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.
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.
@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.
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
@@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.
As an ex-factory worker, I believe in the factory people and not the company. Their candles and orders and the company itself should be boycotted. To put people's lives at risk is a criminal act of humankind as far as the managers and bosses you people are so pathetic. The same thing happened in Illinois with Amazon Bezos cares nothing about those people who lost their lives, he is more concerned for his profits and cost. He too is pathetic.
The company will just declare bankruptcy and not have to pay a dime. But the managers could be held criminally responsible if enough witnesses corroborate.
@@lang1031 I mean, if there is a Official policy in place like they said since covid( which I tend to think is not unlikely since at the company I work& a different company my family works at both implemented the same policy & this seems to be a common thing at many places since covid) than Im.not really sure if the company could be responsible, idk if we assume the policy is true than there would be basically 2 possibilities one in which a manager actually told them this against the the actual policy which I'm unclear if this would fall on the company or not if they gave them notice of the new policy & the other is that people interpreted that they couldn't leave without risking there job( like is a just a common fear people have like if I call out today I'll get fired or whatever) or basically one or two employees said this& it spread that idea, which of course wouldn't be the company's fault so idk if it's true than of course what you're saying ni agree but I'm not sure that the amount of employees corroborating matters since it doesnt sound theyre saying this happened in a big company wide announcement but rather when they asked to go individually but maybe I'm misunderstanding that
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!!!
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! 🙏
Every worker that felt they needed to stay and did should get ready to sue. There’s no way the company should be able to make that threat in that type of situation
My heart goes out to all those people and Family members who suffered and were afflicted during the storm .my prayer is that they are compensated for all their suffering Even though it wont bring the loved one's back but if they all stick together become one voice let their voices be heard so that changes can be made Stand Firm
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.
@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.
He says 'well, it's better that they are here than driving home in their cars' ... OK - that may be true --- But safety standards require you to get everyone to the tornado shelter, often times the offices or break room area. That was not done. It was ignored because it would have cost them thousands of dollars to give the workers that long of a break. Lawsuit sounds in order.
That factory was not even as well built as the homes these people lived in, so at least by being at home, they had a better chance than staying in a big aluminum building. Also, if people are going to be in danger, they at least want to be with their families and be with them and try to protect them. This company is full of it and after they settle all the lawsuits, it'll probably be hard for them to continue on.
Now the factory bosses got their karma the from heavens above (literally). Not only did they lose their workers but they also lost their entire factory.
I pray for all the families. Such a shame. This is not an uncommon practice for big companies. My job did this too, and wouldn’t let us leave when there was a tornado and hail literally 8 miles away. Their tornado shelter is upstairs instead of in a basement. I hope big companies will implement better policies for employee safety during extreme conditions. Especially with global warming.
I Remember 3 Years Ago When The Tornado Touched Down Right By The Kentucky Ford Truck Plant And The Employees Were Threatened That If They Sought Shelter Instead Of Staying At Their Station They Would Be Fired. Luckily There Were No Injuries Or Damage To The Facility. TSK. That's Just Messed Up, In My Opinion. Anyone Remember This? Please Message Me And We Will Have A Nice Chat.
2:15 We know this is a lie. A company that barely gives it's drivers time for a bathroom break now wants us to believe that their employees are free to leave WHENEVER they feel like it without the risk of losing their job. BS Amazon. Your employees can't even take a bathroom break without fear of losing their livelihood.
@@orlandojohnson5742 it is true and they’ve also had numerous OHSA violations. In 2019 they were fined for exit route violations and emergency planning violations. They make candles for Bath & Body Works, a company that is worth 19.29 billion dollars as of 12-3-21. Corporate greed at its finest, you can’t buy a candle there for $8.
What a joke! This is why education is integral for future success. My thoughts and prayers go to the affected workers and their families for a quick recovery.
Oh that's a big question, too big to answer on social. Here's one little item, in right-to-work states the rate of workplace deaths are higher than in union states. On the other hand, states with right-to-work laws increased manufacturing employment by approximately 30%.
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.
@@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.
I believe the employees 100%. Management has to say this to avoid possible lawsuits. Still, bottom line is: you are the adult, if ur life feels threatened YOU ultimately have to decide to stay or go.
