Tyson Foods, nation's largest meatpacker by sales, to raise hourly wages for 34,000 workers

Tyson Foods, the largest meat company by sales, said it "plans to raise hourly wages for about 34,000 employees at its U.S. chicken plants, part of an effort to better attract and retain workers in a tightening labor market," Jacob Bunge reports for The Wall Street Journal. "Production, maintenance and refrigeration workers at more than 50 of Tyson’s facilities will see higher starting pay, and experienced workers will receive raises, Tyson said Friday."

Effective Nov. 1, Tyson "will boost starting pay for production workers at nearly 40 of its chicken plants to at least $10 an hour, an 11 percent to 25 percent increase over some current rates, according to the company," Bunge writes. "Increasing the starting rate and other increases will boost average hourly pay for workers who have held their positions for more than a year to more than $12 an hour, and maintenance and refrigeration workers at 51 chicken plants will receive pay increases of varying amounts, Tyson said."