After an employee died of coronavirus, workers walked off the job April 28 at United Scrap Metal’s (USM) yard in Cicero, Illinois, which is a suburb of Chicago. According to a report from WLS-TV, an ABC TV station based in Chicago, the walkout began 9 a.m. April 28 and lasted until the end of shifts.
WLS-TV reports that USM employee Reynaldo Rodriguez, 57, died April 27 after being diagnosed with COVID-19 about one week ago. Rodriguez was last at the yard two weeks ago and hospitalized a week later as his symptoms worsened.
Recycling Today reached out to USM for comment on how it’s addressing safety at its Cicero yard, but the company declined to comment.
USM’s Cicero plant has remained open throughout the pandemic. According WLS-TV, USM’s Cicero yard workers are concerned about safety and having to procure their own personal protective equipment.
USM issued the following statement regarding its safety protocols: “When the COVID-19 crisis hit, USM … immediately instituted safety protocols to protect our team members. In addition to enforcing guidance on distancing in the workplace, we invested significant resources in personal protection equipment and workplace sanitation efforts. We are especially proud of the fact that the few team members who did contract the virus were treated in accordance with CDC guidelines and have returned to work, suffering no income loss during this.”