Stephen Groves

Associated Press

Today in Manufacturing Podcast

Today in Manufacturing Podcast

Today in Manufacturing has a new podcast brought to you by the editors of Industrial Media. In each episode, we discuss the five biggest stories in manufacturing, and the implications they have on the industry moving forward.

In this photo provided by Cristobal Francisquez, his parents Paulina and Marcos Francisco pose for a photo in front of their house in Sioux City, Iowa, Monday, May 25, 2020. They bought the home after years of working in a meatpacking plant and other food processing jobs.

Meatpacking Worker Shortage Concerns Loom

Immigrants make up nearly 40% of the industry's roughly 470,000 workers.

This April 8, 2020 photo shows the Smithfield pork processing plant in Sioux Falls, SD. The union representing employees at the South Dakota pork processing plant says it will partially reopen on Monday, May 4 after shuttering more than two weeks ago because of a coronavirus outbreak that infected hundreds of employees.

Meat Plants Cautiously Reopen

Employees appear torn whether safety measures can prevent further virus outbreaks at crowded meat processing plants.

John Warminski prepares meat at Ronnie's Quality Meats in Detroit on Wednesday, April 29. President Donald Trump has ordered meat processing plants to stay open amid concerns over growing coronavirus COVID-19 cases and the impact on the nation's food supply.

Meatpackers Welcome DPA Despite Risks

The executive order was widely seen as giving processors protection from liability for workers who become sick on the job.