SPRINGDALE, Ark. — Tyson Foods said thank you once again to more than 90,000 hourly team members across the U.S. by giving them approximately $50 million in year-end bonuses for their efforts during 2022. For team members in the U.S., these bonuses range from $300 to $700, and were distributed starting mid-December.
In addition to year-end bonuses, Tyson is offering flexible work schedules at some facilities, and new and expanded benefits, services and resources for all U.S. team members beginning in 2023, the company added. This includes new parental leave, additional mental health support and other health plan benefits to enhance our caring and inclusive culture. With average hourly pay of around $19, plus the value of medical, dental and vision insurance, vacation and other benefits, the average total compensation for hourly team members is approximately $24 an hour, or an annual average value of nearly $50,000. This does not include overtime, an option many team members choose, or other incentives.
“We’re extremely grateful for all of our team members in the hundreds of communities where we operate and we want to recognize our success together and say thank you,” said Donnie King, president and CEO of Tyson Foods. “As we progress our efforts to be the most sought-after place to work, we continue to listen to our team members needs and invest in areas like childcare to provide a better quality of life for our team members.”
Tyson also provides opportunities for education and life-skill development through the Tyson Immigration Partnership (TIP), which helps immigrant team members acquire U.S. citizenship. In 2022, Tyson strengthened its commitment to immigrant team members and has now invested more than $2.4 million to support partners like Immigrant Connection, a non-profit organization that provides immigrants with legal services, such as employment authorization renewals and petitions for citizenship.
The company’s Upward Academy program also offers free and accessible classes in English as a second language (ESL), High School Equivalency (HSE), financial literacy and digital literacy. In 2022, the company expanded Upward Academy to provide free education for all U.S. team members. This investment covers 100 percent of all tuition, books and fees and will include access to more than 175 programs from more than 35 top universities and learning providers. Tyson notes that it is also helping address the barriers of transportation through a growing ride-share program that provides a low-cost way to commute to work at Tyson.
Contract Poultry Farmer Advisory Council
Tyson Foods leadership and the company’s Contract Poultry Farmer Advisory Council also recently met to discuss issues most important to the farmers who grow chickens for Tyson. The meeting was held in November and was the first council meeting after a two-year pause due to enhanced safety protocols during the pandemic.
“The success of Tyson Foods depends on the hard work and dedication of our contract growers. We also appreciate that animal husbandry isn’t simply a job — it’s a way of life. The birds our farmers raise benefit consumers by providing a quality, affordable bird from a brand they trust. That’s important work,” said David Bray, group president of poultry, at Tyson Foods.
During two days at the company’s world headquarters in Springdale, Ark., farmers from North Carolina, Arkansas, Kentucky and Missouri met with Tyson Foods’ leadership, animal welfare, commodity and regulatory teams.
The council provides a platform for farmers and company leaders to share ideas and feedback, best practices for raising healthy birds and how Tyson strives to become the world leader in animal welfare through compassionate care, based in sound science.
“We are proud to be contract growers for Tyson because they actively listen to their growers and support them in solving grower concerns,” Deena Morrison, a contract poultry farmer.
Tyson Foods has been successfully working with poultry farmers like Morrison on a contractual basis since the late 1940s, the company added.
In 2018, Tyson Foods launched the advisory council to enhance communications and transparency with the thousands of independent farmers who grow the company’s chickens. The goal was to provide a platform where contract farmers can share their views of the business environment for raising chickens and allow Tyson Foods to gather insights to help improve operations and grower communications.
The company contracts with more than 3,600 independent poultry farmers in 18 states who raise chickens for its poultry operations. The average farmer has contracted with Tyson Foods for 17 years and almost 27 percent of Tyson poultry growers have been raising chickens for the company for two or three generations.
“We enjoyed our visit to Tyson World Headquarters,” said poultry farmer Rusty Mulford. “It gave us a better understanding of the leadership and management of the company we have worked with for many years. The highlight was the Founders Room tour.”
Tyson Foods has relationships with farmers and ranchers that extend back decades. Initiatives like the advisory council, Contract Poultry Farmers’ Bill of Rights and Five Domains are intended to help support poultry farmers in their pursuit of success.
“We believe our contract growers are the best in the industry. Their success is our success,” Bray said. “We trust them to raise birds for our business and value their perspectives as we work to feed the world together.”
