TODD: THE IOWA OSHA OFFICE IS HERE IN THE IOWA WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BUILDING IN THE EAST VILLAGE. MANY LEADERS SAY THERE IS A PROBLEM. IOWA OSHA IS NOT DOING ITS JOB. IT IS NOT DOING THE FUNDAMENTAL JOB IT WAS CREATED TO DO WHICH IS TO PROTECT WORKERS. TODD: THAT IS THE BOTTOM LINE FROM THE ACLU OF IOWA AND SEVERAL OTHER IOWA LABOR AND CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS. TODAY, THEY FILED A 115 PAGE FEDERAL COMPLAINT AGAINST IOWA OSHA. THEY SAY THAT AGENCY HAS BEEN GROSSLY NEGLIGENT IN PROTECTING IOWA WORKERS, NOT EVEN FOLLOWING ITS OWN RULES. THE GROUP REPRESENTS WORKERS IN MEATPACKING, THE DAIRY INDUSTRY, CONSTRUCTION, TRANSPORTATION, HEALTH CARE FACILITIES, NURSING HOMES, AND OTHER INDUSTRIES. THEY SAY THE PROBLEM WITH OSHA HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS. AND THAT THE PANDEMIC HAS MADE IT WORSE. THEY SAY OSHA HAS IGNORED ALMOST ALL 148 COVID RELATED COMPLAINTS ABOUT DANGEROUS WORKIN CONDITIONS, MOSTLY IN MEATPACKING. THEY ALSO SAY OSHA ONLY HAS 3 STAFF MEMBERS TO DO IN PERSON INSPECTIONS ACROSS THE ENTIRE STATE. >> IT IS A TERRIBLE SITUATION. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO DO MORE. IOWA OSHA NEEDS TO DO MORE. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM. TODD: ALEJANDRO ORTIZ KNOWS THE PROBLEM ALL TOO WELL. HIS PARENTS WORK IN A MEAT PACKING PLANT. >> THEY FEEL RETALIATION IF THEY SPEAK UP. IT IS A CULTURE WHERE IT IS NOT ADEQUATELY COMMUNICATED TO WORKERS AND INTERNAL COMPLAINTS ARE LARGELY IGNORED. THERE IS A LOT OF BACKSLIDING, AND JUST OTHER FEAR TACTICS WHERE THEY FEAR LOSING THEIR JOBS FOR SNEAKING UP. TODD: MANY IOWA LABOR LEA
Labor groups file federal complaint against Iowa OSHA over virus concerns
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Updated: 6:23 PM CST Nov 13, 2020
Eight Iowa labor and civil rights groups announced a federal complaint Friday against Iowa OSHA over coronavirus concerns.The American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa said unions representing meatpacking, the dairy industry, construction, transportation, health care facilities, nursing homes, and other industries are filing the formal complaint with federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.The complaint alleges numerous Iowa workplaces are not properly protecting their workers from COVID-19, and Iowa OSHA is not investigating complaints about those workplaces properly.The ACLU says the following businesses are specifically named in the complaint: Good Shepherd Health Center in Mason City, JBS/Swift Pork Processing Plant in Marshalltown, Agri Star Processing Plant in Postville, Tyson Foods Pork in Perry, Community Choice Credit Union in Johnston, Prairie Farms Dairy in Dubuque, Ryan Companies in Bondurant, Care Initiatives in Odebolt.“Workers and others have filed 148 complaints with Iowa OSHA about unsafe working conditions related to COVID-19. In all but a handful, Iowa OSHA has failed to follow its own rules and do on-site inspections,” the ACLU said through a news release. “Thousands of Iowa workers have contracted the disease at work and many have died.”A Tyson spokesperson sent vlog the following statement, "Our top priority is the health and safety of our workers and we’ve implemented a host of protective measures at our facilities that meet or exceed CDC and OSHA guidance for preventing the virus. Currently, less than one percent of our U.S. workforce has active Covid-19. While we’ll refrain from specifically addressing the lawsuit, we can tell you the following: Our company formed a coronavirus task force in January and began educating our team members – in multiple languages – about the virus. Our efforts included relaxing our attendance policy and telling team members to stay home if they didn’t feel well. We were one of the first companies to start taking team member temperatures and we began efforts to secure a supply of face masks before the CDC recommended using them. We’ve transformed our facilities with protective measures including symptom screenings, face masks, workstation dividers and social distance monitors. We’ve implemented strategic testing to stay ahead of the virus."
DES MOINES, Iowa — Eight Iowa labor and civil rights groups announced a federal complaint Friday against Iowa OSHA over coronavirus concerns.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa said unions representing meatpacking, the dairy industry, construction, transportation, health care facilities, nursing homes, and other industries are filing the formal complaint with federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
The complaint alleges numerous Iowa workplaces are not properly protecting their workers from COVID-19, and Iowa OSHA is not investigating complaints about those workplaces properly.
The ACLU says the following businesses are specifically named in the complaint: Good Shepherd Health Center in Mason City, JBS/Swift Pork Processing Plant in Marshalltown, Agri Star Processing Plant in Postville, Tyson Foods Pork in Perry, Community Choice Credit Union in Johnston, Prairie Farms Dairy in Dubuque, Ryan Companies in Bondurant, Care Initiatives in Odebolt.
“Workers and others have filed 148 complaints with Iowa OSHA about unsafe working conditions related to COVID-19. In all but a handful, Iowa OSHA has failed to follow its own rules and do on-site inspections,” the ACLU said through a news release. “Thousands of Iowa workers have contracted the disease at work and many have died.”
A Tyson spokesperson sent vlog the following statement, "Our top priority is the health and safety of our workers and we’ve implemented a host of protective measures at our facilities that meet or exceed CDC and OSHA guidance for preventing the virus. Currently, less than one percent of our U.S. workforce has active Covid-19. While we’ll refrain from specifically addressing the lawsuit, we can tell you the following: Our company formed a coronavirus task force in January and began educating our team members – in multiple languages – about the virus. Our efforts included relaxing our attendance policy and telling team members to stay home if they didn’t feel well. We were one of the first companies to start taking team member temperatures and we began efforts to secure a supply of face masks before the CDC recommended using them. We’ve transformed our facilities with protective measures including , , workstation dividers and . We’ve implemented strategic testing to stay ahead of the virus."
