Trump orders meatpackers to stay open

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The meat department in a grocery store in Fond du Lac, Wis. Associated Press/Photo by Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

More than 20 meat processing plants in the United States have temporarily shut down because of coronavirus outbreaks among their workers. President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order under the Defense Production Act to keep the facilities open. The president said ranchers are providing plenty of beef, pork, poultry, and other meats—it’s just a matter of getting it processed and distributed.

What do the companies say? Some industry leaders like Tyson and Smithfield helped craft the order, which would provide companies with additional liability protections if workers get sick. Labor unions that represent plant employees balked, saying the command put plant employees and their families at risk.

Dig deeper: Read Daniel James Devine’s report about the pandemic’s effect on the global supply chain.

Lynde Langdon

Lynde is WORLD’s executive editor for news. She is a graduate of World Journalism Institute, the Missouri School of Journalism, and the University of Missouri–St. Louis. Lynde resides with her family in Wichita, Kan.

@lmlangdon