JBS response to Tyson’s vaccine mandate

(KSNB) - Food giant Tyson Foods announced Tuesday it will require all of its U.S. employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The company becomes one of the first major employers to do so amid a resurgence of the virus.

With the news from Tyson, Local4 reached out to JBS USA about the recent announcement, and if their company is looking to do the same.

In a response from Nikki Richardson, JBS USA & Pilgrim’s Corporate Communications, said the company’s focus has been on providing education and offering incentives to its workforce, which she said has resulted in nearly 70 percent of its U.S. team members being vaccinated to date. She said it’s the highest rate of vaccination in their industry.

Some of the efforts include offering a $100 incentive for anyone who chooses to receive their vaccine, conducting on-site vaccination clinics, providing up to four hours of paid time off to get vaccinated and executing a multi-lingual education campaign.

“We remain focused on removing any barriers to receiving the vaccine,” she said.

JBS USA is currently requiring new hires in our corporate office to be vaccinated, and they are hosting a series of clinics around the country to encourage vaccination within the communities where they operate their “Your Shot at Free Meat for a Year” campaign.

While there’s no company-wide mask mandate, conversations are taking place with union partners about the possibility of a vaccine mandate.