783 workers at a Smithfield Foods plant in South Dakota have tested positive for COVID-19 — and two have died. Now workers at another plant are suing, alleging that working conditions contribute to the spread of the virus.
, the disease caused by the coronavirus. Cargill declined to say how many individuals had tested positive but said all staff who came in contact with them were being quarantined for 14 days. The plant, which employs some 620 people, remains open.
David Muraskin, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said he was not aware of any other lawsuits seeking changes in production processes at plants, rather than monetary damages. The plaintiff identified as Jane Doe works on the"cut floor" cutting pig meat for up to 11 hours a day, according to the suit. It says she's using a pseudonym because she fears retaliation for speaking out against Smithfield.
The other plaintiff, the Rural Workers Community Alliance, is a small nonprofit that advocates for workers in northern Missouri, including employees at the Milan plant. Its single staff member, Axel Fuentes, lives in Kirksville — as do many plant workers — and Fuentes says in the suit that he fears for the health and safety of his family because his job brings him in close contact with plant workers.
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