Oakland McDonald's employees strike, claim management told them to use dog diapers, coffee filters as masks
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McDonald’s employees in Oakland, Calif. went on strike after allegedly being told to use dog diapers and coffee filters as masks. The owner and operator of the McDonald's location has denied the allegations.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The workers went on strike Tuesday, claiming management told cooks, cashiers and other employees to use unused dog diapers or coffee filters to make masks after proper PPE masks ran out, the Associated Press reported. The strike came after at least four workers, including one who is pregnant, and their family members, became sick with COVID-19.
“McDonald’s is treating us like dogs,” said worker Delia Vargas in a statement to the Associated Press. “We don’t want to die for their hamburgers so we are going on strike, to protect ourselves, our families and our communities.”
The Oakland McDonald’s is not the first to strike against McDonald’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. (iStock)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Those striking are demanding two-week paid time off for quarantine, as well as medical costs to be paid by McDonald’s. They also demand more PPE, and shutting down the Telegraph Avenue location to perform a deep clean – which, according to the employees, has not been done.
Michael Smith, the owner and operator of the Telegraph Avenue location, has refuted the allegations, claiming that proper personal protective equipment had been handed out to employees.
“Our organization’s highest priority is to protect the health and well-being of our employees and customers. Prior to any PPE mandates, our organization personally funded and provided 3,000 masks and 500 gloves for our 375 employees in an effort to mitigate any risk of transmission in the restaurant. Our employees are required to wear PPE at all times, and the claims of being asked to wear coffee filters and dog diapers are entirely false,” said Smith in a statement to Fox News.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Additionally, we have enforced rigorous handwashing procedures and maintaining social distancing to help ensure employee safety, as well as the safety of our customers. We have also implemented wellness and temperature checks at the beginning of each shift to ensure our employees are feeling their best and have added protective barriers to limit contact in our restaurants," the statement continued, with Smith saying the Telegraph location was closed for a deep clean once three employees tested positive.
Smith also said McDonald's is providing employees with paid leave, and “nearly $20,000 worth of grocery gift cards” to help.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Oakland McDonald’s is not the first to strike against McDonald’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. Workers in 20 cities went on strike last week to put pressure on McDonald’s to improve employee protections during the COVID-19 crisis.
Forty-two percent of employees also alleged in a survey that management told them not to wear masks or gloves until early April.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In a previous statement to Fox Business, McDonald’s denied the allegation, and said that the employees making such claims are not representative of the 850,000 McDonald’s employees nationwide.