Minnesota Democrats, unions announce meatpacking safety bill

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota House Democrats have teamed up with meatpacking workers on legislation that would protect people who work at meatpacking and food processing plants across the state amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The bill would provide paid leave to workers at Minnesota meat and poultry processing plants so they could recover from an injury, an illness or care for a sick family member.

The bill would also enforce safety compliance. Several meatpacking plants were shuttered due to virus outbreaks last spring. New federal guidelines to protect meatpacking workers are not mandatory, which critics say makes them easy for employers to disregard.