‘Devastating Everything’: Meatpacking Cities Feel Outrage Over Stay-Open Orders
"We were failed by people who put profit margins and greed before people, predominantly brown people, predominantly immigrants, predominantly people who live in lower socioeconomic quarters,” said Jonathan Griede of Waterloo, Iowa, the location of a Tyson Foods pork processing plant. Other news on essential worker safety reports on Amazon, bus drivers, FedEx, Toyota, Kia, Hyundai and BMW, as well.
The Associated Press:
Coronavirus Cuts 'Deep Scars' Through Meatpacking Cities
As the coronavirus spread from the nation’s meatpacking plants to the broader communities where they are located, it burned through a modest duplex in Waterloo, Iowa. In the downstairs unit lived Jim Orvis, 65, a beloved friend and uncle who worked in the laundry department at the Tyson Foods pork processing facility, the largest employer in Waterloo. Upstairs was Arthur Scott, a 51-year-old father who was getting his life back on track after a prison term for drugs. He worked 25 miles (40.23 kilometers) away at the Tyson dog treats factory in Independence, Iowa. (Foley, 5/5)
The Washington Post:
Tyson Says U.S. Pork Production Is Down 50 Percent, Despite Trump’s Order To Keep Meat Plants Open
President Trump’s executive order last week requiring meat processing plants to stay open to ward off shortages may not be a cure-all for the food industry segment that has been hardest hit by coronavirus outbreaks. On Monday morning, Tyson Foods said during an investor call that U.S. hog processing capacity had dropped by 50 percent. (Reiley, 5/4)
NBC News:
Tyson Expects To Keep Slowing Meat Production As Coronavirus Sickens Workers And Tanks Income
Major meat provider Tyson Foods reported a steep decline in income Monday, raising more fears about America's food supply chain during the world's fight against the coronavirus. Net income fell by 15 percent for the second quarter, ending March 28, compared to the same period the previous fiscal year, Tyson reported. (Li, 5/4)
The Associated Press:
Amazon Executive Says He Quit To Protest Employee Firings
An Amazon executive said he quit his job at the online-retail giant to protest the firing of employees who spoke up about the conditions inside the company’s warehouses and its record on climate change. Tim Bray, a vice president at the company, wrote in a blog post that he left his job last week “in dismay” after Amazon fired several workers who publicly criticized the company. He said the firings were “evidence of a vein of toxicity running through the company culture.” (Pisani, 5/5)
The New York Times:
2 Die From The Virus At A Bronx Bus Depot, And Drivers Are Rattled
Angel Volquez was already on edge. For weeks, the New York City bus driver had watched as the city’s grim new reality played out in front of him through the large glass windshield like a dystopian movie. Streets had turned eerily empty of traffic and were now filled mostly with screeching ambulances racing to the hospital. At bus stops, exhausted nurses replaced his usual riders. (Goldbaum, 5/5)
The Wall Street Journal:
Coronavirus Kills Several FedEx Workers At Newark Facility
Several FedEx Corp. workers at the company’s Newark, N.J., air hub have died due to complications of the coronavirus, a sign of the toll that the outbreak has taken on front-line delivery workers. The outbreak among FedEx workers has prompted questions from New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, who wrote to FedEx Chairman and CEO Fred Smith about safety protocols at the delivery giant. (Ziobro, 5/4)
NPR:
U.S. Automakers Are Slowly Rolling Toward A Restart
Cars didn't change much between March and May. But the factories where they're assembled are shifting dramatically. Auto plants are starting back up — much more slowly than they shut down — with new extensive health precautions meant to prevent the spread of the coronavirus: Plastic sheeting and clear shields installed on assembly lines. Mandatory temperature checks and symptom questionnaires. Solitary chairs in break rooms. (Domonoske, 5/4)
