In Nebraska, meat plant workers are afraid to go to work — but can't afford to stay home
"If it closed down, it would be devastating for families in town," said one JBS worker who chose to stay home from April 3 after he developed a cough. He tested positive Friday.
With 3,500 workers, the JBS beef processing plant is one of the largest employers in Grand Island, Nebraska. It’s also the epicenter of the town’s COVID-19 outbreak: employees make up 28 of the 105 people confirmed to have the virus.
This has created a dilemma for workers whose livelihoods depend on the meat plant that remains open as an essential part of the food supply chain and the local economy at a time when many people are self-isolating: do they risk exposing themselves to the virus at work, or stay home without pay?
"The people who are still working there are very afraid of catching the virus and passing it to our families at home, but we cannot stop going to work because we need to keep food on the table," said one employee, who added she worked in the "intestine area" of the plant and did not wish to be named for fear of losing her job.
NBC News spoke to four current employees at JBS Grand Island, three on the condition of anonymity, as well as two former employees, advocacy groups and a union representative.
They all painted a similar picture: workers scared to go to work but in desperate need of income to feed their families, and widespread absenteeism leading to a reduction in the amount of meat being processed. At the same time, JBS has tried hard to assuage people’s fears with a range of new safety measures, such as plexiglass dividers and thermal cameras to detect fevers.
While some workers felt a sense of duty to ensure Americans remained fed, others were angry that the company wasn’t doing more to protect its employees.
"The cows that are slaughtered daily by the company are more important than their own workers," one said, adding that they earn between $16.50 and $25 per hour. "It’s not anyone’s dream job. Nothing in there is easy, but there are not many better opportunities for an immigrant who does not speak good English."
more:
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nebraska-meat-plant-workers-are-afraid-go-work-can-t-n1181361?cid=eml_nbn_20200410
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