Thread: On @maddow tonight she covered the COVID-19 outbreak at a @SmithfieldFoods plant in Sioux Falls. 350 EEs tested positive. I’ve represented workers in meatpacking plants & spent significant time in them. Our food supply chain is unstable and we’re already feeling it.

We should listen to the outcry of unionized plant workers represented by @UFCW, because things are far worse in non-union plants. Harrisonburg VA, where there’s been attempts for years to organize meatpacking workers there, is seeing a spike too.

In the Richmond area, there’s unionized workers at @TysonFoods and in the Tidewater area there’s unionized workers @SmithfieldFoods. In the Southside of VA there’s unionized plant workers at @Boars_Head. Of all of those, I’m sure Boars Head is taking the most precautions.

For every Unionized plant I’ve listed there are hundreds of sites around the country that aren’t. Unions always ensure OSHA enforcement and focus on safety with employers. This is where our food supply comes from—why wouldn’t we be concerned?

I’ve watched two companies on this thread fight Unions for decades, from the bargaining table & with anti-Union campaigns. Imagine having to fight over the speed of the line or for bathroom breaks, or that donning and doffing time should be paid—we did that. #1u

April 28 is International Workers Memorial Day. Let’s stand together and demand safety for all workers, but especially for those in the food supply chain. #1u