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John,
I got sick during my shift at McDonald's – I had a headache, my legs and feet ached, and I felt hot. I told my manager I felt sick and I wanted to go home, and that wearing the mask made it hard to breathe. He said, “There is no one to cover for you, just pull the mask down,” so I did.
It wasn't until my 10-month-old son had a 104 degree fever that we got tested – we both had it.
McDonald's KNEW I had worked in a cramped kitchen alongside others who tested positive, and they didn't tell me.
They decided profit was more important than my life – and the life of my sweet child.
This right here is another example of what violence and neglect for the lives of workers of color looks like. And I won't stay silent. We can't stay silent.
SIGN: Demand McDonald's put our lives before profit.
As if the complete disregard for my life wasn't enough, that's not all they did.
When the pandemic first started, my manager at McDonald's told me to use a dog diaper as a mask. A dog diaper.
When my colleagues tried to call in sick, they were told they couldn't. They were instructed to come into work, despite the fact that as many as 11 of us work in our cramped store at any one time.
When I tested positive, they wouldn't agree to give me paid sick leave. How am I supposed to quarantine from my partner who's at risk, take care of my sick baby, AND pay the bills?
We went on strike, shutting down the store and we filed an official complaint with the county Public Health Department. Our demands to McDonald's:
- Pay for our quarantine and a two-week paid quarantine period
- Company-paid medical costs
- Proper personal protective equipment
- Deep cleaning of the store
We refuse to be exploited by a corporation that makes billions off the backs of Black and Brown Americans like me being paid poverty wages and risking our lives to flip burgers.
Tell McDonald's: Employees must come FIRST in any plan to reopen your restaurants.
Yamile Osoy
McDonald's Worker
Oakland, CA
Fight for $15
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