Roughly One Hundred Illinois Pork Plant Workers Walk Out After Co-Worker Dies During Overnight Shift

Roughly 100 Illinois pork plant workers left the Smithfield Foods facility in Monmouth after a co-worker died during an overnight shift, with employees raising concerns about the decision to resume production.

Patou M. Mpinda, 44, a maintenance worker, was pronounced dead at about 2:31 a.m. on 14 September in what Warren County Coroner Al McGuire has said appeared to be work-related, though the final cause of death remains pending.

To recall, the Monmouth plant had already been cited by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) earlier this year. In February, inspectors recorded a serious lockout-tagout violation after two employees cleaning an auger were exposed to amputation hazards, with an initial $14,188 (£10,738) penalty later reduced to $9,931.60 (£7,518) following an informal settlement in July.

An OSHA inspection opened in May 2025 also resulted in a serious hazard-communication violation involving employee exposure to carbon dioxide, with the penalty reduced from $8,038 (£6,081) to $5,627 (£4,259). Combined, the two cases resulted in $15,558.60 (£11,777) in penalties.

There is no indication from OSHA or the coroner that either earlier violation was connected to Mpinda's death.

Workers Reportedly Leave Smithfield Plant as OSHA Investigates Monmouth Death

Many day-shift employees arrived without knowing a co-worker had died, having been told only there would be a 'late start'. A worker interviewed by KWQC said a 5:30 a.m. text announced the delay before employees arrived around 7:30 a.m.

When they learned Mpinda had died, workers said they were still instructed to start production, though Smithfield disputes this account.

In the lunchroom, employees cried and confronted the plant manager, shouting: 'Listen to your people! Why are we here? We shouldn't be working!' The same KWQC source said African employees organised a plant-wide walkout in which at least 100 people left.

Smithfield later said workers could leave without penalty. A company representative, speaking to the Monmouth City Council, disputed the characterisation of the event as a walkout, saying employees were informed of the loss and given the option to take the day off, with some choosing to work and others to go home.

Smithfield has not disclosed what equipment was involved, what task Mpinda was performing, or whether lockout procedures were used, although a co-worker told local media that machinery played a role in his death.

McGuire said an autopsy had been performed and authorities were waiting on test results, with the cause of death appearing to be work-related.

OSHA has opened a fatality investigation into the incident, which could take up to six months, while company safety personnel are working alongside local authorities. 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.

Smithfield Faces Scrutiny Over Workplace Safety at Other Facilities

The Monmouth death comes as Smithfield faces scrutiny over workplace-safety violations at other facilities. At the company's Tar Heel, North Carolina, plant, 43-year-old worker Abundio Villa Miranda died on 10 January 2026 after reportedly falling about 25 feet into an area where gas is used to render pigs unconscious.

Investigators found four serious violations there, and the company later resolved a $51,100 (£38,675) penalty for $35,770 (£27,072).

One Smithfield employee interviewed by KWQC said he was aware of three previous deaths at the Monmouth plant, which he understood to have been related to health problems.

He said Mpinda's death was the first he knew of that involved machinery. The account has not been independently verified.

Federal figures show 5,070 fatal traumatic workplace injuries in 2024, according to the latest complete Bureau of Labor Statistics data. The AFL-CIO's 2026 report estimates 135,304 occupational-disease deaths annually, based on its methodology.

In the wake of Mpinda's death, Smithfield representatives told the city council the company is cooperating fully with OSHA, has visited with Mpinda's family, helped coordinate benefits, provided meals and offered to cover childcare expenses over the coming months.

Ray Atkinson, a senior director of external affairs, said in an earlier statement the company was 'deeply saddened to confirm the loss of a team member who was fatally injured in a workplace incident' at the Monmouth facility.

The circumstances surrounding Mpinda's death remain under investigation. The coroner's final determination of the cause of death and OSHA's findings are expected to provide more information about what happened and whether any workplace-safety violations occurred.