All 935 Meat Employee COVID Claims Denied, Newspaper Reviews| Employees Compensation Information

Tuesday, February 23, 2021 | 76 | 0 | min read

Despite widespread media attention and worker complaints, all claims for compensation from 935 COVID-19 workers at Minnesota’s largest meat packers have been denied, according to the Star Tribune newspaper.

“I’ve never seen numbers so dramatic,” said John Malone, an employee compensation attorney for St. Cloud and Edina. “There are certainly claims that are unfavorable and routinely litigated. But accepting zero out of 935 is shocking to me.”

Malone suggested that the rejection rate reported by a government agency means the operations officials are applying a blanket policy rather than judging each case.

Officials at JBS, who operate a pork factory in Worthington and a chicken factory in Cold Spring, denied this.

“We are following all legal requirements regarding employee compensation claims during the pandemic,” JBS USA said in a statement. “Given the widespread virus transmission in communities, ours is [insurance] The administrator reviews each case thoroughly and independently. “

Midwestern meat mill workers complained at the start of the pandemic about being kept on production lines without adequate protection. A number of employee illness and death lawsuits have been filed.

Minnesota passed a suspected COVID law last year, but it only applies to first responders, law enforcement officers, and some health and child care workers. The draftsman of the bill, Rep. Dan Wolgamott, a member of the St. Cloud Democratic Farmer Labor Party, introduced another bill earlier this year that would require better protection and better records for meat factory workers.

HF 800 does not extend the presumption of compensation for these workers, but would require paid sick leave. It was assigned to the Finance and Policy Committee on Housework, Industry, Veterans, and Military Affairs.