PIERRE, S.D. (KELO.com) — Gov. Kristi Noem’s office takes issue with some of the statements made by United Food and Commercial Workers union officials and one of Smithfield’s furloughed workers yesterday.
They appeared via a Zoom teleconference originated by the UFCW and open to reporters from around the United States. KELO.com News participated and wrote two stories based on the statements and interviews:
Maggie Seidel, Gov. Noem’s senior advisor and policy director who also handles some media outreach, offered the following rebuttal to what the union officials and Smithfield worker Achut Deng said in the teleconference. The issues Seidel took issue with were statements about the statewide hydroxychloroquine trials, coronavirus testing, Noem’s “99%” stat statement about infection spread, and communication with the union,
Seidel’s replies:
1. The hydroxy – it’s voluntary. If folks want to go that route, the Governor has done all she can to make it available. It’s up to individuals and their doctors to assess whether it makes sense for them
2. I don’t get the criticism about testing. We have 1,956 cases in the state, 801 of the employees of Smithfield (both as of Thursday) – many more close contacts. We know that because we deployed resources there immediately and aggressively tested to isolate those individuals so they could get home and healthy.
3. The 99% stat is taken totally out of context. The plant was closed when she (Deng) made that point. There has always been concern about spread taking place outside the plant, but the 99% stat specifically refers to a time period after it was closed.
4. Our team has been in communication with the local union, Smithfield employees, and Smithfield leadership – we always welcome dialogue. Our number one priority is getting this cluster under control and safeguarding the health of this workforce. The team at the Department of Health will continue to work with Smithfield and offer any assistance we can to help them implement these CDC recommendations, so they can safely reopen this plant as soon as possible.
