Kentucky Factory Workers Say The Were Threatened With Firing If They Left Before Tornado
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- Опубліковано 28 вер 2024
- Some employees of Mayfield Consumer Products' candle factory in Kentucky say they were threatened with firing if they left work before the tornado hit. The company denied the allegations saying it is absolutely untrue that the employees would not be able to leave. NBC News’ Deon Hampton spoke with workers who were at the factory the night of the storm.
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Companies are notorious for doing stuff like this just to meet a quota. They know the worker doesnt have any power, so they abuse and use them with threats that they will lose their job. I have experienced this when I was young. Corporations need to be held accountable for how they treat and threaten workers.
That's why you need unions! This generation just don't get it.
So so sad 😞 and still didn't meet quota. What a shame! Greed
@Truth Decentralization People are not aware of the TRUTH of why unions were started. It was to keep the blacks out of the work force!!!! Nope I've never liked unions. Doesn't matter bc I'm white either!
@@skyqueenworthey1343 my two+ aintic's car/turcks are american UAW built before the civil rights act was passed and working 💯 and yes most of the pictures i know of and worker's that i met ( engineering and finance officials was different than most of the plant's same bs. game just as to day just now ware doing illegals now and some extra bs. with it ) ware minority's aka some who are southern born blacks ( the UAW that helped with my truck was in the 80's cab same way with my 60's car but couldn't understand/read the cars1, the names and it's not a NYC names 😉 as i guess i got cars with a east-egg 😲 thats not regularly there ) and may have had seen the end of 🇺🇸 slavey
My Dad Worked At G.E. For 32 Years And Whenever There Was Bad Weather Approaching, They Were Able To Get To Safety. But Have You Noticed That The Storms Are Getting More Violent Than Ever, Happening In The Months That Are Supposed To Cold And Snowy . Climate Change Is VERY REAL . Remember The Movir By Al Gore? The Title Was " An Inconvenient Truth". We Should've Paid Heed Back Then Instead Of Saying It Was All Hype And/ Or A Hoax. 😵😵😵. It's Really Insane.And Sickening. We Have No Legacy For Our Kids And Grandkids.🙏🙏🙏
Working class solidarity. Stop the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. Every full time worker deserves rights, dignity, safety, housing, healthcare, and a living wage.
Time magazine just praised one of these clowns as man of the year. What a joke. I guess they like when guys like him keep people as wage slaves.
Hence... "The great resignation..."
Heavenly Father, please give comfort, strength, hope, faith, and salvation to all the mourn the passing of the deceased. Thank You Dear Father, in the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ Your Faithful and Beloved Son. Amen
Power to the people! Omg at the first tornado warning they should’ve been allowed home or at least a chance to evacuate the building.
@@sonjalivingston8241 And The Great Revelation!
The exploitation of workers continues to be Revealed.
Guess large segments of society have to be 'burned to the ground' so they can Build Back Better.
despite whether employees were threatened or NOT, it should have been a matter of OSHA requirements and public safety to ensure people are safe on the job. There was hours warning and at the end the weather service announced 30 minutes prior that there would be a direct hit and it would be severe and catastrophic. I heard these reports and watched live on Tiktok as multiple storm trackers and the Weather channel were tracking this storm and indicated it would be multiple touch down tornados for hours. Released a warning at 10:45 am, and final announcement and warning came near 9ish pm. Amazon had to have known as well. City officials should have known. State officials should have known. Candle company should have known. Capitalism and company profits came before human lives. We would be horrified if this happened in China. This is America!!!
even at amzon told if leave get fired
Agreed! This is total BS!
You are correct, in saying that, there would be outrage, if this was in China. I bet there will be silence, or very little coming from the local leaders and representatives.
They get paid, from Amazon and other corporations, to get away with behavior like this. Amongst so much more 💩!
So much corruption is Coming to Light. The Great Reveal is happening. Now we have to pray that the SPELL the Right Wing Media and Agent Orange (and his demons) have put on The People, Will Be Broken. 🙏 Prayers Up! 🙏
Exactly 💯 it was warnings everywhere just doesnt make sense why ppl were still working during this time.
"At will" State
Wow, the company should be criminally charged if true
AND this company should be FINED out of business/ made to get employees better jobs, like JAPANESE DO IT
Of course.
Charged??? There is no business. It's a heap of splinters. 2nd If you're dumb enough to stay there you are dumb. Even if they did make that threat so what. You must decide which is more important, your job or your life. It's not like they Chained them to the machinery. You gotta always be able to think for yourself.
