The history of Waterloo explains how meatpacking plants became hotbeds of the virus.

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The Big Story
Mon. Dec 21, 2020

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As COVID-19 Ravaged This Iowa City, Officials Discovered Meatpacking Executives Were the Ones in Charge <[link removed]> Meatpacking was once a path to the middle class in Waterloo, where workers led the fight for civil rights. But by the time the pandemic hit, a transformed industry had assembled a workforce from the most vulnerable parts of the world. The stage had been set. by Michael Grabell and Bernice Yeung

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How the History of Waterloo, Iowa, Explains How Meatpacking Plants Became Hotbeds of COVID-19 <[link removed]> Waterloo was the site of a historic battle for labor rights and racial justice. But as the meatpacking industry changed, the workforce lost its power and was primed for an outbreak. This is how we got here. by Bernice Yeung and Michael Grabell <[link removed]>

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