Former Vice President Joe Biden called for increased safety protocols for people work in the meatpacking industry, even if it means meat prices will increase, as workers continue to be impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
During an interview with Yahoo News Tuesday, Biden was asked whether he thought it was an acceptable burden for Americans if meat prices increased to pay for improved worker safety.
“Absolutely positively, no worker’s life is worth my getting a cheaper hamburger. No worker’s life is worth that,” Biden said during the interview, which was a town hall focused on food insecurity.
“We don’t treat the workers well at all across the board,” Biden said. “We have obligations to workers, we have obligations to the community. Yes, yes, yes.”
Biden, who is the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, said people who work in meat plants, whether it’s beef, pork or poultry, “are getting sicker” as production increases.
“People are getting hurt,” he said. “The very thing we should be doing now is making sure these people are protected. That they have space 6 feet apart, that they have shields around them, slow the process up. Make sure they have the protective gear, make sure they are being taken care of.”
Over the past several weeks, there’s been a wave of coronavirus cases and deaths among employees in the meatpacking industry. Despite safety concerns, President Donald Trump has ordered beef, pork and poultry processing plants to remain open, citing his authority under the Defense Production Act.