Free, on-site vaccinations will be offered by the company
Springdale, Ark. – March 23, 2021 – Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN) is expanding its free, onsite COVID-19 vaccinations to team members working at its Dakota City, Nebraska, beef plant, the largest of its six U.S. beef operations. March 26, the company will hold a vaccination event to ensure the company’s more than 4,000 Dakota City employees have convenient access to the vaccine.
The vaccines are being provided in conjunction with the local health department. Food manufacturing workers are among the priority groups now eligible for vaccination in Nebraska.
“We’re pleased to offer our team members convenient access to the vaccine and are committed to a long-term strategy that ensures any team member who wants a vaccine will receive one,” said Dan Heffernan, vice president human resources, Tyson Fresh Meats, the beef and pork subsidiary of Tyson Foods. “We’re focused on educating and encouraging our team members to be vaccinated and will continue to leverage both onsite events and our relationships with local health departments to continue making the vaccine easily accessible.”
To date, more than 160 team members at the Dakota City plant who qualified under previous eligible groups have been vaccinated, including in those in health services or over age 65. Tyson will continue to help local team members have access to be vaccinated following Friday’s event.
“We’re pleased to see Tyson offering free access to the vaccine,” stated Mark Nemitz, president, UFCW Local 222. “UFCW Local 222 encourages our members to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and do their part in protecting themselves, their family and our community against COVID-19.”
Additional vaccination events are planned this week for Tyson team members in Arkansas, Michigan and Missouri.
A total of 19,000 of the company’s U.S. employees have been vaccinated at more than 50 events held onsite at Tyson facilities or through an external source across the country. This includes team members who were recently vaccinated at Lexington and Madison, Nebraska facilities.
In preparation for vaccinations, Tyson Foods has been providing expert resources and education about the vaccine to team members. This information is available in multiple languages and team members also have access to a hotline to ask questions. In addition to offering free, on-site vaccinations, the company also recently announced that it is compensating workers for up to four hours of regular pay if they are vaccinated outside of their normal shift or through an external source.
Tyson Foods’ vaccination efforts are the latest in a series of measures the company has taken to fight COVID-19. Since the spring of 2020, the company invested hundreds of millions of dollars to transform its U.S. facilities with protective measures, from walk-through temperature scanners and workstation dividers to social distance monitors and always-on testing, as well as provide additional team member pay and benefits. Tyson Foods has also expanded its health services staff, added a chief medical officer and plans to pilot health clinics for team members and their families early this year.
About Tyson Foods
Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN) is one of the world’s largest food companies and a recognized leader in protein. Founded in 1935 by John W. Tyson and grown under three generations of family leadership, the company has a broad portfolio of products and brands like Tyson®, Jimmy Dean®, Hillshire Farm®, Ball Park®, Wright®, Aidells®, ibp®, and State Fair®. Tyson Foods innovates continually to make protein more sustainable, tailor food for everywhere it’s available and raise the world’s expectations for how much good food can do. Headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas, the company has 139,000 team members. Through its Core Values, Tyson Foods strives to operate with integrity, create value for its shareholders, customers, communities and team members and serve as a steward of the animals, land and environment entrusted to it. Visit TYSONFOODS.COM to learn more.
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Contact: Liz Croston 605-235-3657