It's a tough spot to be in. Balancing the safety needs of the workers and the desire to prevent a breaking point in the country's food supply.

That's the rock and hard place that the U.S.A. finds itself between today, with the president saying he will sign an executive order to keep the meat processing plants open despite the coronavirus infections and deaths that have led to their closings.

According to Iowa's News Now  the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union said last week that 13 U.S. food-processing and meatpacking union workers in the U.S. have died. An estimated 5,000 are sick or have been exposed to the virus while working near someone who tested positive. The union represents 1.3 million food and retail workers.

The closed Tyson plant in Waterloo could re-open if Trump's order is successful.

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