Tyson Foods last week announced plans to bolster compensation and training at its plants in an effort to reduce employee turnover.
The Arkansas meat giant said in a statement that it would implement a pilot program at two U.S. poultry plants to "significantly" increase base wages and decrease the time required for newer employees to transition to higher wage rates.
The company also expects to hire least 25 additional trainers for poultry plants, expand a safety communications program and include hourly workers in plant safety councils.
Tyson officials said the company has committed to eliminating turnover and workplace injuries; year-over-year, the company is seeking a 10 percent improvement in retention and a 15 percent reduction in illnesses and injuries on the job.
The Wall Street Journal noted that slaughterhouse jobs are notoriously difficult positions — and that Tyson and other companies must content with a tight U.S. labor market.
Tyson also said that it would publicly share the results of independent plant audits, as well as continue partnerships with groups such as the Cisneros Center for New Americans, Oxfam America and the United Food and Commercial Workers Union.
Oxfam previously criticized the nation's poultry industry over working conditions at plants.
Company executives said that the steps were part of a broader commitment to creating a stronger workplace and a more sustainable company. The latest measures are expected to be paid for through reduced waste and costs.
“We’ve always been committed to supporting our employees and have sound workplace practices in place, but also want to do better," Chief Operations Officer Noel White said in the statement.
Tyson noted that pay and benefits were previously increased in November and January, respectively, and that more than 260 trainers and 30 training coordinators were hired for its poultry plants since 2015.
