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Been working on COVID-19-related projects, and a recurrent theme is occupational sorting & risk stratification that falls along the axes of race, ethnicity, immigration status, & class.
e.g. employment in meat and poultry processing facilities (map from: https://www.bls.gov/oes/2018/may/oes513023.htm)">https://www.bls.gov/oes/2018/...
e.g. employment in meat and poultry processing facilities (map from: https://www.bls.gov/oes/2018/may/oes513023.htm)">https://www.bls.gov/oes/2018/...
What we know:
- efficiency in meat & poultry processing facilities is optimized by having floor workers in close contact (<6& #39; apart)
- Black & Latinx workers are overrepresented in meat/poultry processing facilities
- efficiency in meat & poultry processing facilities is optimized by having floor workers in close contact (<6& #39; apart)
- Black & Latinx workers are overrepresented in meat/poultry processing facilities
We also know:
- the risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 in these facilities is stratified by occupational hierarchy, with the lowest risk among admin/managerial workers & highest risk among floor workers
- the risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 in these facilities is stratified by occupational hierarchy, with the lowest risk among admin/managerial workers & highest risk among floor workers
We cannot reduce this unequal risk to "work conditions" or "characteristics of the facility as a place", because the devaluation of workers of color, of immigrants is literally structured in immigration regimes, workers compensation regulations. & workplace safety enforcement.
More to the point: capitalism
These "essential" workers are paid ~$12-14/hour for back-breaking labor, with few (or no) paid sick days. Even before the pandemic, the incentive structure encouraged workers to come to work sick.
These "essential" workers are paid ~$12-14/hour for back-breaking labor, with few (or no) paid sick days. Even before the pandemic, the incentive structure encouraged workers to come to work sick.
Since March, there has been a recurrent pattern of meat & poultry facilities as sites of COVID-19 clusters. The official stats are likely undercounts, b/c in most states, the owners of these plants are not required to report positive test results to local or state PH agencies.
See:
Waltenburg et al (2020). Update: COVID-19 Among Workers in Meat and Poultry Processing Facilities - United States, April-May 2020. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 69(27), 887–892. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6927e2">https://doi.org/10.15585/...
Waltenburg et al (2020). Update: COVID-19 Among Workers in Meat and Poultry Processing Facilities - United States, April-May 2020. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 69(27), 887–892. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6927e2">https://doi.org/10.15585/...
And
(2) Steinberg et al (2020). COVID-19 Outbreak Among Employees at a Meat Processing Facility — South Dakota, March–April 2020. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 69(31), 1015–1019 https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6931a2.htm">https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volu...
(2) Steinberg et al (2020). COVID-19 Outbreak Among Employees at a Meat Processing Facility — South Dakota, March–April 2020. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 69(31), 1015–1019 https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6931a2.htm">https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volu...
Per the NC DHHS, there are outbreaks of COVID-19 associated with >23 meat processing plants across in Bertie, Bladen (home to the world& #39;s largest pork processing plant), Burke, Chatham, Duplin, Lee, Lenoir, Richmond, Sampson, Surry, Union, Wilkes, and Wilson counties
Nationally, workers in meat & poultry processing facilities accounted for 16,233 cases in 239 facilities across 23 states between April & May 2020, with disproportionate impacts among racial and ethnic & #39;minorities& #39; (87% of cases). (source: https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6927e2)">https://doi.org/10.15585/...
Note, however, that any estimates of COVID-19 cases in meat & poultry processing facilities are undercounts. In NC, the owners of these facilities are not required to report to local or state agencies, & the state does not report these cases granularly https://twitter.com/Arrianna_Planey/status/1318670392089862149?s=20">https://twitter.com/Arrianna_...
Further, the disadvantages and inequitably allocated risks fall on (im)migrant workers. Marshallese workers in meat & poultry processing plants accounted for ~half of COVID-19 cases in NW Arkansas, despite comprising 3% of the pop in NW Arkansas. https://twitter.com/Arrianna_Planey/status/1221783358054838278?s=20">https://twitter.com/Arrianna_...
Here& #39;s reporting on that from @facingsouth
"COVID-19 pounded Arkansas poultry workers as government and industry looked on" https://www.facingsouth.org/2020/08/covid-19-pounded-arkansas-poultry-workers-government-and-industry-looked">https://www.facingsouth.org/2020/08/c...
"COVID-19 pounded Arkansas poultry workers as government and industry looked on" https://www.facingsouth.org/2020/08/covid-19-pounded-arkansas-poultry-workers-government-and-industry-looked">https://www.facingsouth.org/2020/08/c...
Reminder https://twitter.com/Arrianna_Planey/status/1312804988796764160?s=20">https://twitter.com/Arrianna_...
Previous #thread https://twitter.com/Arrianna_Planey/status/1298629226564812801?s=20">https://twitter.com/Arrianna_...
This point applies to the risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2/the degree of un-protected-ness among both meat & poultry processing workers & health care workers https://twitter.com/Arrianna_Planey/status/1298631807534010369?s=20">https://twitter.com/Arrianna_...
Meanwhile, in Delaware https://twitter.com/theurbanres/status/1318690418041683969?s=20">https://twitter.com/theurbanr...
