I just want Americans to stop for a minute,
for all of us who go to the grocery store,
and for the one hour or two hours that we’re
wearing that face mask, it’s so uncomfortable.
Can you just imagine workers who are working
for eight to 10 to 12-plus hours?
We know, because there have been so many incidents
of COVID cases, that our workers are being
asked to work even longer shifts or work additional
shifts.
And we know this from different members across
the country.
In fact, our state director, Madaí, her father,
who has worked in this industry for over 30 years,
reported that he’s having to work
and pick up shifts, involuntarily at times,
to make sure that the production keeps going.
And so, what are we asking?
We are asking the companies to put safety
measures in place, to make sure that there
are longer breaks so you don’t have a line
of people waiting at the restroom close together.
We’re asking them to put sneeze guards,
plastics, in between workers and to make sure
that they in fact are following CDC and OSHA
guidelines in terms of social distancing.
And here’s one more thing.
We also know that in various facilities across
this country, in many facilities, there are
workers who may speak more than 40 different
languages.
And so it’s not enough to put a poster up
on a wall that says, “Please practice social
distancing six feet apart,” if you don’t
explain it, if you don’t have the education
awareness about what social distancing is,
and, in fact, even making sure that the shifts
are staggered and that the breaks are staggered.
Oftentimes, where people sit to eat, they’re
eating elbow to elbow.
Where they are working, they’re elbow to
elbow, oftentimes even not having the ventilation
that’s required for them to be in a safe
place.
And so, as we hear of the companies, you know,
and the different cases that have occurred,
again, our ask is very simple: Please make
sure that the workers are in a safe place,
where they don’t fear like they’re walking
or marching into a slaughterhouse and their
life is on the line.
What we’re asking is: If you had your child
or your parent or your sibling working in
that same line, would you not want them to
have the safety conditions, so that they don’t
feel afraid to walk into work and think that
they will unfortunately come down with a COVID
case and potentially die?
We are asking for basic protections, protections
at work, that help our community to keep the
line flowing, to make sure that all of Americans
are able to enjoy meat and pork and poultry.
We stand with the workers.
We want to make sure that all workers across
America, but particularly our workers who
are facing high cases of COVID cases due to
the lack of safety, are protected.
And so, with that, Amy, I will tell you that
this is a difficult situation.
We understand that there’s political games
at play here.
We understand that there’s an election coming.
But the bottom line is that the slow reaction
by the federal government, the slow reaction
by corporations, and the lack of action have
placed people’s lives on the line,
and we’ve already had multiple deaths.
