Representatives Dusty Johnson of South Dakota and Angie Craig of Minnesota have introduced the Small Packer Overtime and Holiday Fee Relief COVID 19 Act. The measure helps small meatpacking plants working overtime during the pandemic. Those plants have extended hours to make up for the large plant closures. South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association President Eric Jennings says that aid is needed to keep the food supply chain moving and deal with the backlog of livestock.

The legislation calls for meatpacking plants with fewer than 10 employees to be required to pay 25 percent of overtime and holiday fees and FSIS would pay the additional 75 percent. South Dakota Pork Producer’s Council President Craig Anderson says that would help incentivize workers to make dent in the backlog of animals.

Jennings says keeping all hands on deck to work through the processing bottleneck must be done and Johnson and Craig’s bill will help with that.

The Johnson Craig legislation also requires processing plants with 10 to 500 employees to be required to pay 70 percent of overtime fees with FSIS paying the additional 30 percent.