Detroit area top attorney Geoffrey Feiger should take this potential lawsuit that would be filed by these factory workers against management. Fieger is already handling a lawsuit filed by surviving parents of kids who died in the Oxford, MI shootings against Oxford High's school board. He has a great chance of winning that suit. Fieger could also help these candle factory workers win their suit against their management.
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 worked at a factory that did it to me. I wanted to leave early but my foreman did not let me do when I drove home, literally I was near a funnel. No one was hurt, thank God, but to think about what could have happened. I believe these workers were told that.
Hmm. The factory immediately denying it makes me suspicious- how could they know? It won't be company policy but I can well believe that "shopfloor" supervisors and lower management would bully workers, as higher management were keen to fulfil orders- this must be their busiest time of year and might account for over 50% of annual turnover and profit. BUT those people doing the bullying were there, in the factory, face to face with those workers, at exactly the same risk- it's not like they went home but told the workers to stay. They will be among the dead too. So... this sounds more like a "it'll never happen" scenario rather than anything else- this wasn't an area that commonly had tornados, and it was the "wrong" time of year. The company may well still be liable- they should have carefully watched the weather warnings on tv and the internet and evacuated the factory earlier in the evening. Maybe if it had been daytime on a weekday and not late on a Friday evening, somebody in management would have done that. This looks like complacency mixed with seasonal production pressures mixed with a night shift without adequate managerial oversight. One of those awful times when a combination of factors leads to a tragedy- if any one thing had been different, it would never have happened.
Finally a pragmatic thinker, best comment so far, a combination of factors agreed, but the question needs to be answered what and when were people told..what they were told.
@@rodgerarmstrong2464 I saw the woman who was trapped and posted on facebook be interviewed- she said the sirens sounded and they were instructed to take shelter, but the tornado hit almost immediately- before they could go anywhere. She didn't mention being threatened. But she might never have asked to leave.
@@maxsavage3998 respectfully you do not understand my comment which is what it is...I have no desire to play intellectual volleyball with you on such an horrific event...allison Green, very pointed in her detailed narrative several issues, which I accept...what you accept is up to you
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 really hope these supervisors are held accountable for their negligence. Utterly disgusting how little regard for their own employees' safety and peace of mind.
Every company I have worked for have refused to let employees leave. I worked 2 hours overtime one time . I clocked out and opened the exit door to leave and tornado warnings were going off. They didn't even warn us of any weather conditions.
I live in Arizona where we have a lot of dust storms. They can be deadly, and they're at least very unpleasant and hazardous to your health to be in. I was working outside in a garden center at a home store and continually asked my manager if I could close up and come in when we had a dust storm coming. The light outside had gone red and eventually the dust cloud blocked out the sun and it got incredibly dark for 2pm. When it was almost right on top of me I finally convinced them to let me come inside. They had to come out and personally lock up the gate themselves and they took their sweet time. I was already panicking when they go there. He responded to me by saying "well it's not here yet." And I was like YES. YES THAT IS THE POINT. I don't want to be here when it gets here! I ended up quitting that job. I'm not going to risk my life for a minimum wage paycheck.
this happens worldwide and should be declared as a human's right violation of employers stopping workers from leaving to safety during a natural disaster
wasn't that one of the reasons for forming the seamstress woman's union?? / the correct the injured 🤕 from the fire and not to have insurance against this crap 💩? ps. not currently a union member or a seamstress instead im a industrial mechanic 👨🔧 but i can see why the UAW or IBEW was founded and others like it
There's several workers saying the same thing and they're all in different parts of the area they aren't corroborating their stories together they're in hospitals and everywhere else so I totally believe that that's what they were told
I was incredulous when I heard about the casualties at the candle factory. I couldn't believe they kept all those people working in the face of a tornado.
They knew about the tornadoes beforehand; and kept them working. I think they should be charged with murder or homicide. Obviously, they gonna deny it. It’s like catching a criminal.
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.
I believe it 100%, greedy businesses don’t care about employees. why didn’t this building have a solid Tornado shelter, employees always get threatened when they speak up and are told be happy you have a job.
For many years I was a disaster recovery manager for a large telephone company. My job was to convince senior management and middle management to develop disaster plans and document them. The final step was to train workers and have an actual walk through. It took a lot of sales to get leaders to sign on. They were so busy getting today done they didn’t want to think about the possibilities in the future. I have trouble believing you can run a factory with the scheduling they describe. Sometimes doesn’t add up at the least a communication gap. Even though I’m retired now after forty years managing people I’m glad to see the up tick in union interest. Workers have been abused for at least the last twenty five years. Good to get balance.
