Meatpacking plants are being devastated by Covid-19 amid orders to continue essential work, exposing the shortcomings of the institutions tasked with protecting our most vulnerable populations. This situation is a clear example of the claims made in Michael Maniates’ “Individualization,” where he discussed how institutions deflect responsibility onto the individuals they are ostensibly responsible for.
The Covid-19 epidemic seems to be an obvious example of an extraordinary circumstance requiring large institutional changes, especially as it relates to crucial industries like food production. These industries simply must continue operating to prevent food shortages. At the same time, however, workers in meatpacking plants tend to belong to vulnerable populations including the elderly and undocumented immigrants with no health insurance. Thus we should be seeing major operational changes to these facilities, such as the universal adoption of strict safety practices, or additional financial support for those who cannot work.
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Instead, both the government and the meatpacking facilities have externalized costs onto their workers while absolving themselves of any responsibility. The CDC and OSHA have issued guidelines to the facilities, but rather than recommending a productive solution which could be costly to the company such as mandatory testing or installing distancing barriers, they recommended better communication and wearing masks; plus, none of their guidelines are compulsory but are unenforced recommendations. The facilities, in turn, did not institute actual policy changes either, though they now “offer access” to masks for employees who request them. More egregious is the fact that any worker who wishes to quarantine is required to take unpaid leave and risk getting fired. This is a perfect example of institutions continually pushing responsibilities further down the line until it reaches their most vulnerable members, and it exemplifies the need for legitimate structural change if we wish to solve our most pressing issues.
Original article at https://thefern.org/2020/05/the-workers-are-being-sacrificed-as-cases-mounted-meatpacker-jbs-kept-people-on-crowded-factory-floors/