Source: Rita Jane Gabbett, MEATINGPLACE, 4/27/17


The non-profit worker advocacy group Oxfam is focusing on large poultry companies including Perdue and Pilgrim’s Pride in the aftermath of Tyson Foods’ announcement earlier this week about efforts to improve worker safety and compensation.

“Oxfam is proud to have worked with many organizations to get to this point. But as our partners note, this is the beginning of a new phase, not the end of the effort. We will be working with them closely to make sure the workers in the plants see real change,” the group said of Tyson’s announcement, adding, “We will also continue our efforts to put pressure on the other major poultry producers in the U.S.  This week we will travel to Perdue and Pilgrim’s headquarters, turning up the heat as these companies fall further behind in the treatment of their workers.” 

Oxfam’s poultry campaign, launched in 2015, has targeted the top four U.S. poultry companies: Tyson Foods, Pilgrim’s Pride, Sanderson Farms and Perdue Farms.

An Oxfam website page dated April 25 outlines its current efforts and is headlined, “Pressure Perdue to improve conditions for poultry workers.” 

Oxfam representatives rallied outside a Perdue poultry processing facility in Salisbury, Md., on Wednesday. The group is calling on Perdue to do more for workers in the areas of wages, worker safety and worker treatment.

A Perdue spokeswoman told Meatingplace by email that Oxfam’s claims are simply not true and that it has reached out to Oxfam in an effort to educate the group on the company’s practices.

“The claims made by Oxfam have not been confirmed by our internal reviews and are completely inconsistent with our belief and practice of putting people first. We have reached out to Oxfam’s leadership to help educate them on our high standards for workplace opportunities and environments for our associates, and to learn about their recommendations for improvements,” said Perdue spokeswoman Andrea Staub.

“The safety and well-being of our Perdue associates is a top priority. We applaud Tyson for their recent commitment to providing safer facilities for their workers knowing every effort Perdue has made in this area over the past 15-plus years changes lives and elevates the poultry industry,” she noted.  

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