Little Rock--Tyson Foods and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are actively fighting workplace safety measures that could have prevented the tragic death of a Tyson Foods worker, said Reverend Steve Copley today.

On Friday, a U.S. District Court in Arkansas ruled that Tyson Foods Inc. must pay a $500,000 fine for "willfully" violating workplace safety regulations that led to the 2003 death of Jason Kelley, a maintenance worker at its River Valley Animal Foods plant in Texarkana. Mr. Kelley was killed by toxic fumes emitted from a machine he was repairing.

"Mr. Kelley's death is the worst possible example of what can happen when employees do not have a voice on the job and are not protected at work. If workers had a voice at that plant, if they had a union, there could have been a more rigorous safety program in place to prevent this tragic loss of life," said Rev. Copley.

Despite an identical accident in 2002, Tyson Foods did not put safety measures in place to make sure it didn't happen again. Tyson Foods workers do not have a union and its workers were not able to hold their employer accountable for failing to enforce these federally mandated worker safety protections.

"Groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that opposed the original Occupational Safety and Workplace Act and are now fighting legislation that would enable allowing more workers to choose to form a union. They're opposing workplace safety," said Rev. Copley.

The fine imposed on Tyson Foods is the maximum allowed by law.

"While the court was right to fine Tyson Foods, I believe a person's life is worth more than $500,000," said Rev. Copley. "This never should have happened."

According to several studies, union workers are more likely to have the right training and other precautions that create safer workplaces. Union workers:

• Have more training. Union workers are more likely to have access to formal, on-the-job training, making employees more skilled and adding to productivity.
• Have safer workplaces. Union workers are often better trained on health and safety rules and union workplaces are more likely to enforce Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards.
  
• Are more likely to receive workers' compensation. Union members also get their benefits faster, and return to work more quickly. When workers are injured, unions help workers through the often complicated process of filing for workers' compensation and protect workers from employer retaliation.

You can read the U.S. Department of Justice press release on the ruling here.