WASHINGTON – Corporate lobbyists have scrambled to convince Congress to protect corporations from liability for negligence in dealing with the COVID crisis. The $42 billion Tyson Foods, as an example, is subject to lawsuits that allege a lack of safety protocols even after it was clear that workers were at risk and dying. Among lobbyists’ targets has been Senator Mitch McDonnell, R-Kentucky. As Senate majority leader, McDonnell has stalled COVID relief legislation for six months unless a liability protection provision be included. Other companies, besides Tyson, are also are under scrutiny. The issue: Whether Congress should shield companies from legal liability tied to infected workers and also customers.
‘Ghoulish’ practices
An attorney for deceased workers’ families at the Tyson Waterloo plant, Mel Orchard, called company practices “ghoulish.” He said Tyson “gambled with workers’ lives” by downplaying the virus and not offering adequate safety precautions.