Factory workers have always been abused!!! Production, and Profit, over People. Is the Moto for these Capitalists Pig's!!!!!!! Class action Lawsuits is the way to go!!! United Candle workers. And Amazon's workers.. God Bless those families.
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.
Don't think that 'being threatened' if leaving the work floor for safety in the event of possible danger is uncommon. It sounds exactly like Oreilly Auto Parts managers, and I'm sure many other production based employers.
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'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.
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 totally believe the workers. I experienced similar when I worked as nurse practitioner in a rural clinic in GA. Hurricane was coming through and I had an hour drive home directly in path. We were catching the Northeast quadrant of hurricane which has the worst outlying weather with tornadoes. Was told by supervisor (who was an hour away and not affected by the storm) that I couldn't close the clinic. I made the decision to close the clinic anyway. All the workers were mad at me because they would have to take vacation time. But they all lived locally. I told them they could stay but I was leaving. And without me, they couldn't see patients. But either way, I was leaving. I got reprimanded. But I tell you, I was STILL the last one to leave the clinic that day because I stayed to make sure everything taken care of and secured before I left. It was a SCARY hour drive home INTO the wind. I can't imagine the choice those workers faced. Im so sorry for everyone up there dealing with this. Sending love and hugs.
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. 🙏✝️
The company may not uphold employees would be fired but the supervisors could've disregarded policy. Their quotas make their lines supervisors money or bonus😥
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.
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.
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.
I dont doubt this for one second. I worked there and the candle factories in Mayfield and Fulton are notorious for treating their employees horribly. When I worked there I was making $7.25/hr and the conditions were horrible. I lasted about a month before I left.
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.
Detroit area attorney Geoffrey Fieger would be a good lawyer for them to choose. Feiger is already handling a lawsuit filed by surviving parents of kids who died in the Oxford HS shootings against Oxford's school board for letting the gunman go back to class after a meeting with him and his parents. Fieger has a great chance of winning that lawsuit and he can win this lawsuit that the candle factory workers would file against their management.
As for that COVID policy they Factory speaks of, I know for a fact it is a lie, both my daughter and son have worked for the factory and they had a confirmed case of Covid on my Daughter's (who was pregnant at the time) shift so they sent them home until they were tested and cleared that way. When she went to return to work with the all clear note they told her she was fired for missing work. My son was at work the night the tornado hit and burried for more than 2 hrs before they freed him, said he asked if he could call us to come get him and was told if he did he better look for a new job. The Owners are not being honest about what happened. I am not saying that they are lying as that the Shift managers were the ones telling the employees they would be fired not the owners.
A simple question that prosecutors will ask to catch the company in their lie is: where were the workers for that shift that night, in the plant or at home?
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.
I do not beleive that. I do know that if anyone had left the factory and had been killed in the toronado the family could sue the factory for letting them leave. Sometimes you are safer staying put than out running around. This is / was a no win situation for these folks no matter where you were
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.
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.
As an ex-factory worker, I believe in the factory people and not the company. Their candles and orders and the company itself should be boycotted. To put people's lives at risk is a criminal act of humankind as far as the managers and bosses you people are so pathetic. The same thing happened in Illinois with Amazon Bezos cares nothing about those people who lost their lives, he is more concerned for his profits and cost. He too is pathetic.
even at amzon told if leave get fired
Sounds like something bezos would do. Pay low but demand high output. And then live a great live.
Well then tell the name of the candles made.
@@BigBirdy100 Bed, Bath & Beyond is one of their major clients for the candles.
I pray these workers all stick together and fight against this company in a lawsuit if what they're saying is true, and they can somehow prove it.
Sounds like a union to me
The company will just declare bankruptcy and not have to pay a dime. But the managers could be held criminally responsible if enough witnesses corroborate.
I've worked in these types of environments before and this is hard to prove if it's verbal.
The buildings on fire, if u leave early u will be fired. If ur too dumb to stay. That's on u. If u felt unsafe then leave.
