Tyson Foods (NYSE: TSN) shareholders voted down three proposals at the company’s annual shareholders meeting Thursday at its office on South Thompson Street in Springdale.
The voters approved the company’s 15-person board of directors slate, which included new members Sarah Bond, Olivia Tyson and John R. Tyson. Bond is the president of Xbox. The Tysons are the children of Tyson Foods Chairman John H. Tyson; John R. Tyson was the company’s CFO before alcohol-related arrests in 2023 and 2024 led to his resignation.
Magaly Licolli, the executive director of the poultry workers organization Venceremos in Springdale, acted as spokesperson for a shareholders proposal that requested the company report on the impact of the federal immigration policy on Tyson Foods’ financial and operational results.
In a December proxy filing with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission, the proposal said that approximately 35% of Tyson Foods’ 120,000 U.S. employees were immigrants.
Labor Spotlight
Tyson Foods, in the same proxy filing, opposed the proposal, saying it complies with U.S. immigration law, is “strongly opposed to illegal immigration” and works to ensure that all Tyson Foods employees are authorized to work.
“I hear daily from Tyson workers living in fear because of the current administration’s anti-immigrant agenda,” Licolli said. “This fear is not abstract. It shows up on the production line, in workers’ homes and in their families. Tyson cannot claim to value families while remaining silent as immigrant families are torn apart. The company has built its profits on immigrant labor, yet refuses to speak up when those same workers are targeted, criminalized and treated as disposable.
“This is exploitation, plain and simple. Silence in the face of injustice is not neutrality. It is complicity.”
John H. Tyson chaired the shareholders meeting and said the company’s proxy statement regarding the proposal spoke for itself.
“Thank you for your comments; another complex subject that all of us have thoughts on, and all of us work hard trying to be the best we can be,” Tyson said. “I will say and share again: the Tyson team members work every day to make sure our places are safe, make sure we’re faith-friendly. How do we create an environment of confidence? How do we create an environment where team members know they have a chance to improve their economic welfare?
“We strive to operate our company with integrity, with the ethical standards and the responsibility that’s assigned to us with respect towards each other each and every day when we get up and come to work in the workplace.”
The other shareholders proposals involved disclosure of the shareholder voting by class of shares and a report on the environmental and health impacts of waste lagoons at Tyson Foods’ facilities.
Profit Picture
In fiscal 2025, Tyson Foods reported revenue of $54.4 billion, up from $53.3 billion in 2024, and income of $474 million, down from $800 million the previous year. The company’s beef segment weighed on the company’s financials, reporting a loss of $1.1 billion in 2025 and a loss of $381 million in 2024.
Tyson Foods CEO Donnie King said the company is best positioned to meet the growing demand for protein in the country. King said Tyson Foods has three of the country’s top 10 protein brands: Tyson Foods, Jimmy Dean and Hillshire Farm.
“These iconic brands continue to gain share in both volume and dollars,” King said. “In a dynamic market, protein continues to be a priority, and our branded products are outperforming the broader food category, both in retail and food service. While competitors face challenges generating demand, our consistent share gains reflect our distinct competitive advantage.
“We win because of the strength of our brands and the quality of our protein products. While we are pleased with our successes, we are not satisfied and remain focused on continually improving our business and strengthening our financial position.”
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