PSSI - SYS - (Save Your Ship) - WHAT ABOUT JBS, TYSON - OTHERS?

Others I know and myself - who have interfaced with Packers Sanitation Services Inc. (PSSI) at a variety of FDA and USDA inspected establishments - more than we can count.

North and south of the Mason Dixon Line - and - east and west of the great Mississippi River.

The geographic locations of the plants that have signed and dated legal sub-contracts for contracted services rendered - did not matter.

Hundreds of beverages, several pharmaceuticals OTC, including RTE and nRTE products and raw poultry, beef, bison and lamb that are / were contracted with PSSI.

As a contracted GFSI consultant (never at a JBS or Tyson establishment) - my assigned job was just about done - after - going through all of PSSI's always properly dated, signed / sealed GFSI related documentation - as PSSI always delivered GFSI telling paperwork during internal GFSI audits.

Others and I would interview PSSI employees in a language they could understand.

We would also show up - unannounced - when PSSI workers were cleaning and sanitizing - when the moon was at it apex - until it set in the west when pre-operational inspection was held.

PSSI presented all of the applicable GFSI prerequisite work needed, that included all germane city, county, state and federal requirements - including too - timely updates to their security program for daily storage (and) inventory of all applicable cleaning chemicals with first and secondary OSHA / EPA equivalent spill abatement.

As a GFSI auditor, I found PSSI and their performances (never at a JBS or Tyson plant) during GFSI annual audits as being nothing less than professional and nearly always spot on.

So when the news broke about PSSI purportedly hiring underage workers to perform contracted clean-up by DOL named USDA harvesting (slaughter / processing) establishments, others and I were surprised / shocked - to say the least.

I'm not passing judgment on these purported DOL violations centering on PSSI.

No entity is guilty in the USA until a court of law weighs the facts presented and proves - that the named entity (entities) are guilty - or - innocent.

NEWS FLASH

A federal investigation into allegations involving?children working dangerous jobs ?at JBS Packers Sanitation Services Inc., (PSSI) meat processing plants in Minnesota and Nebraska also extends to a Tyson Foods plant in Missouri.?

PSSI has employed dozens of children as young as 13 to work in dangerous conditions during long graveyard shifts, federal officials said.

(PSSI) allegedly used child labor in three (3) meatpacking plants across two states, according to the Labor Department.?

The DOL?asked a federal court? to issue a nationwide temporary restraining order and injunction against the company over its alleged crimes at plants in Grand Island, Nebraska, Worthington, Minnesota and Marshall, Minnesota.

Over 30 young employees, all under the age of 18, were tasked with cleaning dangerous powered equipment during overnight shifts, according to the department.?

Several, including a 13-year-old worker, suffered “serious” chemical burns,?according to a federal lawsuit? against the company.?

Many of the underage workers were responsible for cleaning heavy-duty tools on a factory kill floor, including beef dehorners, brisket saws and a “190-pound saw used to split cow carcasses in half length-wise,” the suit says.?

After finishing their shifts early in the morning, several children went directly to their middle schools, where they routinely fell asleep in class, the filing states.

Many of the children worked between 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. or 7 a.m., the document states. The young workers worked five or six days per week, with several clocking in seven days of work per week.

The investigation was launched in Aug. 2022 after a “credible” source came forward alleging the company employed minors in?hazardous conditions , the DOL said.

Upon learning of the investigation, PSSI managers “attempted to thwart or tamper the collection of evidence in multiple ways,” the filing states.

The supervisors allegedly told investigators they weren’t allowed to take photographs and tried to block investigators from interviewing the workers in addition to deleting?documents containing evidence .

PSSI has denied the allegations,?telling NBC News ?it “has an absolute company-wide prohibition against the employment of anyone under the age of 18 and zero tolerance for any violation of that policy — period.”

“While rogue individuals could of course seek to engage in fraud or identity theft, we are confident in our company’s strict compliance policies and will defend ourselves vigorously against these claims,” a spokesperson said.

