How Food Workers Are Demanding Rights During Pandemic

Sonali Kolhatkar speaks with Chris Ramsaroop, an organizer with Justice for Migrant Workers and a member of Food Chain Workers Alliance.

While the spread of the coronavirus has restricted most of us in our homes, those workers whose labor we rely on to feed us, are under increasing strain.

Exempt under quarantine laws, workers who grow food, process it, sell it, and deliver it, are considered essential employees. But most have seen increased workloads with no corresponding pay increases.

And, most are not receiving the protective equipment needed to stave off infections from the virus as they work feverishly to feed the US.

Now, reports of one-day strikes, wildcat strikes, and “sick-outs” are becoming increasingly common.

Rising Up with Sonali is a radio and television show that brings progressive news coverage rooted in gender and racial justice to a wide audience.

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