@@lang1031 I mean, if there is a Official policy in place like they said since covid( which I tend to think is not unlikely since at the company I work& a different company my family works at both implemented the same policy & this seems to be a common thing at many places since covid) than Im.not really sure if the company could be responsible, idk if we assume the policy is true than there would be basically 2 possibilities one in which a manager actually told them this against the the actual policy which I'm unclear if this would fall on the company or not if they gave them notice of the new policy & the other is that people interpreted that they couldn't leave without risking there job( like is a just a common fear people have like if I call out today I'll get fired or whatever) or basically one or two employees said this& it spread that idea, which of course wouldn't be the company's fault so idk if it's true than of course what you're saying ni agree but I'm not sure that the amount of employees corroborating matters since it doesnt sound theyre saying this happened in a big company wide announcement but rather when they asked to go individually but maybe I'm misunderstanding that
A company put its profit margins in front of the safety of its workers ?!? No way ... how are people even surprised about this anymore.
It's official, Money is more important than Life Itself.
"In God We Tru$$$t"
Believe it or not, it won’t happen this in China… yes the China western media keeps judging.
that isnt a surprise but not being let go home after a tornado warning kinda is
I believe it, I worked for managers who were like that
SAME !!
People in my company have told me that if I take a vacation, which I am allowed to by law, I should know that it will hamper my career progression...
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
Every worker that felt they needed to stay and did should get ready to sue. There’s no way the company should be able to make that threat in that type of situation
Stay & make candles for a Christmas 🎄 that may not even happen !! Insane the expectations of the employer.
I believe the workers. The company is lying.
This is what the lack of workers rights in the USA looks like. Profit outweighs your life!
My heart goes out to all those people and Family members who suffered and were afflicted during the storm .my prayer is that they are compensated for all their suffering Even though it wont bring the loved one's back but if they all stick together become one voice let their voices be heard so that changes can be made Stand Firm
I believe the workers. Hope they all get good lawyers
Most likely would be class action
Candles are not worth anybody’s life
These employees had families at home. What happened to them?
Gone
It a modren Triangle Shirt Fire we need better labor & safety laws for the 21st century.
@@jerryeskridge4798 how is better labor and safety laws going to stop a tornado? People who think like you is why corporations leave the country.
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.
He says 'well, it's better that they are here than driving home in their cars' ... OK - that may be true --- But safety standards require you to get everyone to the tornado shelter, often times the offices or break room area. That was not done. It was ignored because it would have cost them thousands of dollars to give the workers that long of a break. Lawsuit sounds in order.
Better they stay there my behind. What about their families at home ?
@@kennyb50 Right? I'm going home to my loved ones. Work can kiss my curvy rear end.
That factory was not even as well built as the homes these people lived in, so at least by being at home, they had a better chance than staying in a big aluminum building. Also, if people are going to be in danger, they at least want to be with their families and be with them and try to protect them. This company is full of it and after they settle all the lawsuits, it'll probably be hard for them to continue on.
There was no storm shelter at the candle factory...
@@Chaeya maybe a base ment or crawl space
Now the factory bosses got their karma the from heavens above (literally). Not only did they lose their workers but they also lost their entire factory.
Wonder how many supervisors lost their own lives also? Didn't seem like the owner was very transparent in his body language. Just my opinion.
I pray for all the families. Such a shame. This is not an uncommon practice for big companies. My job did this too, and wouldn’t let us leave when there was a tornado and hail literally 8 miles away. Their tornado shelter is upstairs instead of in a basement. I hope big companies will implement better policies for employee safety during extreme conditions. Especially with global warming.
I Remember 3 Years Ago When The Tornado Touched Down Right By The Kentucky Ford Truck Plant And The Employees Were Threatened That If They Sought Shelter Instead Of Staying At Their Station They Would Be Fired. Luckily There Were No Injuries Or Damage To The Facility. TSK. That's Just Messed Up, In My Opinion. Anyone Remember This? Please Message Me And We Will Have A Nice Chat.
I believe the workers.
I've never worked for anyone who cared about my safety or my health.
I have to care about myself even if it costs me the job.
2:15 We know this is a lie. A company that barely gives it's drivers time for a bathroom break now wants us to believe that their employees are free to leave WHENEVER they feel like it without the risk of losing their job. BS Amazon. Your employees can't even take a bathroom break without fear of losing their livelihood.
The company has already shown how much they value their $8.00 an hour workers.
Wow!!! A factory paying under $15 !?!?!?!
I hope that’s not true! Prayers to all those workers in there if so…..