Federal law prohibits children under the age of 14 from working in any capacity. Children aged 14 and 15 are only allowed to work before 7 p.m. during the school year, and no later than 9 p.m. in the summer. Children cannot work more than three hours on school days, eight hours on a non-school day or more than 18 hours per week.?

It is also illegal for children to operate the?dangerous equipment ?the PSSI was allegedly entrusting the kids to clean.

“Federal laws were established decades ago to prevent employers from profiting by putting children in harm’s way,” said Wage and Hour Regional Administrator Michael Lazzeri in Chicago.?

“Taking advantage of children, exposing them to workplace dangers – and interfering with a federal investigation – demonstrates Packers Sanitation Services Inc.’s flagrant disregard for the law and for the well-being of young workers.”

JBS, TYSON AND OTHER DOL NAMED FOOD PLANTS

What Is a Corporate Governance??

Corporate governance is the?system of rules, practices, and processes?by which a firm is directed and controlled. Corporate governance essentially involves balancing the interests of a company's many?stakeholders, such as shareholders, senior management executives, customers, suppliers, financiers, the government, and the community.

Since corporate governance provides the framework for attaining a company's objectives, it encompasses practically every sphere of management, from action plans and?internal controls?to performance measurement and corporate?disclosure.

QUESTIONS FOR JBS FOODS USA / TYSON FOODS / OTHERS NAMED BY DOL

QUESTION #1 - Are the applicable JBS / TYSON / OTHERS owned beef / poultry plants named by the DOL, GFSI accredited?

QUESTION #2 - Are the applicable JBS / TYSON / OTHERS owned beef / poultry plants involved / named - "contracted out" for their plant security program - or - is it performed internally?

QUESTION #3 - Are the applicable JBS / TYSON / OTHERS owned beef / poultry plants involved have corporate polices for sub-contracted food security services to follow?

QUESTION #4 - Are the applicable JBS / TYSON / OTHERS owned beef / poultry plants involved going to revise / re-word their plant security to not allow 13 to 17 year olds who show their identity at the security gate and then go and perform their daily / nightly services?

QUESTION #5 - Should JBS / TYSON / OTHERS owned beef / poultry plants named be held liable for their actions and inactions involving PSSI?

QUESTION #6 - Has there been a labor shortage in the general food and beverage industry, including specifically - meat and poultry establishments - both pre and post Covid 19?

QUESTION #7 - How does JBS / TYSON / OTHERS view their public image and name brands when such charges make headline news? What are the criterions / expectations of contracted sub-contractors? Are there random internal audits of contract services performed to ensure compliance? If so, how often? How many is a representative number? If not, why not?

QUESTION #8 - What are the legal historical records and fine$ of non-conformances cited by multiple regulatory agencies of the USA - involving JBS and Tyson in the 21st century?

ANSWER TO #8 - See below.

VIOLATION TRACKER CURRENT PARENT COMPANY SUMMARY FOR JBS SINCE 2000

PENALTIES TOTAL:

$181,003,242.00

VIOLATION TRACKER CURRENT PARENT COMPANY SUMMARY FOR TYSON, FOODS SINCE 2000

PENALTIES TOTAL

$158,470,486.00

The honorable Judge John M. Gerrard of the U.S. District Court of Nebraska in Lincoln,?approved a requested order, which more recently was extended to Dec. 8, 2022 from Nov. 23, 2022 for the start of the hearing.?

Stay tuned.

As a concerned and informed consumer of JBS and Tyson products - and as a law-abiding citizen of the USA - any corporations (domestic or non-domestic) that takes advantage of children as defined by the DOL, I find it absolutely deplorable and down right disgusting as per my right of freedom of speech - IF - the end result of this ongoing DOL investigation is guilty as charged.

How about you?

Sayer is presently a food and industrial safety consultant and is a part-time maintenance worker for California State Beaches in San Clemente, California.?