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RandySF

(57,636 posts)
Wed Apr 29, 2020, 01:33 PM Apr 2020

Meat plant workers to Trump: Employees aren't going to show up

New York (CNN Business)Meat-processing plant workers are concerned about President Donald Trump's executive order that compels plants to remain open during the coronavirus pandemic. Meat plant employees are among America's most vulnerable workers, and some say they expect staff will refuse to come to work.

"All I know is, this is crazy to me, because I can't see all these people going back into work," said Donald, who works at Tyson's Waterloo, Iowa, facility. "I don't think people are going to go back in there."
Donald asked to be referred to by his first name only. He is currently recovering after testing positive for the virus.

"I'm still trying to figure out: What is he going to do, force them to stay open? Force people to go to work?" he asked.

On Tuesday, Trump signed the order after some companies, such as Tyson Foods, were considering only keeping 20% of their facilities open. The vast majority of processing plants could have shut down — which would have reduced processing capacity in the country by as much as 80%, an official familiar with the order told CNN.

Over the past several weeks, a number of major meat suppliers have announced temporary closures as workers fall ill with Covid-19. The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union estimated Tuesday that 20 meatpacking and food processing workers have died so far.




https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/29/business/meat-processing-plant-workers-reaction-executive-order/index.html

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Meat plant workers to Trump: Employees aren't going to show up (Original Post) RandySF Apr 2020 OP
No one, and I mean no one is listening to this idiot. Good. SWBTATTReg Apr 2020 #1
Coronavirus in Iowa: State tells workers to return to jobs or lose their benefits underpants Apr 2020 #2
Trump can't allow food shortages on his watch because that hurts him. Unfortuantely, it's probably brewens Apr 2020 #3
Trumps advisors duforsure Apr 2020 #4

underpants

(182,277 posts)
2. Coronavirus in Iowa: State tells workers to return to jobs or lose their benefits
Wed Apr 29, 2020, 01:47 PM
Apr 2020

Iowa is warning furloughed workers that they will lose their unemployment benefits if they refuse to return when their employer calls them back to work.

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/money/business/2020/04/28/coronavirus-iowa-state-tells-workers-return-jobs-lose-benefits/3039117001/

Deputy director, Ryan West, says you won’t continue getting unemployment if you are called back to work. He says if your employer had to lay you off and they are calling you back, you should be able to go back to work.

West says if you do not go back to work, it will be considered a “voluntary quit,” and your unemployment will be suspended. There are some exceptions, including a diagnosis of COVID-19 that prevents you from working.

West says every case will be different and the individual issues will dictate what happens. But, he says if someone has a note from a doctor that says you should be out then that would allow you to stay home.

https://www.radioiowa.com/2020/04/29/iowa-workforce-development-issues-reminder-on-unemployment-benefits/

brewens

(13,397 posts)
3. Trump can't allow food shortages on his watch because that hurts him. Unfortuantely, it's probably
Wed Apr 29, 2020, 01:48 PM
Apr 2020

too late for him to do anything about it. The way to have made sure that didn't happen, was to take early and aggressive action. Earlier mandatory shutdowns and measures like requiring masks in public may have minimized the breakouts in the plants.

What do they do now? Test all workers, possibly quarantine them and only allow those cleared to work. They should be thinking about setting up temporary housing on or near the plants for workers that want to get back. I'd say some serious incentive pay to compensate for being isolated.

If they need more workers, we have some available for sure, but you have to make them want to take those jobs.

They got thousands of guys to pull up stakes and go to work the oil fields in North Dakota. I know a couple that lived in some kind of dorms there and ate at company cafeterias. They went there for big money. I'd say this is worth at least that kind of money.

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