no matter what our opinions are on governance or politics … we need to be careful to read and understand all these Executive Orders like the one that just came out about Food Supply Chain … whether from the feds, states or cities, since they will have far reaching consequences and even death for people who work in the food industry.
Oppression can done slowly with the changing of regulations and inoculation of the population as can be seen in real time now with various declarations and regulations coming out of the current federal administration in Washington DC regarding meatpacking workers ...
… many if of these workers are immigrants and low wage workers who already living on the fringes of society …
my feeling is that we are sometimes used against each other to polarize and then the ruling class exploit these differences to mobilize people against each other rather than against the government which is killing people with these types of declarations ….
What is puzzling to me is how a Tea Party person who fights for personal rights and personal freedoms can allow the government to force people to die working … to make steaks and pork chops and chicken nuggets, but that is ….
… just my out loud thinking on the convergence of issues and conflation of arguments on the interwebs these days ...
… last and most importantly to me is that the current President of the United States is handing off responsibility and authority to political appointees in various agencies to force people back to work during a pandemic … thereby washing his hands of any responsibility for the deaths of these workers in the meat processing industry from COVID-19 in the United States of America …
here is just a simple personal tracking of rule changes that will have an adverse effect on workers:
1) DoJ writing rules to suspend court hearings (blocking lawsuits to protect individual rights) (3/21/2020)
www.politico.com/...
2) OSHA issues memo for self enforcement and COVID-19 reporting (4/10/2020)
www.osha.gov/…
3) Iowa Governor Reynolds orders businesses to report workers who do not return to work for fear of being infected from COVID-19 (4/24/2020)
www.iowaworkforcedevelopment.gov/…
4) CDC writing rules to allow for work during a pandemic (4/26/2020)
www.cdc.gov/…
5) Defense Act Executive Order to force people to go to work (4/28/2020) …
www.osha.gov/…
we need to watch conflicts of interest and white supremacy in these decisions such as the DeVoss money fueling right-wing protests to open the economy … when in fact they are the themselves the Deep State that has no hesitation to murders civilians … these are the people who are influencing and writing the current Federal Administration policies ….
it should have been clear that we were in danger when the President on national TV told people to inject “disinfectant, where it knocks it out in a minute. One minute. And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning. Because you see it gets in the lungs, and it does a tremendous number on the lungs. So it would be interesting to check that.”
It was later reported that this was an idea from conspiracy theory group selling a scheme to make money it was only after widespread public backlash did the federal government send out warnings against this practice … the question is who were they protecting after this bleach debacle? of course it was Trump supporters … even a Judge issued a restraining order against a Church group selling bleach as a COVID-19 cure to protect people from this bad information.
Will the feds send out a similar warnings about working in meatpacking plants? we got the answer with Executive Order the other day …
in the meantime while all this information was unfolding in real time … memories of our trip out West started popping up on my Facebook feed and got me thinking about the people working in these meat processing plants especially when we were in Sioux Falls ...
Family trip to Sioux Falls SD April 5, 2015
… my wife who is Japanese was surprised to see some many Asians in the middle of nowhere…
... when I asked someone about the demographics of the town with a local they responded ….
… Those [Asians] are the ones that work in the meat processing plants ..
Executive Order on Delegating Authority Under the DPA with Respect to Food Supply Chain Resources During the National Emergency Caused by the Outbreak of COVID-19
Issued on: April 28, 2020
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended (50 U.S.C. 4501 et seq.) (the “Act”), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Policy. The 2019 novel (new) coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing outbreaks of the disease COVID-19, has significantly disrupted the lives of Americans. In Proclamation 9994 of March 13, 2020 (Declaring a National Emergency Concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak), I declared that the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States constituted a national emergency, beginning March 1, 2020. Since then, the American people have united behind a policy of mitigation strategies, including social distancing, to flatten the curve of infections and reduce the spread of COVID-19. The COVID-19 outbreak and these necessary mitigation measures have taken a dramatic toll on the United States economy and critical infrastructure.
