Organization Wants Will Co. Workers Prioritized To Receive Covid Vaccines

A groundbreaking report reveals that workers in the food manufacturing and warehouse industries in Will County are forced to work without hazard pay, safety training, and health insurance during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The manufacturing and warehouse workers right here in Will County are impacted by (Covid),” says Tommy Carden, who is a food supply chain organizer with a local group called “Warehouse Workers for Justice.”

“The point we’re trying to make is that manufacturing and warehouse workers are essential. They’ve made everything possible through this pandemic. Without them, nobody would have been able to work from home. These workers have made everything possible for everyone else.”

Ninety Will County workers were interviewed for the report. Major findings of the report include:
* 96% of those interviews reported NOT receiving hazard pay during the pandemic;
* 56% reported making less than 15-dollars per hour;
* 49% reported no new training or information from their employer on how to work safely during the pandemic; and
* 40% of workers interviewed reported that they are not screened daily for Covic-19 symptoms.

Based in Joliet, “Warehouse Workers for Justice” want workers in the food manufacturing and warehouse industries to be prioritized in receiving Covid vaccines.