Seven managers at Tyson's Waterloo pork processing plant were fired over allegations that they placed bets on how many employees would get COVID-19, the company announced on Wednesday.
The allegations originated from a lawsuit filed by the son of a Tyson employee who died of the virus earlier this year.
The employees were originally suspended without pay as the company conducted an independent investigation.
Full release from Tyson Foods below:
An independent investigation into wagering allegations at Tyson Foods’ pork plant in Waterloo, Iowa, has led to the termination of seven plant management employees.
“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. “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.”
Upon learning of the allegations, Banks and others immediately traveled to Waterloo last month and again today to meet with Waterloo plant team members and community leaders to reinforce Tyson’s commitment to them and the community, including through:
- -Opening more communication channels to hear team member voices
- -Creating a working group of local community leaders to strengthen collaboration
- -Reinforcing the importance of Tyson Foods’ core values and behaviors.
“The commitment and passion that our team members exhibit every day is core to who we are at Tyson. We were very upset to learn of the behaviors found in the allegations, as we expect our leaders to treat all team members with the highest levels of respect and integrity,” said Banks. “That’s why we have asked former Attorney General Eric Holder and his team to partner with Tyson to help us as we continue to look for ways to enhance a trusting and respectful workplace."