LINCOLN - Meatpacking workers and their advocates will get a legislative hearing to air their workplace concerns related to COVID-19 next week despite the Legislature's decision on Wednesday denying Sen. Tony Vargas an opportunity to introduce a new bill. The hearing will be focused on an amendment, introduced by Sen. Vargas, to an existing bill.

Sen. Matt Hansen of Lincoln said he has scheduled a hearing for next Thursday before his Business and Labor Committee that will provide a forum for consideration of measures that might be taken to provide safeguards in Nebraska meat processing plants, where nearly 5,000 workers have been infected by the virus.

The amendment prepared by Vargas would require 6 feet of distancing between workers, conforming to the norm of 6 feet of social distancing expected outside those plants as a protection against the virus.

Although the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has authority over standards in meat processing plants, states are empowered to add their own requirements.

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