IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Tyson Foods says it has fired seven top managers at its largest pork plant after an independent investigation into allegations that they bet on how many workers would test positive for the coronavirus.
The company announced Wednesday that the investigation led by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder revealed troubling behavior that resulted in the firings at the plant in Waterloo, Iowa.
“We value our people and expect everyone on the team, especially our leaders, to operate with integrity and care in everything we do,” said Tyson Foods President & CEO Dean Banks said in a press release. “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.”
Banks traveled to the Waterloo plant on Wednesday to discuss the actions with employees.
The names of the employees fired will not be released, the Associated Press reported.
According to USA Today, lawyers who are representing the five Tyson workers who died of COVID-19 allege that plant manager Tom Hart organized a "cash buy-in, winner-take-all betting pool" among other managers and supervisors.
