Posts Tagged: Gold Internship

For the the GOLD internship Health and Safety action project, interns traveled to different poultry factories and spoke with workers who had been injured on the job.

By: Mike Roberts, Local 881, Occupational Safety and Health Action Project

I worked with Matt Greeley from UFCW Local 1473 on the GOLD internship Health and Safety action project. This project involved traveling to different poultry factories and speaking with workers who had been injured on the job. After speaking with them, we documented whether they had received any medical attention and, if so, the type of medical treatment they received from their company’s nurse. Matt works at the Nestle plant in Eau Claire, Wis., and I work at Pinnacle Foods in Mattoon, Ill. A major highlight of the internship for both of us was seeing how other plants across the country operate.

The first stop for us was the House of Raeford plant in Columbia, S.C. Set along a river, the town is heavily concentrated around the plant and there is not a lot of space for additional construction to support the plant. Workers are forced to park three blocks away and cross a busy highway to get inside the plant.

We spoke with numerous workers who had suffered injuries and carpal tunnel was the most common injury. The working conditions inside the plant were not ideal. Workers had to maneuver around tight quarters and work in close proximity to one another. Hearing their stories reinforced to us both how important it is for workers to have a union voice on the job.

The next stop was the Pilgrims Pride plant in Athens, Ga. We were able to talk to a few workers and learned some interesting things. This plant is not a “kill” plant, so the chicken arrives there ready to be cut into various pieces and processed for the fast food industry.

Chicken from this plant is shipped to Chick-Fil-A and KFC. There are employees who do nothing but cook chicken in fryers all day and perform tests on the chicken. They test for taste, color, and consistency.

The final stop was in Live Oak, Fla., at another Pilgrim’s Pride plant. With the help of stewards in the plant, we were able to speak with workers who were injured on the job and capture their stories.  Their stories of carpal tunnel were very similar to the ones we heard about in the Columbia, S.C., plant.

Throughout this project we worked with three great union reps from the UFCW Local 1996 based out of Atlanta, Ga.  The issues they face are different than the ones we face at my plant in Illinois or Matt’s plant in Wisconsin. They have a very tough job at the plants they represent since they are all in “Right to Work” states. In spite of this, all of the plants we saw showed tremendous solidarity. Everyone we spoke to was happy to have a union voice and fight for their rights and their safety at work.

It gives me a sense of pride that my union cares as much as it does for the safety of its members. Without this support, I can’t imagine how much different workplaces would be. The GOLD internship has been a great experience. It was incredible to see firsthand how hard union members fight to better their jobs and the industries they work in. We all come from different places and have different struggles, but we are all fighting for the same cause.

By Erica Clemmons, Local 1059, Earned Sick Days Ordinance Campaign, Chicago

The purpose of my GOLD action project is to make people aware of an ordinance being debated in the Chicago City Council which will allow all employees to earn paid sick time off.

I was happy to be assigned this project because the impact of passing a paid sick time law is profound. It’s ridiculous that employers in Chicago are penalizing their workers for taking timeoff when they’re sick. Forcing someone to choose between paying rent or risk coming to work and infecting others is wrong.

I’m working on this project with Andrew Rediford (UFCW Local 227), Erica George (UFCW Local 1776), and Thomas Donoghue (UFCW Local 1245). When the four of us started this project, not really knowing how much of a concern this was to the citizens in Chicago, we were focused on facts and figures.

We read about the issue and talked about it with the members of UFCW Local 881. Nothing prepared us for the conversations we would have with the women and men that this directly affected. We quickly realized that the personal stories we heard on the street would be the key to winning this campaign.

My entire project team comes from different backgrounds, but we have come together as one voice and hit the pavement with one mighty sound. Through hand billing and canvassing for signatures we have reached mass numbers of residents in Chicago.

Many of the people we meet are unaware that this ordinance was even being considered. Most people we talk with are affected by the lack of paid sick time and are ready to stand up for what is humanly right and encourage its passage.

Part of our canvassing includes talking with businesses and asking them about their feelings towards providing earned paid sick time to their employees.  Unfortunately, we have heard more negative than positive responses from them.

Many employers feel that this should not happen, and often tell us that if a worker cares about their job they will simply come to work. My response to business owners who tell me this is simple, “As you drink from your mocha cappuccino, handmade from an employee at Starbucks, are you comfortable knowing that worker may have been forced to come to work sick today to make your drink?” It’s a disgusting germ-filled thought, but it’s the reality.

My team and I have gathered hundreds of signatures. Block by block, business by business, we are convincing workers, business owners, and the mayor himself that earned paid sick time will make Chicago healthier and more productive. I’m looking forward to working as hard as possible throughout the next few weeks to ensure this ordinance passes.