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# Tyson Foods and UFCW Enhance Safety Initiatives
- URL: https://cibocom.ghost.io/tyson-foods-and-ufcw-enhance-safety-initiatives/
- Published: 2018-04-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-08T15:09:38.000Z
- Author: Cibocom
- Tags: Tyson Foods, pork, beef, poultry

The partnership between Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN) and the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) is being hailed as a blueprint for the food industry. The collaboration, which has been ongoing for 30 years, is focused on enhancing safety measures at Tyson's food processing facilities. The partnership, which union leaders consider a benchmark for the food industry, was initiated in 1988 with the introduction of a pioneering ergonomics program. Over the years, it has incorporated enhancements that have significantly reduced workplace injuries and illnesses. Initially, the focus was on Tyson Foods’ beef and pork operations, but the collaboration is now extending to the company’s poultry business, which has been intensifying its safety initiatives in recent years. Steve Stouffer, president of Tyson Fresh Meats, expressed pride in the progress made through the partnership with UFCW, particularly the active participation of frontline workers. Mark Lauritsen, director of the UFCW’s Food Processing, Packing and Manufacturing Division, echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the importance of empowering workers to create safer workplaces. The collaboration between the company and the union has resulted in several initiatives, including safety audits, safety committees, empowering workers to halt production if safety issues are detected, and the appointment of full-time safety and ergonomic "captains". Sherry Louk, a long-serving Tyson Foods employee and safety captain at the Perry, Iowa plant, highlighted the culture of empowerment that encourages workers to voice safety concerns. The next phase of the partnership will focus on Tyson's poultry plants, where UFCW represents workers at 12 locations. Doug Ramsey, group president of poultry at Tyson Foods, expressed eagerness to work more closely with UFCW to further improve safety measures. Currently, UFCW represents over 24,000 individuals employed by Tyson Foods or its subsidiaries. Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN) is a global food company and a leading player in protein. The UFCW is the largest private sector union in the U.S., representing 1.3 million professionals and their families in various industries. For media inquiries, contact Derek Burleson at Tyson Foods (479-290-6466) or Evan Yeats at UFCW (319-310-5716).