Ten Republicans have signed as sponsors of a bill that would strip meat-packing employees of their right to sue employers who force them to work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It would shield companies from frivolous lawsuits whose claims are not caused by willful or criminal misconduct, gross negligence, reckless misconduct or conscious, flagrant indifference to worker safety guidelines, the politicians said in a news release.
But 29 Democratic Party senators signed a different bill calling for safety protection for those same workers.
“While we recognize the importance of keeping these plants running, it is wrong and shortsighted to use the Defense Production Act to mandate plants to stay open without effectively addressing worker safety issues,” wrote the Senators.
The proposals come after United States President Donald Trump ordered meat-packing plants to continue operating during the pandemic.
