After employee dies, roughly 100 Illinois pork plant workers walk out over safety fears

Roughly 100 workers at Smithfield Foods' pork plant in Monmouth, Illinois, walked off the job after a co-worker died during an overnight shift, turning shock and grief into a public demand for answers.

Here's what to know

The worker who died was Patou Mpinda, a 44-year-old Congolese immigrant employed in maintenance. He died around 2:30 a.m., and the county coroner has said the death is believed to be work-related, with a final ruling still pending.

According to the World Socialist Web Site, many day-shift employees arrived without knowing a co-worker had died after being told only that there would be a "late start."

Smithfield had not said what equipment was involved, what job Mpinda was doing, or whether lockout procedures were used, although a coworker said machinery played a role in his death. In the lunchroom, workers cried and confronted the plant manager.

Employees were still told to start production, workers said. Reports said African immigrant workers then helped lead a walkout in which about 100 people left the plant, and Smithfield only later said workers could leave without penalty.

More background

OSHA cited the Monmouth plant in February in a serious lockout-tagout case involving two employees who faced an amputation risk while cleaning an auger. That penalty was later reduced from $14,188 to $9,931.60.

The same report also pointed to another Smithfield facility in Tar Heel, North Carolina, where Abundio Villa Miranda, a 43-year-old worker, died on Jan. 10 after a fall of about 25 feet into a gas stunning area for hogs. Investigators found four serious violations there, and the company later resolved a $51,100 penalty for $35,770.

The World Socialist Web Site article cited federal figures showing 5,070 fatal traumatic workplace injuries in 2024 and said the AFL-CIO put the 2023 toll from occupational illness at another 135,000 deaths.

What's being done?

Public details still leave core safety questions unresolved, including which machine was involved, what safeguards were in place, and whether established safety protocols were followed.

In the lunchroom, workers shouted at the plant manager: "Listen to your people! Why are we here? We shouldn't be working!"

There will be an investigation into Mpinda's death, but as World Socialist Web Site noted, it should not be done only by Smithfield or OSHA, suggesting that Smithfield workers should organize an independent investigation. 

Where can I learn more?

Reporting has highlighted similar safety breakdowns and worker-protection concerns across the country. The coverage ranges from child labor in slaughterhouses to labor complaints in California and a USPS employee's retaliation fears.

• Across the U.S., over 100 children were found working hazardous overnight shifts in slaughterhouses.

• In California, investigators exposed treatment of workers that left laborers increasingly vulnerable.

• At USPS, one employee feared I'm gonna be cut after raising carbon monoxide concerns.

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