A spate of coronavirus infections at an Islandia factory and warehouse illustrates the need for employers to take stronger measures to protect workers and stop the spread of the virus, officials with the union representing facility employees said.
Tomás Domínguez, 51, a shop steward for United Food and Commercial Workers Local 2013 at the Islandia factory and warehouse of Innovant, an office furniture designer and manufacturer, said at least 19 workers have tested positive for the coronavirus in the past two months, and one man died. That’s out of about 100 factory and warehouse employees, Local 2013 president Louis Mark Carotenuto said.
Francine Streich, field director for Brooklyn-based Local 2013, said employees are only allowed time off to quarantine if they test positive. In one instance, four employees rode together in a car to get tested and two tested positive — but the company denied the request by the two who tested negative for a paid quarantine, she said.
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