Poultry industry depends on human resources to thrive

“Human resources and the workforce are the cornerstone of our business,” said Jack Kelly, director of government affairs with Perdue Farms, while speaking at the 2014 Human Resources Seminar in Hilton Head Island, S.C., sponsored by U.S. Poultry & Egg Association. Kelly remarked that in the long term, public policy has always been and will continue to be driven by human resources issues.
Recalling his first appearance before this group, repetitive motion disorders were a major problem facing the industry, and human resources professionals within the industry led the development of improved work patterns and the introduction of machinery to reduce the risk to employees. Today, issues such as union representation and immigration reform are front and center, and human resources continues to lead the charge by constantly improving the workplace.
Kelly also provided an inside look at Washington, citing the gridlock in Congress which led to the Republicans being blamed for last year’s government shutdown and sequester followed immediately by the Democratic party’s fumbling of the rollout of the Affordable Care Act.
Tamar Jacoby, president and CEO of ImmigrationWorks USA, updated attendees on the status of immigration reform. While on the surface any meaningful reform appears dead for this session of Congress, there is some activity brewing as Republicans recently outlined their basic principles for immigration reform and spoke in terms of not if, but when, these reforms must be implemented.
Chris Lauderdale of Jackson Lewis P.C., in a presentation titled The Reinvention of Labor Law and the Labor Movement, discussed the union’s growing use of ministerial and immigrant associations, politicians and activist groups to spread the message that unions are needed to protect worker rights. Lauderdale provided valuable guidance on the importance of listening to employee complaints, being a willing release valve for employees to vent and then providing a response so employees understand they have been heard even if workplace changes they seek cannot be implemented.
Reflecting the continuing evolution of human resources practices to more and more regulatory compliance, speakers throughout the seminar addressed such issues as OSHA’s increasing reliance upon sub-regulatory means to effectively rewrite standards without going through the established procedures of rulemaking, the latest changes in the Affordable Care Act impacting employers and Wage and Hour and EEOC enforcement activities.

Poultry & Egg Institute announces 2010 Human Resources Seminar

The Poultry & Egg Institute 2010 Human Resources Seminar will take a close look at proposed healthcare reform and how the changes could impact employer-provided health coverage. The annual conference will be held April 26-28 at the Perdido Beach Hotel in Orange Beach, Ala. The Poultry & Egg Institute is part of the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association.
“The escalating cost of healthcare has compelled companies across the country to implement a wide range of health and wellness programs,” said seminar committee chairman Jonathan Allen of Fieldale Farms. “These programs will now be impacted by a possible overhaul in the nation’s healthcare system, so human resource professionals need to be prepared for changes in their company healthcare programs. This year’s seminar will include a general session on the bills Congress is evaluating for a new U.S healthcare plan, followed by a question-and-answer roundtable discussion,” he added.
A labor relations session will include discussions of contract labor use and the Employee Free Choice Act; social networking as a recruiting tool; and immigration best practices and preparing for customs enforcement.

Tyson found in violation of labor laws

A jury in federal court found that Tyson Foods Inc. violated federal labor standards at its Blountsville, Ala., processing plant by not paying production line employees for certain pre- and post-shift and meal period activities, such as putting on and taking off sanitary and protective clothing. The jury's verdict in federal court in Birmingham resulted from a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Labor against the company.
The court ordered Tyson to pay $250,000 for the violations.
The case is another example of an ongoing nationwide legal debate over what types of activities are compensible under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
The Department of Labor's lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. The federal department alleged Tyson Foods did not keep accurate records and failed to pay production line employees for the time they spend donning and doffing safety and sanitary gear, and performing other work-related activities. The violations span nine years, beginning in 2000 and extending to present day and affect approximately 3,000 current and former plant workers.
The initial Labor Department investigation began in April 2000, and a jury trial, which began in February 2009, ended in a mistrial. The Labor Department chose to pursue a second trial in August 2009, which ended in the ruling that Tyson owed employees the additional compensation.
Gary Mickelson, Tyson, noted that the government argued in closing statements that the jury should award as much as $8 million in compensation for the employee activities in question. "Jurors concluded that there was some uncompensated work activity at the Bloutsville plant during the time period in question; however, the amount they awarded was about 3% of what the Department of Labor requested," he said.
"The DOL lawsuit also alleged that Tyson failed to keep adequate and accurate records of all the hours worked by Blountsville employees during the nine-year time period. However, the jury rejected the government's claim and found no violation of federal recordkeeping requirements," he added.
Mickelson said the company will evaluate the implications of the verdict and determine what its next steps will be.
He called on the DOL to work cooperatively with industries such as the poultry industry to bring clarity to donning and doffing issues.
Tyson's Blountsville plant employs approximately 800 people.
Read the complete Department of Labor release.