This article was produced by Capital & Main, which is an award-winning publication that reports from California on economic, political, and social issues. L.A. Taco is co-publishing this article.
By Dan Ross
[dropcap size=big]I[/dropcap]t was the end of November when Imelda Rosales started feeling sick, which she chalked up to several existing health problems. Still, amid a rash of coworkers falling ill with COVID-19, she went for a test herself. On Nov. 29, Rosales clocked in as usual at a Littlerock, California, McDonald’s — her employer of 11 years. By the end of the shift, however, she started to come undone with symptoms that included dizziness, sweating and loss of taste. The next day, the results came back: positive.
In a December complaint filed with the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA), Rosales detailed multiple COVID-19–related workplace issues, including failure to routinely screen employees and an unwillingness to enforce mask and social distancing mandates among customers. The complaints have proven far from unusual, with story after story emerging of COVID-related cases and deaths across industries reportedly fueled by lax workplace protections.
New rules protecting workers from COVID-19 have faced pushback lawsuits from business groups.