For The Class Union

Turkey:

160 workers in Sanel Electronics factory in Maltepe, Istanbul, members of Birlesik Metal (United Metal – DISK) Sent on strike after one of them tested positive for coronavirus, but the necessary precautions weren’t taken by the bosses who decided to continue production. [April 1]

An unknown number of workers in the Fontana Mold Factory in Gebze went on strike after one of them was hospitalized with the suspicion of corona virus. The workers are waiting for the results to go back to work. [April 1]

Workers in Sarkusyan factory in Gebze, also organized in Birlesik Metal, went on strike after one of the workers tested positive for Coronavirus. [April 2]

Workers of Valfsan Valve Factory in Tuzla Industrial Zone, Istanbul, also members of Birlesik-Metal went on strike too after one of them tested positive for coronavirus. Apparently it’s rumored that the representative of the DISK union is saying the workers will return to work the next day. [April 2]

2000 workers in Akar Textile, located in Çigli Organized Industrial Zone, Izmir, members of Deriteks (Leather and Textile Workers Union – Türk-Iş Confederation) went on strike after one of them tested positive for Coronavirus. The bosses threatened the workers with firing them, while their henchmen armed with clubs attacked the workers. [April 4]

Workers in Melike Textile in Antep’s 4. Organized Industrial Zone went on strike after it was rumored that two of them tested positive for Coronavirus. Consequently the factory administration declared they stopped work for two weeks. [April 4]

USA:

Oakland, California: Dockers Refuse to Work Over Safety Conditions demanding better sanitation for themselves and local neighborhoods from Cruise Ship Covid-19 contamination. [March 20]

Bath, Maine: Workers at the country’s largest Naval shipyard struck to call for it to be shut down. [March 24]

Lynn, Massachusetts: “Workers at a jet engine factory stood six feet apart at a protest outside the facility, following social distancing guidelines while calling on General Electric (GE) to reverse its recent decision to lay off thousands of workers and instead put them to work building badly-needed ventilators for coronavirus patients. In nearby Boston, GE employees also marched six feet apart to their company’s headquarters with the same demand”. [March 28]

Tampa, Florida: McDonald’s workers walked out on the morning of March 30 after being told not to wear masks and gloves in their store because it made customers uncomfortable. Soon after, workers in St. Louis, Missouri and Memphis, Tennessee similarly walked out when they found out their hours were dramatically cut.

Baltimore, Maryland Wastewater workers strike demanding better safety conditions. [March 31]

Souderton, PA: Workers sicked out en masses at JBS Meatpacking; forcing them to shut down. [Week of April 1st]

USA Nation-wide: Grocery delivery service Instacart on Thursday announced plans to distribute health and safety kits to its shoppers after they walked off their jobs earlier this week. The company says it will provide each full-service shopper with a reusable face mask, hand sanitizer and a thermometer. [April 4]

Los Angeles, California: Cooks and cashiers at a Crenshaw Boulevard McDonald’s in Los Angeles announced a strike after a co-worker tested positive for Covid-19. They were demanding a full two-week quarantine with pay. [April 5]

Nationwide: Workers for Target Store’s delivery service Shipt went on strike. They demanded $5 of hazard pay per order, 14 days of paid sick leave for all workers regardless of whether they’ve received a positive coronavirus test, personal protective gear for all gig workers, and a return to a clear, commission-based pay model. [April 7]

California: Workers from Burger King, Taco Bell, Domino’s, Pizza Hut, Subway, Popeye’s, El Pollo Loco, and WaBa Grill will participate in the walkout, which was inspired by two strikes earlier this week at McDonald’s locations in San Jose and Los Angeles, where two workers have now tested positive for coronavirus. [April 8]

King of Prussia, PA: Amazon workers strike over unsafe working conditions. [April 8]

Seattle, Washington: Docks Shut Down Shipping Terminal After Co-Worker Gets Covid-19. [April 9]

San Diego, California transit workers call out sick. [April 10th]

Bawley, CA: One World Beef workers Strike for Sanitary Conditions After Coworker Test Positive for Covid-19. [April 14]

Chicago, Illinois Fast Food Workers from 50 locations strike over Covid-19 safety. [April 15]

Renton, Washington: Boeing factory workers refuse to show Workers report many Boeing workers refuse to return to work due to Covid-19 concerns. [April 20th]

Nationwide: Over 300 people called out of their shifts at 50 Amazon fulfillment centers on Tuesday. [April 21]

Wallula, Washington: Tyson beef workers absent, scores of Covid-19 cases and community concerns about infections there. [April 23rd]

Portland, Oregon: 210 Nabisco workers Wildcat for contract: On April 3, graveyard shift workers started leaving early, and a majority of day and swing shift workers stayed off the job, shutting down all five snack production lines. The next two days, enough workers stayed home that only one line was able to restart.

Greely, Colorado: Hospital Couriers Delivering Covid-19 Samples Strike Over Lack of Protections. [April 8]

Daleville, Alabama: Union private defense workers refuse to build missles – employees have refused to work despite the Defense Department directive, and that the union is advocating for them to be spared disciplinary actions. [April 2020]

Shreveport, Louisiana sanitation workers stage sickout amid coronavirus. [April 13]

Norfolk, Virginia: Non-union General Dynamics contractors doing electrical repair on Navy ships refused to work due to conditions and worker death. [April 14th]

Waterloo, Iowa: Hundreds of Tyson Fresh Meats Workers Sick-Out. [April 15th]

Waynesboro, Georgia: Nuclear power plant construction workers absent over Covid-19. [April 16]

New York and New Jersey: Building doormen, facility workers and Janitors strike at dozens of buildings. [April 16]

Baton Rouge, LA: Bus drivers have warned the mass transit agency that member workers have the legal right to refuse hazardous work. [April 17th]

Phoenix, Arizona: Truckers protest dropping wages during the pandemic. [April 24]

Los Angeles, California: Truckers slow LA highway traffic to protest dropping wages during the pandemic. [April 24]

Logansport, Indiana: “Tyson Pork Workers close the plant because of ongoing absentee issues and community concerns”. [Week of April 24th]

Shakopee, MN More than 50 Amazon warehouse walk out after management revealed two more cases of Covid-19 and unjustly fired another worker leader”. [April 26th]

Richmond, Virginia Bus Drivers Sick Out:”Nearly half of the necessary bus driver workforce did not show up for their 4:30 am. shift. [April 27]

Crete, Nebraska: An estimated 50 workers at the Smithfield Foods pork plant walked off the job in protest after it was announced that the plant would stay open”. [April 28]