It’s true. They pay nothing, I live 25 mins away from mayfield. They also run them 7 days a week
@@orlandojohnson5742 it is true and they’ve also had numerous OHSA violations. In 2019 they were fined for exit route violations and emergency planning violations. They make candles for Bath & Body Works, a company that is worth 19.29 billion dollars as of 12-3-21. Corporate greed at its finest, you can’t buy a candle there for $8.
What a joke! This is why education is integral for future success. My thoughts and prayers go to the affected workers and their families for a quick recovery.
This is why I left the South. People still making $7.25 an hour. Factory work is hard. You have to be motivated people to deal with the exhaustion
11 % of American workforce is unionized,while in Sweden is 82 %.That's why European countries are on top of the best countries.
So why don't you explain how being unionized is preferable. You're making a statement but there's nothing else to it. Make it worth something.
@@cloroc You must be a republican if you ask such a question.
@@90gdv 🤦♀️ Being a boss gave me cardiac problems .....Never again !!!
Oh that's a big question, too big to answer on social.
Here's one little item, in right-to-work states the rate of workplace deaths are higher than in union states.
On the other hand, states with right-to-work laws increased manufacturing employment by approximately 30%.
@@90gdv Yet most people have to be employees. You can't have a majority of people bosses.
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
May the lawsuits start flying...
I agree.
@@fredlandry6170 even at amzon told if leave get fired
I BELIEVE EMPLOYEES. SUE OWNERS AND SUPERVISORS.OF COURSE THEY DENY.
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.
I believe the employees 100%. Management has to say this to avoid possible lawsuits. Still, bottom line is: you are the adult, if ur life feels threatened YOU ultimately have to decide to stay or go.
Detroit area top attorney Geoffrey Feiger should take this potential lawsuit that would be filed by these factory workers against management.
Fieger is already handling a lawsuit filed by surviving parents of kids who died in the Oxford, MI shootings against Oxford High's school board. He has a great chance of winning that suit. Fieger could also help these candle factory workers win their suit against their management.
unionize.
time to make unions strong again.
Sounds like managers stepped on their nuts and made a big mistake. Let’s see if they own it
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 worked at a factory that did it to me. I wanted to leave early but my foreman did not let me do when I drove home, literally I was near a funnel. No one was hurt, thank God, but to think about what could have happened.
I believe these workers were told that.
Hmm. The factory immediately denying it makes me suspicious- how could they know? It won't be company policy but I can well believe that "shopfloor" supervisors and lower management would bully workers, as higher management were keen to fulfil orders- this must be their busiest time of year and might account for over 50% of annual turnover and profit.
BUT those people doing the bullying were there, in the factory, face to face with those workers, at exactly the same risk- it's not like they went home but told the workers to stay. They will be among the dead too.
So... this sounds more like a "it'll never happen" scenario rather than anything else- this wasn't an area that commonly had tornados, and it was the "wrong" time of year.
The company may well still be liable- they should have carefully watched the weather warnings on tv and the internet and evacuated the factory earlier in the evening. Maybe if it had been daytime on a weekday and not late on a Friday evening, somebody in management would have done that.
This looks like complacency mixed with seasonal production pressures mixed with a night shift without adequate managerial oversight. One of those awful times when a combination of factors leads to a tragedy- if any one thing had been different, it would never have happened.
Finally a pragmatic thinker, best comment so far, a combination of factors agreed, but the question needs to be answered what and when were people told..what they were told.
@@rodgerarmstrong2464 I saw the woman who was trapped and posted on facebook be interviewed- she said the sirens sounded and they were instructed to take shelter, but the tornado hit almost immediately- before they could go anywhere. She didn't mention being threatened. But she might never have asked to leave.
@@alisongreen7576 I have position other than a horrible event which needs to honoured
Allison Green has the best observation on this that I have heard... she may have seen this in her life...? Let's hope the truth comes out.
@@maxsavage3998 respectfully you do not understand my comment which is what it is...I have no desire to play intellectual volleyball with you on such an horrific event...allison Green, very pointed in her detailed narrative several issues, which I accept...what you accept is up to you
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...
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 just hope they get a huge judgement against them when they get sued in court!!!!!!
And SIGNIFICANT jail time. Decades!
Unlikely, looks like the company is out of business now.
