Profit Over Lives At JBS: Covid, OSHA and Life & Death With UFCW 7 President Kim Cordova

Eight workers have died at the Greeley, Colorado JBS meat plant from Covid-19 and UFCW Local 7 president Kim Cordova talks about the role of not only the company but OSHA.

On September 16, 2020 Cordova, workers and their families from the plant along with other labor and community supporters also rallied at the OSHA plant in Denver, Colorado.

OSHA has only fined the company $15,615 for failing to protect employees from exposure to the coronavirus in their meat packing facilities in Greeley, CO.

Cordova talked about the failure of the company to protect the workers and also the lack of action by OSHA to protect the workers from the pandemic.
She also connects systemic racism to the failure to properly protect these and other frontline workers throughout the United States.

UFCW Local 7 is demanding specific health and safety actions necessary to protect these essential workers and the nation’s food supply chain including:

1. Mandate meatpacking companies to provide the highest level of Personal
Protective Equipment (PPE) through access to the federal stockpile.
2. Ensure daily testing of workers and their communities.
3. Provide paid sick and family leave.
4. Ensure workers have access to quality and affordable health care, that includes long-term hospital coverage.
5. Mandate enforceable federal safety standards.
6. Mandate enforceable strong health CDC guidelines.
7. Ensure constant monitoring by federal inspectors to enforce safety standards.
8. Strengthen whistleblower laws for workers.
9. Protect workers’ health and safety by ensuring they have access to Union representation.
10.All workers receive a death benefit.
11. Mandate slower line speeds.
12. Ensure safe social distancing.
This interview was done by Steve Zeltzer of WorkWeek and Pacifica on 9/16/20.

Additional media:
Workers, Liability, The Hero's Act and Health and Safety On The Job With UFCW Local 7 President Kim Cordova
https://youtu.be/ezmEDOiR9s0

With No Safety, Covid Killing Colorado JBS Workers &
Memorial With UFCW Local 7 President Kim Cordova
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5kTkTdQLpg

UFCW 7 Memorial For 6 JBS Greely, Colorado Workers Who Did Died From Covid
https://www.facebook.com/572982989459766/videos/2875360759256585/?eid=ARB7Kpk3vssOExInbEyCJVx6tLPM7xbOBWPd4W87zE4GRdcpGGK_HclbTWQSPbkqPiGtrhdvdpMyWSFI

The Death March, Slavery, Meat Plant Workers & Covid-19
https://youtu.be/zZkwe4kkYMQ

Investigation: Counties With Meatpacking Plants Report Twice the National Average Rate of COVID-19 Infections
https://www.ewg.org/news-and-analysis/2020/05/ewg-map-counties-meatpacking-plants-report-twice-national-average-rate

America’s Largest Food & Retail Union Confirms Growing COVID-19 Impact on Frontline Workers
http://www.ufcw.org/2020/06/25/covidupdate/

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