President Donald Trump’s executive order reopening meatpacking plants shuttered because of COVID-19 is already drawing scrutiny from an array of labor and civil liberties unions, concerned that his declaration may also be used to circumvent legal protections for workers and the public.

But even that 1950-era legislation known as the Defense Production Act, which gives the president sweeping powers to requisition property, override state and federal regulation and offers some limited immunity for civil claims against company’s ordered into service, doesn’t shield employers from liability for knowingly putting workers at risk of physical harm.

This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.

To view this content, please continue to their sites.

Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now

Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now

Why am I seeing this?

LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law are third party online distributors of the broad collection of current and archived versions of ALM's legal news publications. LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law customers are able to access and use ALM's content, including content from the National Law Journal, The American Lawyer, Legaltech News, The New York Law Journal, and Corporate Counsel, as well as other sources of legal information.

For questions call 1-877-256-2472 or contact us at [email protected]