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Source: EWG, from news stories published between March 14 and June 8.
In a report today on EWG’s findings,
Bloomberg said: “These are the first national numbers of their kind. The advocacy group compiled its figures using local media reports because there are no federal agencies reporting the data. The true total is almost certainly higher.”
At least
1.8 million Americans work in food processing plants – disproportionately
people of color earning
less than $40,000 a year.
Working conditions make many of these employees more susceptible to the coronavirus pandemic. As more and more workers become sick, our
food supply chains could quickly unravel, causing food prices to spike and increasing the number of Americans who struggle with hunger.
Despite the critical role food workers play in our economy, many
do not receive protections from the virus. Some food and farm companies have provided personal protective equipment, but the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, and the Department of Agriculture have yet to issue
emergency standards requiring food companies to meet safety guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
If they do become sick, some food processing workers are
ineligible for paid sick leave, increasing the likelihood that they will infect their co-workers. The Families First Act, passed by Congress in March, requires some food industry employers to provide two weeks of
paid sick leave, but many are exempt from the requirement. Although they have been deemed essential workers, food workers do not automatically receive hazard pay to reflect the risks they face.
What would happen if thousands of these workers got sick at the same time?
Food
prices are mostly driven by the cost of
labor, transportation and marketing, not by the wholesale price of ingredients. Even though the salaries earned by
food processing workers can be near or below the poverty line, the cost of labor is often a major factor in the price of food.
The effect of these factors on prices varies greatly among food categories and regions. Unlike the costs of meat and dairy, the
price of crops typically has little impact on the price of food sold in grocery stores and restaurants. So as more food and farm workers become sick and food and farm labor costs increase, the retail price of food will likely increase as well. According to the USDA, food already
accounts for 12 percent of household spending, but the poorest Americans spend about
one-third of their income on food.
What should policymakers do to protect our food supply chains from COVID-19?
OSHA must be directed to issue emergency standards that require employers to provide personal protective equipment, enough space to work without spreading the virus, and housing and transportation options that will reduce the spread of the virus. USDA programs that are typically used to provide subsidies to farmers or purchase surplus commodities should be redirected to provide protective equipment to small food processors and farm workers. Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee, proposed this shift in her recently introduced
Food Supply Protection Act.
To reduce transmission of the virus among workers, all food workers should receive two weeks of paid sick leave, regardless of the size of their employer, and access to health care. Policymakers should ensure that federal agencies enforce laws that keep our food supply safe. Critical safety rules have already been
rolled back during the COVID-19 crisis, including food inspections.
Hundreds of food processing workers are getting sick from COVID-19. But policymakers have so far done nothing to ensure that these essential workers have adequate safety protections. Actions taken so far to provide access to COVID-19 testing and paid sick leave exclude many of these essential workers. Nor have policymakers undertaken the steps needed to ensure that they receive hazard pay for the risks they face.
Farm and food workers are working long hours, at enormous personal risk, to feed us. Congress, the USDA and OSHA must make every effort to protect these essential workers and recognize the critical contribution they make to our nation.