Every company I have worked for have refused to let employees leave. I worked 2 hours overtime one time . I clocked out and opened the exit door to leave and tornado warnings were going off. They didn't even warn us of any weather conditions.
Management doesn't care. They feel the chances of a tornado hitting their factory are remote.
In their minds, the show(production) must go on!!
I live in Arizona where we have a lot of dust storms. They can be deadly, and they're at least very unpleasant and hazardous to your health to be in. I was working outside in a garden center at a home store and continually asked my manager if I could close up and come in when we had a dust storm coming. The light outside had gone red and eventually the dust cloud blocked out the sun and it got incredibly dark for 2pm.
When it was almost right on top of me I finally convinced them to let me come inside. They had to come out and personally lock up the gate themselves and they took their sweet time. I was already panicking when they go there. He responded to me by saying "well it's not here yet."
And I was like
YES. YES THAT IS THE POINT.
I don't want to be here when it gets here!
I ended up quitting that job. I'm not going to risk my life for a minimum wage paycheck.
this happens worldwide and should be declared as a human's right violation of employers stopping workers from leaving to safety during a natural disaster
Don't believe any company that says they care about your safety.
Until they show you that they do!
Why does this remind me of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory disaster from a 100+ years ago? Shameful. Prayers for the families🙏🏻
Because it’s class warfare.
wasn't that one of the reasons for forming the seamstress woman's union?? / the correct the injured 🤕 from the fire and not to have insurance against this crap 💩?
ps. not currently a union member or a seamstress instead im a industrial mechanic 👨🔧 but i can see why the UAW or IBEW was founded and others like it
The wha
@@Momo-po5tn "the wha" says this generation.
@@reggiebenson9172 i mean wasnt it 100 years ago
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
There's several workers saying the same thing and they're all in different parts of the area they aren't corroborating their stories together they're in hospitals and everywhere else so I totally believe that that's what they were told
I was incredulous when I heard about the casualties at the candle factory. I couldn't believe they kept all those people working in the face of a tornado.
Whenever you light a candle please think of the people that lost their lives in this terrible catastrophe. 💔
Name the manager who said this instead of saying the "company". Put a name to it.
Who would be daft enough to stay in a warehouse, when the sirens are going off? These employees are definitely telling the truth!!!
These workers need to own this company and it's money hungry higher ups.
If it is untrue then why did so many employees stay?
Weren't there inmates working there also? You know, prison labor like China?
I while heartedly believe the employees. There was definitely pressure to stay. Employers do it all the time.
At least one supervisor left the plant to go home and ask workers to go with her She left with 8 empty seats No one left with her
They knew about the tornadoes beforehand; and kept them working. I think they should be charged with murder or homicide. Obviously, they gonna deny it. It’s like catching a criminal.
Execute the supervisors by firing squad if found guilty of murder of employees
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 it 100%, greedy businesses don’t care about employees. why didn’t this building have a solid Tornado shelter, employees always get threatened when they speak up and are told be happy you have a job.
For many years I was a disaster recovery manager for a large telephone company. My job was to convince senior management and middle management to develop disaster plans and document them. The final step was to train workers and have an actual walk through.
It took a lot of sales to get leaders to sign on. They were so busy getting today done they didn’t want to think about the possibilities in the future.
I have trouble believing you can run a factory with the scheduling they describe. Sometimes doesn’t add up at the least a communication gap.
Even though I’m retired now after forty years managing people I’m glad to see the up tick in union interest. Workers have been abused for at least the last twenty five years. Good to get balance.
You should now that Union membership is on the decline, has been for decades now. Unions are a thing of the past
Factory workers have always been abused!!! Production, and Profit, over People. Is the Moto for these Capitalists Pig's!!!!!!! Class action Lawsuits is the way to go!!! United Candle workers. And Amazon's workers.. God Bless those families.
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.
Don't think that 'being threatened' if leaving the work floor for safety in the event of possible danger is uncommon. It sounds exactly like Oreilly Auto Parts managers, and I'm sure many other production based employers.
The workers, I believed are telling the truth, about being fired if they left the factory.
The company CEO and owner and the leaders telling the employees if they leave early they would be fired. I believe the the employees.
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'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.
