Josh Hawley Accuses Tyson Foods of Employing Illegal Aliens, Children While Closing U.S. Plants

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) is again calling out Tyson Foods, accusing the food processing corporation of employing illegal aliens and children while closing United States plants and laying off Americans.

During a Senate hearing this week, Hawley asked Andrew Rogers — President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division — whether he would continue an ongoing investigation into Tyson Foods’ alleged violation of labor laws.

Rogers said he could not comment on the investigation but that he would investigate allegations of child labor and illegal labor.

Last month, Hawley sent a letter to Labor Department Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer asking her to investigate whistleblower allegations against Tyson Foods that the corporation employs children and illegal aliens, while at the same time closing U.S. plants and firing thousands of Americans.

“I have opened an investigation in my Subcommittee. Given your role in enforcing federal labor law, I urge you to fully investigate these troubling allegations immediately,” Hawley told Chavez-DeRemer:

The whistleblower, a former Tyson Foods employee who oversaw plant safety, alleges that they personally witnessed underage workers and also received multiple reports from hourly Tyson employees about child workers in the plant. According to the allegations, these child workers were employed by a third-party entity contracted by Tyson for work in the plant. [Emphasis added]

After reporting concerns to company superiors about child workers employed at the plant, the whistleblower was subjected to retaliation and a “toxic work environment.” Due to the toxic work environment, the whistleblower quit. Tyson is now pursuing legal action against them related to their departure from the company. [Emphasis added]

At the hearing this week, Hawley said a Labor Department official replied to his letter and confirmed that “The Wage and Hour Division engaged in ongoing investigations of Tyson Foods and its contractors under the [Fair Labor Standards Act].”