DeLauro Urges OSHA Investigation into Sanderson Farms Workplace Safety

WASHINGTON, DC (December 7, 2018) - Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) today sent a letter to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Loren Sweatt urging an investigation into alleged workplace safety violations at Sanderson Farms poultry plant in Bryan, Texas. The letter follows an investigative report in The Guardian that stated workers on the processing lines are being denied the right to use the bathroom.

"When workers are on the processing lines, it is often for 4 to 5 consecutive hours. According to this article, the company pressures supervisors to deny bathroom breaks and, as a result, some workers have accidents on themselves," DeLauro wrote. "Moreover, it reports that some workers are refusing to drink any water, despite the grueling nature of the work, in case they might have to use the restroom.

"In addition, the reported allegations are consistent with findings in a recent GAO report, which found the workers in meat and poultry workers feel intimidated about reporting health and safety violations, particularly about their access to bathrooms in their plants," DeLauro continued. "I urge the agency to investigate these claims in the plant in Bryan, Texas and to conduct an inspection where compliance offices speak not only with management, but workers and their representatives. All workers have the right to a safe workplace and no worker should have to sacrifice their health for a paycheck."

A signed copy of the letter can be found here.

DeLauro is the lead Democrat on the Appropriations Subcommittee responsible for funding the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).