PITTSBURG, Texas, -- Pilgrim's Pride (NYSE: PPC) today terminated a total of 11 employees, including one superintendent, one supervisor, one foreman and eight hourly employees as a result of its continuing investigation into the violation of its animal welfare policies at the company's Moorefield, West Virginia, plant. All of the individuals terminated for cause earlier today were employed at the Moorefield facility.
"While we are making considerable progress with our investigation, we will continue with this investigation until we're confident that every employee -- regardless of rank -- who had knowledge of these incidents has been held accountable for their actions," said O. B. Goolsby, President and Chief Operating Officer of Pilgrim's Pride. He also reported that Pilgrim's Pride had placed quality assurance monitors on both shifts at the Moorefield facility to continuously audit handling practices and processing in connection with its ongoing investigation.
"We're disappointed that the individual who surreptitiously videotaped the abuses did not report them to us when they occurred so we could have taken immediate action at that time," Goolsby said. "Had he reported the incidents to plant management and to the employee hotline, as he had been instructed during the company's animal welfare training he received on September 3, 2003, corrective and disciplinary actions would have been taken many months ago, and chickens would have been spared from suffering the types of abuses shown in the video."
Based on media reports of the existence of additional video footage, Pilgrim's Pride has initiated a request that all available videotape be immediately provided to the company for use in its investigation to determine whether any additional employees may have participated in or failed to report any improper practices, in direct violation of the company's animal welfare policies.
In addition, the company announced that Dr. Temple Grandin, one of the world's foremost experts in the field of animal welfare, will review its animal welfare practices at its Moorefield plant later this month.
Pilgrim's Pride places a high priority on humane treatment of poultry not only because it's the right thing to do, but because it also helps assure high-quality, healthful products for consumers. Pilgrim's Pride's animal welfare policies are designed to eliminate unnecessary harm and suffering to animals in its day-to-day operations.
Pilgrim's Pride follows the animal welfare guidelines recommended by the National Chicken Council (NCC). This program covers all aspects of broiler chicken welfare and was developed by industry experts in consultation with academic experts from leading universities. Further, under the terms of Pilgrim's Pride employment, any employee who observes violations of the company's animal welfare policies is obligated to report them immediately to their supervisor.
Forward-Looking Statements:
Statements contained in this press release that state the intentions, hopes, beliefs, anticipations, expectations or predictions of the future of Pilgrim's Pride Corporation and its management are forward-looking statements. It is important to note that the actual results could differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in such forward- looking statements include: additional outbreaks of avian influenza or other diseases affecting the production performance and/or marketability of the company's poultry products; matters affecting the poultry industry generally, including fluctuations in the commodity prices of feed ingredients, chicken and turkey; contamination of our products, which has recently and can in the future lead to product liability claims and product recalls; exposure to risks related to product liability, product recalls, property damage and injuries to persons, for which insurance coverage is expensive, limited and potentially inadequate; management of our cash resources, particularly in light of our substantial leverage; restrictions imposed by and as a result of, our substantial leverage; currency exchange rate fluctuations, trade barriers, exchange controls, expropriation and other risks associated with foreign operations; changes in laws or regulations affecting our operations as well as competitive factors and pricing pressures; inability to effectively integrate ConAgra's chicken business or realize the associated cost savings and operating synergies currently anticipated; inability to recognize the anticipated cost savings and anticipated benefits in connection with our turkey division restructuring; and the impact of uncertainties of litigation as well as other risks described under "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
For more information, contact:
Ray Atkinson
540/896-0406
SOURCE Pilgrim's Pride CorporationPilgrim's Pride
