made no effort to spread workers out to limit the spread of the virus, and it fails to promptly replace workers’ masks when they become soiled with blood and sweat.

Company officials declined to comment Monday.

The meatpacking industry has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic because workers often stand shoulder-to-shoulder.