Employees at Mission Food items Plant need action following a number of COVID-19 outbreaks
PUEBLO, Colo. — Various staff at Mission Food items Plant in Pueblo have had sufficient, they are demanding the temporary closure of the plant indicating it has been the site of many COVID-19 outbreaks since early 2020.
The Colorado Department of Community Well being stated there are now 12 energetic outbreaks at the plant.
“I’m seeking at individuals I am close friends with that are at large possibility and that could get ill and die,” mentioned personnel Marie Watson.
Watson has worked at Mission Meals for 12 year, she shed her father to COVID-19 and is apprehensive she and her coworkers at Mission could develop into infected whilst on the task.
“As quickly as an outbreak takes place, it is like they fail to remember about carrying out the appropriate detail and assert it is not their fault,” Watson stated.
Watson said the plant operates six times a week and employees typically perform 12 hour shifts. She claims there is very little cleaning performed in in between shifts and the COVID-19 implementations they are executing now is no distinct than prior to COVID-19.
“They’ll go that one particular day out of the 7 days to cleanse, but it is disingenuous for the firm to say this is deep cleaning for the reason that that is how it was in advance of COVID-19,” Watson said.
Watson and 200 other Pueblo Mission Meals staff are represented by UFCW Regional 7, they say this is just one of numerous outbreaks the plant has noticed considering that previous summer.
“The firm is saying they are cleansing additional and they are performing a much better career,” Retail Director of UFCW Ramon Zuniga reported. “But my customers who operate in the environment are stating diverse.”
FOX21 termed Mission Foodstuff and remaining various messages, but have not listened to back. If Mission Foods responds this article will be updated.
UFCW is demanding the plant to close for 10 days to make positive staff have obtain to COVID-19 tests and give quarantine pay out for all workers although the plant is closed.
“Our members are demanding the plant do the ideal issue,” siad Zuniga.
At this time the union reported they cannot strike considering that they are below contract.
Point out Senate President Leroy Garcia has also joined the UFCW’s simply call to action and requested Mission Foodstuff to lead by case in point and near the plant.
“It is really about that a third outbreak is developing at the Mission Foods plant in Pueblo. Our members— Mission’s employees— should have better than a lackluster reaction to quit the distribute of the virus all through the plant. Following approximately a yr into this pandemic, no business can declare ignorance to the potential risks coronavirus poses in production services. We implore Mission Foods to close the plant down for 10 times to carry out a deep sanitation of the facility, guarantee workers have entry to COVID-19 tests, and give quarantine pay back for all staff members when the plant is closed. Mission’s workers deserve a harmless workplace, and the Pueblo community in which the organization operates justifies to be safeguarded from any spread from the plant.”
Leroy M. Garcia, Jr. (D-3)
