My Business Is The Opposite Of Smithfield Foods I Care About My Employees And Customers

[DanieRains]

When this pandemic got rolling in Seattle we were going to try to stay open, and see what needed to be done. We had daily employee management meetings on how to protect ourselves, and our customers. Cleaning, more cleaning, hand washing, and attempts at separation wherever possible. Then Governor Inslee shut down non essential businesses because of the number of infected people walking around Washington. Mine is an essential business but I closed anyway for safety.

Why did I close my business to normal customers with an open door? Because I realized there was no way my employees, even after being warned repeatedly could stay 100% safe, and 6 feet from the customers. There was no way to do it.

We closed to the public, and can only help one customer at a time by appointment if they come in, stay by the door, and wear a mask.

I won't let my employees come back and help customers because it is too dangerous until they get a treatment for them, or me if we get infected. My employees and customer's lives mean more to me than a few more $$. I am fortunate enough to be able to sustain being closed for a while, even though it is going to hurt me financially quite a bit.

My health, my customer's health, and my employees health mean more to me than $$. If I can figure a way to be 100% safe, and I mean 100%, I will re-open when the shut down is lifted in Washington. I may wait until a cure / vaccine / treatment is available also. Have to call em as I see em.

Stay safe my friends.

Smithfield can change their operation and with extra (it will cost $$) effort make their work environment safe for their workers. So what if a pound of bacon costs $1 more. They knew their workers were going to get sick and they kept producing pork anyway. America needs food but I don't think Solyent Green is the answer.

[underpants]

1. You clearly don't view your workers as expendable and easily replaced

Smithfield is a polluting, recruiting undocumented workers into horrific conditions cess pool.

Good for you.

[SWBTATTReg]

2. Any slaughter house is this way. I grew up in Joplin MO and the hiring ads for such places...

were always, always up and running (for new hires).

Some of the people I talked to, that worked in such places, would never eat the meat that they slaughtered for the rest of their lives. I don't blame them.

But, people, as long as they have a craving for meat products, will always demand it (but they'll have to pay for it, and they should pay more for it, since the prep cost for the meat products has gone up multi-fold times...).

I was shocked at how easily these workers ALL got sick, not just one or two of them. A big chunk of them. Maybe this will raise red flags at their states' health departments but I doubt it. All such states have passed laws to protect their slaughterhouse industries, a disgusting practice that hides the dirty stuff that happens under the table, away from prying eyes.

[Midnight Writer]

3. When I was a kid, a bunch of local young farm workers went to Iowa for slaughterhouse work.

They didn't last long. They came dragging home after a couple weeks on the job.

That easy money ain't so easy.

[redstatebluegirl]

4. You view your people like my Grandpa did, as part of his family.

Hugs to you for that!