One worker said Impact Plastics managers would not let employees leave, which company denies
Several employees at a plastics factory in eastern Tennessee were killed during Hurricane Helene or are missing, amid warnings that the storm’s current death toll of more than 130 is likely to rise substantially as subsiding floodwaters allow rescuers to search through the wreckage.
Impact Plastics confirmed there had been fatalities at its plant in Erwin but did not say how many people had been killed. The company said there were missing and deceased employees as well as a contractor.
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Jacob Ingram, a mold changer at the company, told the Knoxville News Sentinel that as the flooding started, managers instructed employees to move their cars away from the rising water – but would not let them leave. “They should’ve evacuated when we got the flash flood warnings, and when they saw the parking lot,” he said to the newspaper. "When we moved our cars, we should’ve evacuated then … we asked them if we should evacuate, and they told us not yet, it wasn’t bad enough.
If you’re in danger from humans, fire, or disaster I don’t give a shit if you might lose your job.
Leave.
They were threatened with loss of their livelihoods, and disinformed of the risk to their lives.
Moreover, loss of income before winter is a death sentence.
Loss of income in a rural area where the boss will tell all his buddies at the Irish pub to blacklist you from being hired
Liberals love sneering at working class folk using thinly veiled “advice”
Oh just find a better job that pays more with less stress. Just move, or just buy a truck that can ford the water. Just quit! Just form a union, it’s that simple!
Meanwhile if anything makes them feel the slightest bit uncomfortable they lose their shit, let alone if something stops them from their daily Starbucks.
I have never in my life heard advice from libruls like you describe. I don’t know what kool-aid you’re drinking.
As the other poster pointed out. They’re using the term with reference to economic liberalism. What the US was founded upon. What we today generally refer to as capitalism. Economic liberalism is a mouthful. It was generally shortened to liberalism and it’s adherence called liberals. The modern use of the term is a warping of that. Realistically wealthy Democrats and Wealthy Republicans are both liberals. Just not the Liberals you would be referring to with the term liberal. You’re using it as slang they’re using it as a proper noun/term.
it’s largely the american right who call the left liberals, anyone on the left who identifies as a liberal should reconsider their use of the term.
These are the edgy ml “liberals” right? Just checking.
They didn’t live in Alaska lol
Next time you volunteer at a shelter, ask the folks you’re helping which is the most dangerous season.
Totally. My wife works in a skyscraper and they had a fire on the 6th floor and were told not to leave while the firefighters investigate. She’s on the 25th, so I told her to leave anyway until they can clear the fire. Why risk it? By the time the FF arrive and clear it, it could be too late with people flooding the stairwells to get out.
Exactly. If firefighters need to check it out, I’m taking that as a reason to distrust the structure.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xYfH8nftFpw
Here’s an interview with a survivor. It is infuriating.
I wonder if Terry was okay during the storm, since it took him ten fucking minutes to call back to say they were allowed to go home.
Another win for greed, capitalism and the American way!
In this case, I hope the family members and employees file a massive lawsuit against Impact Plastics.
tragic company name
Hopefully what’s left of the business is sued into the ground for such willful negligence
It’s just going to get blamed on whatever mid level manager relayed the instructions.
“Use your best judgement.” WINK WINK
If the manager had sent everyone home and the factory wasn’t destroyed, they’d get fired for it.
Name for shame. I only find “plastic factory” and “company”?
People should know where they don’t want to work.
It’s in the body of the post; the company is called Impact Plastics.
Ah, thanks! Didn’t see that.
The south. You don’t want to work, or live in the south.
They didn’t pass right to work because they love workers.
Your life is more valuable than your livelihood. Idk why in anyone’s right mind would even be there during a hurricane
The thing is you never expect it to get so bad that you might die it’s more like you think you’ll be stuck at work overnight or something like that and unfortunately it’s not worth losing your livelihood over having to spend a night at work. Unfortunately by the time people realize how bad it is it’s usually too late.
Because they are undocumented and are afraid their employer will have them deported if they don’t do what they’re told. That’s one reason.
There is no proof of this and no the odds of this being why they didn’t leave is so low. Most people in small rural towns don’t have options of employment, so factory work is really all they have access to. It’s a reason why small rural towns die when the mine or factory shuts down.
You have the disposable income to be able to post online. You can afford some sort of device and internet access. You probably don’t worry about how you are going to eat tonight.
There aren’t a lot of jobs in these shit hole places. There aren’t a lot of social services. Lose your job and starve versus stay and hope things pass over.
Yes I own a home but I’m broke as fuck between paychecks. I have less than $100 in my bank account to last two weeks until my next paycheck. Do I live frugal and have a wife and a son.
This is literally some triangle shirtwaist shit
Will they be personally accountable for that faulty decision?
We have performed a detailed investigation and determined the responsibility was entirely the fault of 2nd junior line supervisor Ricky, who was hired last week and has been fired.
Holding people financially accountable for the crimes they pay others to commit is bad for “the economy”. I’m not even exaggerating.
When I worked at a shop we always joked (/s) that toolboxes had wheels on them so if the shop ever catches on fire we can just roll tf out and find new jobs down the street.
