One of the problems with the 24-hour news cycle is that information shifts so quickly that it can almost be impossible to stay current on the latest developments. Another issue is that things that most of us thought would never come to pass are not part and parcel of the daily newsfeed. And then there is the little matter of who is telling us the truth.
As last week was drawing to a close, the news broke over various outlets that Tyson Foods was closing a pork plant in Iowa. American Wire said that in the process, Tyson would lay off 1,267 American employees and legal immigrants before moving operations to other states and hiring illegal immigrants.
Under the headline “Tyson Is Hiring New York Immigrants for Jobs No One Else Wants” Bloomberg reported that Tyson already employs around 42,000 immigrants and that company official Garrett Dolan said that the food giant would like to hire another 42,000 if they could be located. The outlet also noted:
“We’re recognizing there’s not a lot of people that are going to be working labor-manufacturing jobs that are American,” Dolan said. A large portion of new hires “are going to come from refugees and immigrants, so we’re now in the business of strategically thinking that through.”
Over the weekend, Scripps news service retracted its original piece claiming that it had not been able to verify the 52,000 total. Its retraction stated that Tyson is working with the Tent Partnership for Refugees, which seeks to "help integrate refugees and migrants into the economy." Scripps added that in 2022, Tyson committed to hiring 2,500 refugees. For its part, Tyson issued the statement below:
In recent days, there has been a lot of misinformation in the media about our company, and we feel compelled to set the record straight. Tyson Foods is strongly opposed to illegal immigration, and we led the way in participating in the two major government programs to help employers combat unlawful employment, E-Verify and the Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers (IMAGE) program.
Since being founded in 1935 in Arkansas, Tyson Foods has created jobs and employed millions of people in states all across America. Today, Tyson Foods employs 120,000 team members in the U.S., all of whom are required to be legally authorized to work in this country. We have a history of strong hiring practices, and anybody who is legally able is welcome to apply to open job listings.
Where does the truth lie? Did Tyson get caught with its hand in the proverbial cookie jar? Did the company think that it could shutter its Iowa plant and hire 42,000 to 52,000 illegal immigrants and receive the praise of the American people? Or is Tyson simply trying to find a legitimate route to hiring cheap labor?
One of the problems here is that multiple outlets are reporting similar versions of the same story. So the truth is somewhere in the mix if anyone really wants to sift for it. At this point, nothing would surprise the American people. "Last month's conspiracy theories are this month's headlines" isn't even a punchline anymore.
Of course, the news brought on the inevitable call for a boycott. According to The Blast on MSN, "thousands" are calling to boycott Tyson, including America First Legal. Independent Journal Review had the post on X:
🚨DID YOU KNOW?
— America First Legal (@America1stLegal) March 15, 2024
It is ILLEGAL under federal law to discriminate against American citizens based on their citizenship in favor of non-citizens of any kind when it comes to employment. https://t.co/W1tYImfpG7
Do boycotts work? On one hand, at my local grocery, the Bud and Bud Light coolers have the same number of cases of beer that they have held since last spring. So few people, at least in my region, are buying Bud Light. On the other hand, a brand new Target is launching in my area despite the fact that people have been boycotting the store over trans issues for years. And looking at the number of Tyson brands in the post from America First Legal, a trip to the grocery could get even more complicated, provided you can even afford groceries in the first place.
In its own way, this story is indicative of the current American experience. The truth comes out, and then we are told it is not the truth. Then the truth becomes "sort of true," but even if that is the case, don't worry about it. Just keep buying those products. You'll forget all about this sooner or later unless you used to work at Tyson Foods.
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