Tyson Foods fires managers after investigation into bets placed on worker COVID cases

Tyson Foods fired seven employees after an investigation into betting on the number of COVID-19 cases among workers at an Iowa plant.

The company announced termination of the plant management employees at the pork plant in Waterloo on Wednesday.

Allegations of plant managers wagering in a “winner-take-all” cash pool first appeared in a wrongful death lawsuit against Tyson, which prompted the company’s independent investigation. The betting pool was created in spring before the Tyson plant temporarily shut down to test employees, the lawsuit says.

“We value our people and expect everyone on the team, especially our leaders, to operate with integrity and care in everything we do,” Tyson Foods President & CEO Dean Banks said in a statement. “The behaviors exhibited by these individuals do not represent the Tyson core values, which is why we took immediate and appropriate action to get to the truth. Now that the investigation has concluded, we are taking action based on the findings.”

The company did not release specific findings of the investigation. It was conducted by former Attorney General Eric Holder.

The lawsuit filed by the son of Isidro Fernandez accuses Tyson of misrepresenting the risk of COVID-19 at the facility and prioritizing profits over worker safety. It also accuses the company of failing to implement protections to prevent the “uncontrolled outbreak.”

Fernandez died after he was among more than 1,000 workers infected with COVID-19 at the plant, the lawsuit says. The facility employs about 2,800 people.

Tyson says its top priority is worker health and safety, including walk-through temperature scanners, workstation dividers, monitoring social distancing, and a system to test thousands of workers at facilities across the U.S.

This story was originally published December 16, 2020 at 4:04 PM with the headline "Tyson Foods fires managers after investigation into bets placed on worker COVID cases."