Tyson Foods Boosts Wages at Chicken Plants

Officials at Tyson Foods Inc. of Springdale said Friday the company is increasing the hourly pay for its employees at most of its U.S. chicken plants, starting Nov. 1.

The move, described as an effort to boost employee recruiting and retention, affects hourly production, maintenance and refrigeration workers at 51 of the company’s chicken plants. It will include raising the starting pay for production workers at almost 40 plants to at least $10 an hour.

The starting rate at some facilities had previously been in the $8 to $9 range. 

The change in the starting rate, along with other increases of varying amounts for experienced production, maintenance and refrigeration workers, will boost the average hourly pay for workers who have been on the job for more than a year to more than $12 an hour. Top hourly production pay in Tyson Foods’ chicken operations exceeds $16 an hour.

“We’re increasing pay to remain competitive in the labor markets where we operate and to retain the quality Team Members we need to keep running successfully,” Noel White, president of Tyson Foods’ poultry business, said in a company news release. “We believe we have the best team in the chicken business and we want to keep it that way.”