One worker said Impact Plastics managers would not let employees leave, which company denies

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.

…

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.

  • EmpathicVagrant@lemmy.world
    804·
    2 months ago

    If you’re in danger from humans, fire, or disaster I don’t give a shit if you might lose your job.

    Leave.

    • SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world
      771·
      2 months ago

      They were threatened with loss of their livelihoods, and disinformed of the risk to their lives.

        • SoJB@lemmy.mlEnglish
          924·
          2 months ago

          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.

          • Lemminary@lemmy.world
            16·
            2 months ago

            I have never in my life heard advice from libruls like you describe. I don’t know what kool-aid you’re drinking.

            • Eldritch@lemmy.worldEnglish
              71·
              2 months ago

              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.

            • sibachian@lemmy.mlEnglish
              21·
              2 months ago

              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.

    • Frozengyro@lemmy.world
      25·
      2 months ago

      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.