@@differencemaker242 if you tell people they’ll be fired and lose their healthcare it’s no different than holding a knife to their throat
@@haruruben only, they didn't do that. Besides what good is Healthcare if you're dead? Health insurance is for the living not the dead.
If the stories about the workers being forced to stay turn out to be true then I hope a good legal firm will offer their services to all of those impacted. Risking people's lives just to get your product out is never an acceptable choice.
"At will" State
@Truth Decentralization - You must not have a family and people who depend you to eat and live with that way of looking at things. You can be like that when it's just for yourself, but many of those people are most likely paycheck to paycheck and have kids to worry about.
@@codyrussow170 it doesn’t matter if it’s an at will state. It’s an OSHA violation to retaliate against employees that refuse to work because they fear unsafe working conditions. This candle factory is no stranger to OSHA violations. In 2019 they were fined by OSHA for exit route violations and emergency planning violations. ua-cam.com/video/iQPBbpOodB0/v-deo.html
And what? The factory was destroyed, the owner will collect a huge insurance claim, then accept a huge tax-payer funded bailout from the government, dissolve the old company and start a new one in a different town. If there is any legal consequences, he will just use all that bailout and insurance money to string it out in court until he is dead. That town is dead, that candle factory was the largest employer in the town... and it is doubtful the owner lives anywhere near there.
@@PeterSedesse it is not the largest employer in town. Apparently you don’t live around here. They paid $8 an hour. I dont think anybody will miss it for long. Towns rebuild all the time after disasters. And the owners do live in the region. They have such a hard time getting workers in there that the Graves County Jailer worked out a deal to get inmates in there working on a work release program. A lawsuit was filed in 2020 maybe 21 because of a memo sent to an employee that read: “We are working diligently to clean up the epileptic, obese, pregnant, and special needs issues.” The suit was dropped because the plaintiff moved back to Puerto Rico after being fired for being overweight. In 2019 OSHA fined them for exit route violations and emergency planning violations amongst 10 other violations, 6 of them considered serious. So i dont think anybody is really gonna miss it for long when you can go anywhere else in town and get paid more and get treated like a decent human.
I believe the workers. Hope they all get good lawyers
Most likely would be class action
If Travis Scott is responsible for the Astroworld tragedy, then the candle company has to be responsible for this one.
The company is at fault for a tornado?
Exacty!!@ Jordan Teasdale
@@BobSmith-kd6lq For telling employees to stay or be fired, genius.
@@tandt7694they could have left. Nobody is going to work today. But where would they go? Looked pretty bad everywhere around the area.
@@BobSmith-kd6lq No one said they were physically prevented from leaving. They were told to stay or lose their jobs. I'm sure they asked to leave so they could be with their families during an emergency, not making candles.
First thing I thought about when I heard that there were working. I thought, why didn't these people sent home. You would think the company, wouldn't want that liability?! I believe they were told they would be fired, if they left. Orders had too get done.
Same difference
@@sonjalivingston8241 🙃 Are you having a conversation in your head?
I will lose dam job. And run aWay like ginger bread man try safe myself
Maybe
unionize.
time to make unions strong again.
I believe it. I worked in bowling green for years. Its actually a pretty large manufacturing area and there are ZERO factories who let you leave for severe weather without being penalized. Bowling green metalforming comes to mind. 🙄
I really hope these supervisors are held accountable for their negligence. Utterly disgusting how little regard for their own employees' safety and peace of mind.
I saw an Amazon worker say the same thing there. Not sure if it was Illinois or Missouri however. Showed his text messages to his wife. Text said something like this.
"They won't let us leave. I'll be home after the storm"
He never made it home.
I know your comment is 9 months old but this shook me...
Unionize with militancy
✊🏻✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿
The company CEO and owner and the leaders telling the employees if they leave early they would be fired. I believe the the employees.
I while heartedly believe the employees. There was definitely pressure to stay. Employers do it all the time.
I've had to come into work hugging a garbage can and throwing up because they couldn't find a replacement for me. I 100% believe the employees. Company owners and management put your labor as higher importance than health and safety.
WHERE IS MICH ???????????
Management always draws blood this is why we need unions.
Unions do nothing but keep useless workers in jobs they cant handle so they can hold them hostage for dues
@@farpointgamingdirect You don't know squat or what your talking about.
When we have so many workers, then employers think that they can go through us one after the other, life is cheap.
Unions and solidarity shift the advantage to the workers.
@@farpointgamingdirect Oh baloney.