It is important that processors of beef, pork, and poultry (“meat and poultry”) in the food supply chain continue operating and fulfilling orders to ensure a continued supply of protein for Americans. However, outbreaks of COVID-19 among workers at some processing facilities have led to the reduction in some of those facilities’ production capacity. In addition, recent actions in some States have led to the complete closure of some large processing facilities. Such actions may differ from or be inconsistent with interim guidance recently issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the Department of Labor entitled “Meat and Poultry Processing Workers and Employers” providing for the safe operation of such facilities.
Such closures threaten the continued functioning of the national meat and poultry supply chain, undermining critical infrastructure during the national emergency. Given the high volume of meat and poultry processed by many facilities, any unnecessary closures can quickly have a large effect on the food supply chain. For example, closure of a single large beef processing facility can result in the loss of over 10 million individual servings of beef in a single day. Similarly, under established supply chains, closure of a single meat or poultry processing facility can severely disrupt the supply of protein to an entire grocery store chain.
Accordingly, I find that meat and poultry in the food supply chain meet the criteria specified in section 101(b) of the Act (50 U.S.C. 4511(b)). Under the delegation of authority provided in this order, the Secretary of Agriculture shall take all appropriate action under that section to ensure that meat and poultry processors continue operations consistent with the guidance for their operations jointly issued by the CDC and OSHA. Under the delegation of authority provided in this order, the Secretary of Agriculture may identify additional specific food supply chain resources that meet the criteria of section 101(b).
Sec. 2. Ensuring the Continued Supply of Meat and Poultry.
(a) Notwithstanding Executive Order 13603 of March 16, 2012 (National Defense Resources Preparedness), the authority of the President to require performance of contracts or orders (other than contracts of employment) to promote the national defense over performance of any other contracts or orders, to allocate materials, services, and facilities as deemed necessary or appropriate to promote the national defense, and to implement the Act in subchapter III of chapter 55 of title 50, United States Code (50 U.S.C. 4554, 4555, 4556, 4559, 4560), is delegated to the Secretary of Agriculture with respect to food supply chain resources, including meat and poultry, during the national emergency caused by the outbreak of COVID-19 within the United States.
(b) Secretary of Agriculture shall use the authority under section 101 of the Act, in consultation with the heads of such other executive departments and agencies as he deems appropriate, to determine the proper nationwide priorities and allocation of all the materials, services, and facilities necessary to ensure the continued supply of meat and poultry, consistent with the guidance for the operations of meat and poultry processing facilities jointly issued by the CDC and OSHA.
(c) The Secretary of Agriculture shall issue such orders and adopt and revise appropriate rules and regulations as may be necessary to implement this order.
Sec. 3. General Provisions.
(a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
DONALD J. TRUMP
THE WHITE HOUSE,
April 28, 2020.
www.whitehouse.gov/...
DoL supporting Presidential Order to make meat workers go back to work ...
STATEMENT OF ENFORCEMENT POLICY BY SOLICITOR OF LABOR KATE O’SCANNLAIN AND PRINCIPAL DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR OSHA LOREN SWEATT REGARDING MEAT AND POULTRY PROCESSING FACILITIES
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor issued the following statement from Solicitor of Labor Kate O’Scannlain and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for OSHA Loren Sweatt regarding Meat and Poultry Processing Facilities:
“The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently issued joint interim guidance for meat and poultry processing workers and employers (Joint Meat Processing Guidance) in light of multiple outbreaks of COVID-19 among meat, pork, and poultry processing facility workers. It is vitally important that employers in this critical industry adhere to the Joint Meat Processing Guidance to protect their workers from the risk of COVID-19 infection. Moreover, the security of America’s food supply relies on meat, pork, and poultry processing facilities continuing to operate, which they cannot do without a healthy workforce. In light of President Trump’s invocation of the Defense Production Act (DPA) with respect to meat and poultry processing, OSHA and the Solicitor of Labor issue this statement to clarify the effect of the Joint Meat Processing Guidance in this circumstance.
