SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — Achut Deng is a mother of three children who has worked at the Smithfield Food pork packing plant for six years–and she’s recently recovered from the coronavirus.
She was one of five packing plant employees who are also members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union from around the country who talked about their working conditions, their employers, their health, and what they would like to see governments, plant owners, and the union do to help get them back to work safely.
She is also unhappy with Gov. Kristi Noem’s comments about 99% of the infections came from the families and communities that work at the plant.
The Zoom teleconference was set up for reporters across the country this afternoon. It also featured top union officials. Journalists could ask any questions they wanted.
Below is a transcript of Deng’s comments, edited for clarity.
I work with Smithville as a lead person, also as a (union) steward. Pretty much when this started, before this started, we all knew about it, back, I would say back in January.
I heard from my union and so did others and then the company afterward again. Did we take it too serious? I didn’t. And so with most of my coworkers. The union did give us awareness of washing hands and to try to keep such a distance thing. It was too hard to do that because at our, at my workplace, people are working shoulder to shoulder.
I got sent home on the (March) 28th. And then a couple of days later, I got the symptoms. I got tested on the 2nd of April.
My test results came back two days later and yes, I tested positive for COVID-19. I was very devastated. It was very hard for me to deal with because I’m at home with three little ones. One of them got infected. Of course, he got it from me. It was a hard thing to deal with.
I was scared, didn’t know what to do at that point. I’m at home with them. It was hard for me. That’s all I can say as far as that goes. I was very scared.
As far as the company goes, I will say the union did the best to bring the awareness back to the company, to the people I know on (March)21st, I did talk to our (local) union president.
That was the first time I saw people around with the sanitizer and the wipes. And I asked what was And he (local president) did explain to me, that the people are cleaning up pretty much everything that the people touch. (Things like) microwaves handles the doors and the bathroom doors and the offices.
I was very pleased about that, that it was taking place. Um, so that’s what, um, took, took place at the time.
I’m trying to stay positive right now. It’s very hard when you are at home sick and trying to take care of the little one, trying to keep the distance thing at the same time.
And then there are people out there that we are to blame, the refugee in a way, Kristi Noem said that 99% (of the people who got COIVD-19 at Smithfield) came from people’s backgrounds–refugees and immigrants. To me is it’s ridiculous in a way, because I got it as a single mom, live at home with my kids, with my three kids that have nothing to do with being immigrants.
Where (else) did I get it? (the coronavirus)