Unionize with militancy
✊🏻✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿
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 totally believe the workers. I experienced similar when I worked as nurse practitioner in a rural clinic in GA. Hurricane was coming through and I had an hour drive home directly in path. We were catching the Northeast quadrant of hurricane which has the worst outlying weather with tornadoes. Was told by supervisor (who was an hour away and not affected by the storm) that I couldn't close the clinic. I made the decision to close the clinic anyway. All the workers were mad at me because they would have to take vacation time. But they all lived locally. I told them they could stay but I was leaving. And without me, they couldn't see patients. But either way, I was leaving. I got reprimanded. But I tell you, I was STILL the last one to leave the clinic that day because I stayed to make sure everything taken care of and secured before I left. It was a SCARY hour drive home INTO the wind. I can't imagine the choice those workers faced. Im so sorry for everyone up there dealing with this. Sending love and hugs.
This really baffled me. Shouldn't there be a building code where such buildings are required to have a tornado shelter?
Especially when they have 110 souls on site.
This is what happens when there is no union.
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 🙏 ❤
They all should have been allowed to be with their families. This is uncalled for.
WHERE IS MICH ???????????
The owner of the Candlefactory knows hes caught With BLOOD ON HIS HANDS!
It was Christmas, the company had excess orders to fill. I totally believe the company would have threatened them with firing.
*Could you imagine being trapped under concrete wall for 6 hours?*
Of course their denieing it . Company is screwed
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. 🙏✝️
The company may not uphold employees would be fired but the supervisors could've disregarded policy. Their quotas make their lines supervisors money or bonus😥
Of course they going to deny.
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.
OSHA needs to investigate for criminal activities by the employer
Sounds like a republican boss to me ...
AND it won't be long before, REPUKES SAY IT WAS THE COMMIE. LEFT WHO MADE THEM STAY AT WORK......ROFLMAO
Most likely under liberal management with republican workers
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.
Lawyers are made for suing in this situation.
I wish their boss survived, and suffering the most painful, life long, inconvenient injuries now, plus facing lawsuit and consequence.
I very much believe that they would have been fired
Ok Jussie Smollett
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!
I dont doubt this for one second. I worked there and the candle factories in Mayfield and Fulton are notorious for treating their employees horribly. When I worked there I was making $7.25/hr and the conditions were horrible. I lasted about a month before I left.
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.
You are responsible for your own safety. If anybody puts their safety in another person's hands then that person is a moron.
Now those same employers are out of houses just like the employees, if some made it out
Collectively they should sue the company. I hope they already have a lawyer.
Detroit area attorney Geoffrey Fieger would be a good lawyer for them to choose.
Feiger is already handling a lawsuit filed by surviving parents of kids who died in the Oxford HS shootings against Oxford's school board for letting the gunman go back to class after a meeting with him and his parents. Fieger has a great chance of winning that lawsuit and he can win this lawsuit that the candle factory workers would file against their management.
The workers were still in the factory when the tornado hit. It’s pretty obvious who’s telling the truth
Greed! Nothing more.
As for that COVID policy they Factory speaks of, I know for a fact it is a lie, both my daughter and son have worked for the factory and they had a confirmed case of Covid on my Daughter's (who was pregnant at the time) shift so they sent them home until they were tested and cleared that way. When she went to return to work with the all clear note they told her she was fired for missing work. My son was at work the night the tornado hit and burried for more than 2 hrs before they freed him, said he asked if he could call us to come get him and was told if he did he better look for a new job. The Owners are not being honest about what happened. I am not saying that they are lying as that the Shift managers were the ones telling the employees they would be fired not the owners.
My warmest prayers for you and your family.
Judge Gorsuch would support Amazon in this case, just like he supported the company telling the truck driver to freeze to death for their truck.
Of course they denied it.
Ok Jussie Smollett
There is no more factory, completely destroyed. A 4 hour window, should allowed all employees to leave.
A simple question that prosecutors will ask to catch the company in their lie is: where were the workers for that shift that night, in the plant or at home?
Fired from what and by who😳 Boss and that factory not gonna be there when that storm pass 🙄
This is why we should have unions.
Yeah like they do anything but take your money.
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.
I do not beleive that. I do know that if anyone had left the factory and had been killed in the toronado the family could sue the factory for letting them leave. Sometimes you are safer staying put than out running around. This is / was a no win situation for these folks no matter where you were
Well said.
Insurance companies are not working unless????
I believe this 💯. Because the DOLLAR is more worthy than a HUMAN.