@@farpointgamingdirect Absolutely not true that is a management problem not a union problem
I believe the employees. Because I have had similar situations happen to me at several companies.That's why people always have to choose their own best interests over jobs. Companies don't give a crap about their employees.
I believe the employees. I had a boss several years ago that pulled this.i told him try stopping me.I left. What's sad is Amazon donated 1 million for their employees. This owner donates 100,000 That won't cover the funerals. My heart goes out to all.
Big difference between Amazon and a Local candle factory. One million to Amazon is pocket change.
@larzuga1 They had a GoFundMe and got millions in a few hours. Thank God for that!!
funeral expenses are covered by fema in a disaster like this!
There is no law against protecting yourself, or using self-defense. This company and its managers that forbid employees to leave to protect themselves need to be charged with reckless endangerment and voluntary manslaughter. And they should be sued.
They are responsible for circumstances that retained employees at the plant during dangerous , life threatening conditions. If there had been a fire , the employees would have been evacuated. The tornado warnings were issued and presented a life-threatening condition.
But the company chose to ignore them, and made no attempts to evacuate.
They are culpable and negligent.
Randal your an advocate for the oppressed and voiceless please know this as your calling if you have not realized it yet the world needs you God bless you 🙏 ❤
If everyone was forced to stay it was probably safer inside the plant at the last minute? They probably thought it would blow over and everyone go back to filling orders. The deadline is usually the fifteenth of December to get items out by Christmas. Five people gave the same story that they would be fired if left. I believe the five should speak for the eight that died. 🙏✝️
Don't believe any company that says they care about your safety.
Until they show you that they do!
I very much believe that they would have been fired
Ok Jussie Smollett
Upper management tells lower management, "nobody can leave work". Lower management tells the employees that they can't leave, but nothing is ever put into writing or emails. That is how this crap works and then it becomes their word against what the employees are saying. All this coercion just to get the employees to stay and make their production quotas. So sad!!!
Lawsuit lawsuit lawsuit and dont let up. When I worked at ford motor company we had a tornado touch down less than 5 miles down the street and it hit one of our parts vendors facility. They didn't even tell us to take cover.
I'm from the area. We had plenty of warning before the tornado hit. They knew there was an EF3 large tornado or they should have. The weather man and trackers were tracking it since way before it came to KY. By the time it crossed the state line they had plenty of warning. Of course when you're made to work you can't be on your phone. The supervisors and owner should have known how serious it was.
We send our prayers to the Kentucky Mayfield in Jesus name Amen 🙏🙏🙏🇵🇭💜💐🌹🕊️
Well that’s two crimes for the company, one for threatening to fire the workers, and two for not providing workers with a storm shelter. I live in Illinois and a manufacturing company a few miles north of me built a sturdy storm shelter in the middle of the plant and wouldn’t you know it took a direct hit from a strong tornado. The plant was completely destroyed yet every worker went to the shelter and out of one hundred fifty workers not one was injured. Parsons manufacturing in Roanoke il is the name of the company. Now that’s a company that truly values their employees. This area in central Illinois is in tornado ally just like the area this factory was in.
I completely believe the workers. When I worked in a factory setting, administration was notorious for threatening or firing workers if they didn't come to work or stay at work during tornado warnings, blizzards and black ice conditions. They were quick to write up workers that didn't show or left early to get home safely. The ones who were able to get there or stayed were send back home into the bad weather conditions due to lack of work. Of course, no pay. Eventually they moved the factory south of the border for cheaper labor. Sad when companies have no regard for workers or their safety.
When I was a kid, I worked in a fast food restaurant that got robbed one night. As the guy working is giving a description of the robber to the police, a customer shows up and the manager tells him to get back to work. This is a man who literally had a gun in his face less than ten minutes earlier. All the stupid manager cared about was selling a five dollar sandwich. The cop had to explain to him that a crime has been committed in his business and that he is CLOSED. Profits before people. Always.
Denying the ultimatum they gave…of course the company would. It’s called gaslighting!
Knew there had to be something more to that...
Exactly!!! we knew the storm was coming all the way down here in the deep south so, if Everybody knew there was going to be bad weather why on earth would those people still be at work??? They should have been at HOME preparing for the storm with their families.
I wouldn't show up for work RIP to those who lost their lives 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽😥😥😥😥😥
They need to name, names of the supervisors who told the employees this. And question the supervisor who allegedly said this.
Question them then charge jail and sue them
the reporter is very good. like to see more if him. he’s a good reporter and he cares.
