Top Class Actions’s website and social media posts use affiliate links. If you make a purchase using such links, we may receive a commission, but it will not result in any additional charges to you. Please review our Affiliate Link Disclosure for more information.

MEat packing workers regarding the Cargill COVID-19 class action lawsuit filed

Cargill Ltd. has been hit with a class action lawsuit over a COVID-19 outbreak at a beef-processing plant that was linked to more than 1,500 cases of the novel coronavirus. Three deaths have also been linked to the outbreak.

The Cargill COVID-19 class action lawsuit was filed earlier this month on behalf of individuals who had close contact with employees at the Cargill beef processing plant. They accuse Cargill of failing to take adequate measures to protect its employees and prevent the further spread of COVID-19.

“Yes, there’s a pandemic — that part’s not your fault. You can’t do anything about that,” Mathew Farrell of the Guardian Law Group said. “But there are things that you can do to make sure that your workers don’t get sick, and that if they do get sick, they don’t get a lot of other people sick.”

The Cargill class action lawsuit does not include employees of the meat-processing plant because they are covered by workers’ compensation laws and labour laws.

Cargill should have known “that the lack of protective measures [at its facility near High River] would affect not only their own employees, but those close to them as well,” the Cargill COVID-19 class action lawsuit alleges.

According to CBC News, the High River meat-packing plant employs more than 2,000 people. Most of the workers are reportedly foreign. Many Cargill employees share transportation and live in large households.

During the COVID-19 outbreak, more than 940 employees tested positive for the novel coronavirus. At one point, the Cargill COVID-19 outbreak represented 15% of all COVID-19 cases in Alberta.

Two employees have reportedly died due to the Cargill COVID-19 outbreak. An employee’s father who was visiting from the Philippines has also died.

On April 12, more than 250 Filipino residents of High River sent a letter to Mayor Craig Snodgrass asking him to order the plant to close for at least two weeks.

“We the workers and our families are worried and scared for the possibility that we might bring the virus with us at home,” the letter reportedly says. The union that represents some of the Cargill workers also asked for the plant to be closed temporarily to allow time to develop a plan to mitigate the risk of spreading COVID-19 throughout the facility.

Cargill closed the facility for just over two weeks during the COVID-19 outbreak to implement measures to protect employees from the novel coronavirus, reopening on May 4. Cargill reportedly installed protective barriers on the production floor and used buses with protective barriers between the seats to transport workers.

In April, Cargill reportedly temporarily laid off 1,000 workers. However, the company disputed this characterization and claimed that the staff reduction was due to the removal of a second shift in order to “minimize the impact of COVID-19.”Group of factory workers regarding the Cargill COVID-19 class action lawsuit filed

Employees had complained that they were afraid to come to work because the facility was simply too crowded to practice physical distancing. Although Cargill took measures to stagger break times and install dividers in the cafeteria, workers claim that physical distance was not practiced.

Cargill reportedly allowed its workers to quarantine at home if they experienced symptoms, but some workers say they felt pressured to return to work.

“I was told on April 12 by Alberta Health Services that I was positive and needed to quarantine another 14 days,” an employee called Christian told CBC News. “Cargill called me [three days later] and asked if I could come back to work tomorrow.”

“How can I go back to work, I asked, if my result is positive? They said, even if you are positive, if there’s no symptoms you can go back to work.”

Cargill also reportedly began offering bonuses during the COVID-19 outbreak, leading workers to worry that they would miss out on the extra money if they stayed home.

The Cargill facility reportedly processes about 4,500 animals per day and is one of the largest beef suppliers in Canada. This amount represents more than a third of Canada’s beef-packing capacity.

Cargill, which is based in the United States, reported revenue of US $113.5 billion and more than $2.5 billion in net earnings last year.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought forth a wide array of legal issues involving employers’ responsibility for protecting their workers from the spread of COVID-19. As a growing number of COVID-19 lawsuits and class action lawsuits are being filed, the courts will play an important role in determining the duty of care owed to employees and the general public during a global health crisis.

What do you think about the Cargill COVID-19 class action lawsuit? Tell us your thoughts in the comment section below! 

The plaintiffs are represented by Guardian Law Group and James H. Brown and Associates.

We tell you about cash you can claim EVERY WEEK! Sign up for our free newsletter.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. By submitting your comment and contact information, you agree to receive marketing emails from Top Class Actions regarding this and/or similar lawsuits or settlements, and/or to be contacted by an attorney or law firm to discuss the details of your potential case at no charge to you if you qualify. Required fields are marked *

Please note: Top Class Actions is not a settlement administrator or law firm. Top Class Actions is a legal news source that reports on class action lawsuits, class action settlements, drug injury lawsuits and product liability lawsuits. Top Class Actions does not process claims and we cannot advise you on the status of any class action settlement claim. You must contact the settlement administrator or your attorney for any updates regarding your claim status, claim form or questions about when payments are expected to be mailed out.