Smithfield Attacks Worker-Safety Injunction Bid Ahead of Hearing

Smithfield Foods Inc. says the injunction request filed by employees seeking increased virus-related safety measures at its pork processing plant in Missouri isn’t supported by credible evidence, according to federal court filings.

The court should strike the five declarations offered here, which are largely based on “newspaper articles, third-hand reports, and innuendo,” instead of personal knowledge and relevant experience, Smithfield said in a motion filed Wednesday. An injunction request isn’t “an evidentiary free for all.”

Jane Doe, an unidentified plant worker, claimed that Smithfield only gave face masks to some employees and encouraged them to come into work sick by ...