“OSHA has issued enforcement guidance indicating the agency will use enforcement discretion for employers adhering to appropriate guidance, including the Joint Meat Processing Guidance. As stated in the Joint Meat Processing Guidance, employers should conduct worksite assessments to identify COVID-19 risks and prevention strategies and then implement them. It is important that employers seek to adhere to this Guidance. To the extent employers determine that certain measures are not feasible in the context of specific plants and circumstances, they are encouraged to document why that is the case. In the event of an investigation, OSHA will take into account good faith attempts to follow the Joint Meat Processing Guidance. OSHA does not anticipate citing employers that adhere to the Joint Meat Processing Guidance. Additionally, because of the President’s invocation of the DPA, no part of the Joint Meat Processing Guidance should be construed to indicate that state and local authorities may direct a meat and poultry processing facility to close, to remain closed, or to operate in accordance with procedures other than those provided for in this Guidance.
“In addition, courts often consider compliance with OSHA standards and guidance as evidence in an employer’s favor in litigation. Where a meat, pork, or poultry processing employer operating pursuant to the President’s invocation of the DPA has demonstrated good faith attempts to comply with the Joint Meat Processing Guidance and is sued for alleged workplace exposures, the Department of Labor will consider a request to participate in that litigation in support of the employer’s compliance program. Likewise, the Department of Labor will consider similar requests by workers if their employer has not taken steps in good faith to follow the Joint Meat Processing Guidance.
“OSHA encourages employers to contact OSHA for compliance assistance or the OSHA On-Site Consultation Program for assistance in applying the joint guidance to their worksites. Employers also may contact CDC for assistance.”
Agency: Occupational Safety & Health Administration
Release Number: 20-791-NAT
Contact: Department of Labor National Contact Center
CDC guidance ….
The workplace coordinators and management should also be aware of and follow all applicable federal regulations and public health agency guidelines. Worksite assessments to identify COVID-19 risks and prevention strategies should be done periodically as part of sound occupational health and public health practice. As part of these assessments, facilities should consider the appropriate role for testing and workplace contact tracing (identifying person-to-person spread) of COVID-19-positive workers in a worksite risk assessment, following available CDC guidance.
www.cdc.gov/...
OSHA Enforcement memo...
This enforcement policy will help employers focus their response efforts on implementing good hygiene practices in their workplaces, and otherwise mitigating COVID-19’s effects, rather than on making difficult work-relatedness decisions in circumstances where there is community transmission.
www.osha.gov/…
Iowa Governor Threatens workers …
Governor Reynolds addresses situations when workers laid off due to COVID-19 are called back to their place of employment but refuse to return. Refusing to return to work may disqualify claimants from future unemployment insurance benefits. (4/24/2020)
www.iowaworkforcedevelopment.gov/…
Iowa rules in March:
Claims that are filed and identified as a direct or indirect result of COVID-19, will not be charged to employers. Fact-finding interviews for these claims will be waived and not be held although employers will be notified of claims received.
(3/16/2020)
governor.iowa.gov/…
Iowa threatens employers to turn in workers:
IF YOU HAVE OFFERED WORK TO EMPLOYEES AND YOUR EMPLOYEE REFUSES TO RETURN TO WORK, YOU MUST NOTIFY IOWA WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT HERE:
HTTPS://WWW.IOWAWORKFORCEDEVELOPMENT.GOV/JOB-OFFER-DECLINE-FORM-EMPLOYERS
(4/24/2020)
again what happened to states rights, free market economy and the freedom of businesses from government regulation & meddling? is ok now to have government telling business to turn in their own workers to the feds while holding up individual rights?
or is it because the workers in these plants are considered disposable?