Lawmakers Reach Settlement in Michigan Disaster Cleanup Worker COVID Lawsuit
A group of workers who were employed to perform disaster cleanup work during the early stages of the pandemic have reached a confidential settlement with their former employers. The agreement, announced by the Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice, resolves allegations that the companies failed to provide adequate protections against COVID-19.
In May 2020, two major dams in Midland County, Michigan burst, causing widespread flooding that affected many areas of the region. As a result, numerous workers were recruited from across the state to clean up and remediate damage at various sites. However, it was discovered that these workers were housed in cramped conditions, forced to share beds with multiple people, and transported in crowded vans.
According to reports filed by the workers, their employers did not adhere to basic COVID-19 protocols, which included establishing a preparedness plan, providing proper training, screening, and protective equipment. Furthermore, when some workers began experiencing symptoms of the virus, public health officials were informed that they should remain at the site to isolate or quarantine; however, this critical information was not effectively communicated to the employees.
This has led to severe cases of COVID-19 among the affected workers, including hospitalizations requiring ventilator support. The lawsuit also alleged that some workers contracted the illness and became severely ill after being sent back out of state while in isolation.
As a result of the settlement, John Philo, executive director of the Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice, stated that the agreement sends an important message to industry leaders: worker safety must be prioritized. "This outcome represents a major step forward for resilience workers who are often placed in hazardous environments with limited power to speak up," Philo said.
Saket Soni, executive director of Resilience Force, another organization representing the affected workers, also expressed hope that this settlement will lead to broader industry-wide changes aimed at protecting disaster-recovery workers in future emergencies. "We hope this outcome drives meaningful change to protect disaster-recovery workers in future emergencies," Soni said.
A group of workers who were employed to perform disaster cleanup work during the early stages of the pandemic have reached a confidential settlement with their former employers. The agreement, announced by the Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice, resolves allegations that the companies failed to provide adequate protections against COVID-19.
In May 2020, two major dams in Midland County, Michigan burst, causing widespread flooding that affected many areas of the region. As a result, numerous workers were recruited from across the state to clean up and remediate damage at various sites. However, it was discovered that these workers were housed in cramped conditions, forced to share beds with multiple people, and transported in crowded vans.
According to reports filed by the workers, their employers did not adhere to basic COVID-19 protocols, which included establishing a preparedness plan, providing proper training, screening, and protective equipment. Furthermore, when some workers began experiencing symptoms of the virus, public health officials were informed that they should remain at the site to isolate or quarantine; however, this critical information was not effectively communicated to the employees.
This has led to severe cases of COVID-19 among the affected workers, including hospitalizations requiring ventilator support. The lawsuit also alleged that some workers contracted the illness and became severely ill after being sent back out of state while in isolation.
As a result of the settlement, John Philo, executive director of the Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice, stated that the agreement sends an important message to industry leaders: worker safety must be prioritized. "This outcome represents a major step forward for resilience workers who are often placed in hazardous environments with limited power to speak up," Philo said.
Saket Soni, executive director of Resilience Force, another organization representing the affected workers, also expressed hope that this settlement will lead to broader industry-wide changes aimed at protecting disaster-recovery workers in future emergencies. "We hope this outcome drives meaningful change to protect disaster-recovery workers in future emergencies," Soni said.
can't believe it took this long for someones to hold these companies accountable 
they literally put people's lives on the line just to make a buck 
and now that they've finally gotten their settlement, I'm glad someones standing up for those who were affected 
but seriously, what kinda company doesn't prioritize their employees' safety? 
they were literally stuck in cramped conditions with no social distancing and then forced to work despite getting sick 
I mean what's the point of having a pandemic plan if you're not gonna follow it? 
And those vans, crowded and stuffy...no wonder people got infected 
Glad they finally got some justice and now industry leaders are like "okay, we get it, prioritize worker safety" 
Fingers crossed that this settles the precedent for future disasters 
Can you even imagine having to clean up after a dam bursts and then being exposed to COVID-19 because your employers didn't care about keeping you safe? 
And the worst part is that some of them got seriously sick or even needed ventilator support... it's a total nightmare. But at least now there's a settlement and hopefully some changes will be made to protect people like these workers in the future. 
Fingers crossed that this sets a new standard for worker safety during disasters! 
and now that they've reached a settlement it's about time someone held those companies accountable. this is a huge win for workers who are often the ones putting their lives on the line to help others in need 
we should all be advocating for better worker safety protocols, especially during disasters 
just heard about a group of cleanup workers in Michigan who were stuck with no sick leave and had to be sent back out to work even when they tested positive for COVID-19... like, what's the point of sending them back out if they're gonna get sicker? 
the settlements are a step in the right direction but I'm still shook 
about all these workers getting hazed on and it's just soooo messed up 
.
! these poor guys were literally puttin thru hell while tryin 2 clean up after a dam burst 
but i guess justice prevails 
and hopefully now industry leaders will start prioritizin worker safety 