This is gonna be a HUGE story that'll be focused on! Why would all these workers lie? There's NO REASON! ESPECIALLY if they didnt talk to each other between reporting to this guy and others as well.I believe the workers and their families should file a class action Lawsuit against this factory. Unbelievable that these people are threatened with losing their job when they are afraid to stay there and look what happened. JUSTICE FOR ALL THES POOR VICTIMS OF THE TORNADO AND THIS COMPANY. SENDING LOVE, STRENGTH AND PRAYERS TO ALL AFFECTED ♥♥♥♥
First heard about this yesterday and it's still the only article/video on the story. I think it's being buried for the most part
@@nathanmyles3785 thats absolutely horrible. O hope it gets dug back up soon!!
The workers, I believed are telling the truth, about being fired if they left the factory.
Of course, the company over seers are going to lie. They don't want to be sued. They owners know what's coming if those folks get good lawyers. This will be worth a follow up!
So, who were the beasts who told people to stay? What did the managers think the staff could do in the dark, knowing the storm would cause power outages? How cruel. I pray for all the families.
I believe the employees. Deadlines.
Ok Jussie Smollett
You know the threat accually happened! It happens in a lot of companies! They dont care about their workers. They care more for the bottom line!
Fired from what and by who😳 Boss and that factory not gonna be there when that storm pass 🙄
I wish their boss survived, and suffering the most painful, life long, inconvenient injuries now, plus facing lawsuit and consequence.
*Could you imagine being trapped under concrete wall for 6 hours?*
prayers for all those workers and all who were in these storms . I believe the workers , this unfortunately is all too common these days and has been for awhile now . sad that a companies greed has cost people their lives, hopefully this company will be made an example of .
ALL Supervisors should be lie tested immediately and fired and company CLOSED IF THE ALLEGATIONS ARE PROVEN TRUE.
CLOSE LYING OWNERS COMPANIES AND KEEP THEM CLOSED WITH FINES....
Insurance companies are not working unless????
Greed! Nothing more.
If this is true, it's absolutely disgusting how the workers were treated. Corporations and business owners have all seemed to have turned into heartless thugs. Heck, even Scrooge and the Grinch had hearts!
Edit: Heard it was similar for workers in illinois at Amazon. These bosses should be ashamed, and made to pay competition to all the families of those killed by their greed.
I wouldn't doubt it was true. That's how employers in the US treat their employees and people wonder why people don't want to go back to their minimum wage jobs again. The fast food restaurants can't find employees, well, well, well.
I believe the employees not management.
I rather lose dam job safe my life
They should be sue for each worker
There is no more factory, completely destroyed. A 4 hour window, should allowed all employees to leave.
I believe the factory workers. I work in a factory and one day the sirens were going off and the lines were still running. No one was stopping the lines to take shelter. I was leaving for the day so went in the break room to get my stuff to leave. It was all over the news and I could hear the sirens. I kept asking why they still had the people on the lines then. People just laughed and said yeah you know they don’t care. So much for Safety First. It wasn’t taken seriously and luckily nothing happened that day but you just never know. All my life there have been warnings were nothing happens so of course many think it won’t happen to them. This is unfortunately a lesson to all that we should still seek caution in the unlikely event that a tragedy could occur.
God will expose the wicked great and small, rich and poor!!
Boss: nooo you have to die here! Not go to the safety of your basements!
Workers: nope bye Felicia.
Unfortunately, I am not surprised. Proud of this reporter for following this story.
poor people lose their life be cause company greed...
If you are ever caught in a situation where you are in the path of a tornado and you are threatened with termination if you leave, lose your job!! It’s your life on the line! You can always get a new job, not a new life!!
Some companies do threaten workers with being fired during situations like a tornado
"Employee of the candy factory?" Mmm hm.
Same thing with the Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville, IL.
It's crazy. How money is worth more than human lives.
Most jobs tell you this!!!!!!
I knew, based on the interview with the woman who got stuck under the water fountain, that something was not right. I know a lot workers lived more than 2 hours away and so it makes sense they would shelter in place if the tornado is close. There was also a lot time between when the warning started and tornado that ended up killing so many people.
The problem is they didn't have storm cellars/ shelters installed in multiple locations in these buildings. No storm shelters and plan of action in place IN what's called TORNADO ALLEY.
So what brand of candles are they? So I can never buy them again.
“Said he was an employee of the candy factory”. 🙄
I'm not surprised. SMH!
It’s all about the almighty $$$$ and absolutely nothing else !
What's the name of that Company??
Lester Soileau did the same thing to LRS employees about 40 years ago. There was a bad freeze in New Orleans. There was no water, or water pressure. The toilets did not work. He insisted that we come in to work even though the place stank and there was no electricity. Lester Soileau finally retired early. What a disgusting man.
