this post was submitted on 01 Oct 2024
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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.

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[–] scripthook@lemmy.world 17 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago) (2 children)

Your life is more valuable than your livelihood. Idk why in anyone’s right mind would even be there during a hurricane

[–] Spaceballstheusername@lemmy.world 9 points 57 minutes ago

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.

[–] frostysauce@lemmy.world 2 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

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.

[–] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 1 points 30 minutes ago

Because they are undocumented

I didn't hear that anywhere. Usually it's just people trying not to lose their job in a region where they're scarce, and playing the odds with the severity.

[–] skuzz@discuss.tchncs.de 25 points 3 hours ago

NBC news had an article that not once mentioned that employees said they were not allowed to leave. Just that the company said what the company said publicly. Totally pro-corpo.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/hurricane-tennessee-deaths-plastic-factory-rcna173351

[–] Gammelfisch@lemmy.world 27 points 3 hours ago (2 children)

In this case, I hope the family members and employees file a massive lawsuit against Impact Plastics.

[–] CosmicTurtle0@lemmy.dbzer0.com 20 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

It wouldn't surprise me if the business is leveraged so that any lawsuit, while successful, would be like squeezing blood from a stone.

And unless they can pierce the corporate veil, the CEO can't be held personally liable.

God, I fucking hate corporate personhood.

[–] AliasAKA@lemmy.world 5 points 1 hour ago

I think in this case an argument could be made for personal culpability, and I for one hope they are charged with manslaughter.

[–] Num10ck@lemmy.world 5 points 3 hours ago

tragic company name

[–] b161@lemmy.blahaj.zone 20 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

At least they died making a line go up in the bank account of some rich people who already have more than enough money than they know what to do with.

[–] pivot_root@lemmy.world 8 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago)

The line must always go up.

And by line, I mean ladder. Pulled up by the people who got in early or had nepotistic connections. While they tower above us and demand we run inside a hamster wheel for the privilege of being alive.

Oh boy do I love our currently-fucked society.

[–] EmpathicVagrant@lemmy.world 84 points 5 hours ago (4 children)

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 86 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

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

[–] Gullible@sh.itjust.works 32 points 3 hours ago (2 children)

Moreover, loss of income before winter is a death sentence.

[–] Frozengyro@lemmy.world 18 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

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.

[–] EmpathicVagrant@lemmy.world 6 points 3 hours ago

Exactly. If firefighters need to check it out, I’m taking that as a reason to distrust the structure.

[–] Fester@lemm.ee 12 points 3 hours ago

Live to sue another day.

[–] Rooskie91@discuss.online 3 points 3 hours ago

That's part of the issue. I don't think many people thought the hurricane was going to cause the damage it did until it actually happened.

[–] betheydocrime@lemmy.world 50 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xYfH8nftFpw

Here's an interview with a survivor. It is infuriating.

[–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 5 points 3 hours ago

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.

[–] cccrontab@lemmy.world 48 points 4 hours ago (2 children)

Another win for greed, capitalism and the American way!

[–] DeathsEmbrace@lemm.ee 15 points 4 hours ago

If you think you aren’t just a number. Remember this day.

[–] Heikki@lemm.ee 3 points 2 hours ago

What's truly sad is that people will defend working through life-threatening conditions and just think of it as American Exceptionalism.

[–] Catoblepas@lemmy.blahaj.zone 26 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

My siblings live in an area affected by Helene, and I thank fucking god the one that works in a warehouse has the Gen Z attitude of “get fucked lol” when it comes to employers.

When the worst of the storm was coming through the stance of county 911 was that if you call they’re not coming unless someone is about to die. And yet some of these companies expect people to risk their lives to show up for $10-15 an hour? It’s insane.

I understand why everyone can’t just tell their employer to go fuck themselves, it’s just a horrible situation if you ever find yourself in the position of having to make the call of, ‘do I lose my job for what may or may not be a genuine emergency?’

[–] Gammelfisch@lemmy.world 13 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Red States like cheap labor with the life is cheap attitude.

[–] ShepherdPie@midwest.social 12 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

That's why they're "pro birth" because they need more bodies to fill the meat grinder.

[–] sin_free_for_00_days@sopuli.xyz 5 points 2 hours ago

pro forced birth.

[–] PriorityMotif@lemmy.world 3 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

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.

[–] catloaf@lemm.ee 2 points 1 hour ago

I suppose it depends on the job, but for mechanics that's just true, since they own their tools (or will once they finish paying off the snapon guy).