Managers at a Tyson Foods facility in Iowa lied to interpreters there about the severity of a coronavirus outbreak, according to an amended wrongful-death lawsuit.
This misled the plant's non-English-speaking workforce at a time when workers there were confirmed to be infected and health officials were trying to close the facility, the lawsuit claims.
The suit, filed by the families of three workers who died from the coronavirus, was presented in August and amended Nov. 11 with allegations that plant managers in Waterloo, Iowa, placed cash bets on how many workers would contract the virus. It was amended a second time with new allegations on Nov. 24.
According to the updated complaint, plant managers had several "closed-door meetings" with its interpreters in April. In one of the meetings, officials directed them to tell non-English-speaking workers that "everything is fine" and the plant has "no confirmed cases," the lawsuit says. They also forbade interpreters from discussing the virus, unless directed.
The families accused managers of giving these orders at a time when there were confirmed cases at the plant and Black Hawk county health officials were trying to close the facility to protect workers and the surrounding community. After the first meeting, most interpreters were removed from the plant floor, the suit says.
Additionally, Tyson Foods representatives told federal meat inspectors entering the plant not to wear masks because it would "send the wrong message" to the workforce, the lawsuit says.
Many of the Waterloo plant workers are refugees or immigrants who speak and understand little to no English.
Tyson spokesman Gary Mickelson declined Wednesday to comment on the updated allegations since they involve active litigation and an ongoing related investigation.
Tyson, the nation's largest meat company drew social media ire from recent allegations that a "winner-take-all" betting pool was organized for managers and supervisors to wager on how many workers would test positive for the virus. In response, the individuals allegedly involved were suspended without pay and Tyson hired a legal team led by a former U.S. attorney general to investigate if the claims were true.
"I am angry and upset," chairman and heir John Tyson said in a written statement to employees Nov. 20. If the betting accusations are true, "we will swiftly take additional actions," he said.
Tyson did not name the people suspended, but Waterloo plant manager Tom Hart is listed as the betting organizer in the lawsuit. He and James Hook, the plant's human-resources director, were named in the most recent allegations regarding the interpreters.
Mickelson did not elaborate on whether Tyson was suspending Hook for those allegations. The lawsuit, Buljic et al v. Tyson Foods, Inc. et al is filed in Iowa federal court.
"We've worked hard to provide coronavirus training and education in multiple languages to our team members to help ensure they're safe at work and at home," he wrote in an email Wednesday.
About 20 interpreters work at the Waterloo plant, where Tyson has invested $20 million in bonuses and protective updates, such as temperature scanners and workstation dividers.
Tyson shares fell 66 cents, or less than 1%, to close Wednesday at $66.10.