RIP to the victims! 🙏🏾❤
Side note: This guy did a good job getting the story but he needs to get media training to improve his reporting. Great job I hope he moves up with additional training!
Sometimes raw reporting is best you get the info that you need, before they train you to speak with vague misleading incomplete info. But it sounds pretty to the ear and a horrible situation is made to be not so bad. I'll take real people stating what they saw and heard everytime.
Employee: It's really dangerous outside, there is a tornado coming. Can I go home please for my safety?
Manager: Sure, you can leave but you will get fired so don't bother coming back.
Employee: The building will soon be rubble, I don't think you'll be coming back either. *Employee leaves anyways to save his or her own life*.
Manslaughter charges should be given to those responsible. Owner, CEO and supervisors
Some Christmas! Owners are hopefully stepping up above and beyond what’s required!
what sick thing to happen
1:02 "He was an employee of the candy factory." candy factories don't make candles.
Supervisors and management deny but this one of those things that just can be made up.
Time to sue the factory… 😠
That sounds completely true!
I knew that deep in my heart...So Sad..😈💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵💵🌪💀💀💀💀💀💀💀
Sue the factory for millions…get every cents…
Ok Jussie Smollett
What did he say?
By law they can not make you stay! My boss said he would fire me! I called the police &the police told my boss they could lock him up!! Plus you have 2 feet to walk out the door! It's just a job! So don't blame the company! It's like this kick rocks
every work place, seniors home, neighborhood should have a "safe place" to go in an instant! if theyre lives are threatened by anything, especially storms...peace,love n unity with get people through these crazy times
Your mentioning of seniors homes needing a shelter in the event of severe weather reminded me of how following the EF5 tornado in Joplin, Missouri on May 22, 2011 firefighters had to pull residents and staff of the Greenbriar Nursing Home out from beneath the rubble. After seven children lost their lives at Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, Oklahoma during the EF5 tornado that hit Moore on May 20, 2013; the city council of Moore voted unanimously in favor of passing tougher building codes requiring all new structures in Moore to have storm shelters. Following the tornado that tore through Moore on May 3, 1999 only three schools in Moore had storm shelters: Kelley Elementary School, Highland East Junior High School, and Westmoore High School. Now; all the schools in Moore have storm shelters.
In fairness it would be safer in the building then out in the storm.
Where were they going to go? In a tornado the experts say that you should stay where you are. This time it didn't go well, but it's a tornado.
Please remember folks the First Siren Warning of the tornado went off 3 hours before the tornado hit. There was plenty of time for the workers to be released and safely get home. My son was at work on that shift and he said after the first siren they were told to return to work and that it was all over at that point. but as we all see it wasn't the big tornado hit at 9:32 pm and my son was pulled from the rubble around 12:15 am
Ofcourse the company's are covering it up..but I believe the employees story...its sad bec in that kind of situation when lives are at stake..I would of been the one who said f u and left and I would of got fired for another reason they would be of made up..but this is happening everywhere now a days...makeing money is more important than lives but now that this story is out..I'll never buy another candle from that company
I believe it's TRUE hence while they were at work in the first place they were threated before and after the tornado
I love how the company tries to deny it because where I work they will fire you if you leave if there's a tornado. I was also told that the company is responsible for you and if you leave right before a tornado strikes you will be fired I don't agree with it even though I don't have a family or kids but I do agree with what everybody's saying your life is more important than your job if you have a place to go that you know is safe or you know you can get there on time do what's best for you there are thousands of other jobs out there hiring and I will say this again your life is more important than your job if your job can't protect you find one that can find a company that has a tornado shelter I know general Mills has one
I hope these people Sue the owners of the candle 🕯 factory, because if they said don’t come back if u leave after warnings went off!!! It’s not the people’s fault of the tornado 🌪!!!
Now common people, let’s not start with blame. No one knew it would be this bad. If the supervisors allowed them to leave, chances are, the tornado would’ve got them and there would’ve been more deaths. It’s just something no one would’ve ever guessed would turn out this way. NO ONE KNEW HOW BAD IT WOULD BE.
LACountyMTA supervisor Miguel from Division 18 would not let my husband leave when I was pregnant with my daughter and was dying in the hospital after an accident. Miguel said my hubby could be fired and the coworkers had to stand up for him.
Corporate greed and corruption
You wait for that tornado and dont ya dare leave until it destroys the building.
Too many coworkers are not going to say the same thing come on now!!
That sound about right. Companies don't care your just a number.