WATERLOO, Iowa – Tyson Foods fired seven top managers at its massive pork plant for betting on how many workers would test positive for coronavirus. The company announced that an outside investigation confirmed the troubling behavior that was alleged in lawsuits by the families of four workers who died of the virus. A Tyson spokesperson declined to discuss details of the investigation. The spokesperson said, though, the investigation “looked specifically at the gaming allegations and found sufficient evidence for us to terminate those involved.” The lawsuits alleged that plant manager Tom Hart organized a buy-in betting pool for supervisors to wager on what percentage of plant workers would test positive. Sources said the wagers worked this way: Supervisor put $10 into the pool while mass-testing of workers was under way. The winner who pulled a piece of paper with the correct percentage out of a hat got the $100 payout.’
Tyson profile
The Tyson Waterloo plant is the company’s largest with 1,000 employees. At least six died. The company is the world’s second largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef and pork. Its brands include Jimmy Dean, Hillshire Farms, and Ball Park. Annual revenue: $42 billion.