Michigan lawsuit over COVID risks for disaster cleanup workers ends in settlement - Detroit Metro Times

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Michigan COVID Cleanup Workers Reach Settlement in Dispute Over Health and Safety.

A lawsuit against disaster recovery workers who were allegedly put in hazardous conditions during early pandemic cleanup work in mid-Michigan has been resolved through a confidential settlement. The case, filed by the Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice, named several contractors and subcontractors involved in flood-recovery work after the May 2020 dam failures and flooding in the Midland area.

According to the lawsuit, over 100 workers were recruited from out of state to perform cleanup and remediation work at multiple sites, including a hospital and several locations in or near Midland. The workers alleged they were housed four to a hotel room with two people sharing a bed, transported in crowded vans, and required to gather indoors for daily briefings without social distancing.

The complaint also alleged that the defendants failed to implement basic COVID-era safeguards, including proper preparedness plans, training, screening protocols, adequate protective equipment, sanitation measures, and procedures for responding to confirmed infections. As workers began experiencing symptoms and some tested positive, public health officials advised them to remain in Michigan to isolate or quarantine but reportedly failed to provide clear guidance, leading to their termination.

The lawsuit claimed that the workers contracted COVID-19 and experienced severe illnesses, including hospitalizations requiring ventilator support. The Sugar Law Center said the agreement resolves allegations that workers were denied proper protections while performing essential disaster-recovery work during the pandemic's early phase.

Industry representatives expressed hope for meaningful industry-wide change to protect disaster-recovery workers in future emergencies. "We believe that this outcome confirms the right of all workers to health and safety at work, even during a pandemic," said Saket Soni, executive director of Resilience Force. The lawsuit sends a message that worker safety must be prioritized, according to John Philo, executive director of the Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice.

Named defendants in the case included several contractors and subcontractors involved in disaster recovery work, including SERVPRO Industries LLC, BTN Services LLC, and Favreau, Wallace, Rush, Schmidt, Inc. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
 
This is just so messed up 🤯. Those workers were put through hell and nobody was held accountable for what happened to them. I mean, can you imagine being stuck in a hotel room with three other people and having to share a bed? And then on top of that, they're expected to go out there and work in the middle of a pandemic without even basic protection? It's insane 💥.

I'm so glad that some justice is finally being served, but it's just too late for those workers who got sick. My heart goes out to them and their families 🤕. We need to make sure that this kind of thing never happens again and that disaster recovery workers are treated with the respect and care they deserve 💪.

It's also interesting to see the industry reps jumping on board and saying that they want meaningful change. It's about time we prioritize worker safety over profits 🤑. This lawsuit is a wake-up call for all of us to make sure that our first responders and disaster recovery workers are protected, no matter what.
 
man, this is so messed up 🤯 they gotta treat those cleanup workers like dirt, no social distancing, crappy conditions, and then when they get sick they terminate them... what's wrong with these people? 💔 at least it looks like they reached a settlement now, but it's not like the companies are gonna learn from this, just pay up and move on 🤑 hope that some changes come outta this lawsuit, industry-wide change is needed for those guys who do hard work during emergencies... can't imagine how tough it must be for them 🤕
 
omg, this is crazy! I mean, who puts 4 people into a hotel room with one bed 🤯? And they're expectin' 'em to not get sick? That's just plain irresponsible. But, at the same time, I'm glad that these workers are gettin' some kinda justice. It's about time someone held these contractors and subcontractors accountable for puttin' people's lives in danger.

I'm also super hopeful that this lawsuit is gonna lead to some real changes in the industry. We need better protocols in place for protectin' disaster-recovery workers, especially when it comes to COVID-19. I mean, come on, we're talkin' about people who are already puttin' their lives on the line to help others. They deserve to be treated with respect and taken care of.

But, I gotta say, I'm a little skeptical about the whole "industry-wide change" thing. We've seen this kind of stuff happen before, and it usually takes a while for things to actually get implemented. Fingers crossed that this time is different, tho! 🤞
 
Man, this is a super frustrating situation for those workers 🤕. I mean, who gets sent to live with strangers in a tiny hotel room during a pandemic? It's like they weren't even treated as human beings 🙅‍♂️. And then on top of that, they're not given proper gear or guidance to deal with COVID - it's just crazy. I'm glad something was done about it, though 🙏. Hopefully this settlement will lead to some big changes in the industry so workers like them are treated better in the future 💪.
 
🤔 I think this is a much-needed victory for those who toiled during the pandemic cleanup efforts 💪. It's unacceptable that workers were put in such hazardous conditions without proper safeguards 🚫. The fact that they were forced to share hotel rooms, gather indoors with no social distancing, and didn't receive adequate protective equipment is appalling 😷. Thankfully, this settlement brings some measure of justice to those who suffered the consequences 💼.

It's heartening to see industry representatives acknowledging the importance of prioritizing worker safety 🙏. We need more voices like Saket Soni and John Philo advocating for the rights of essential workers 👥. This case highlights the need for clear protocols, training, and preparedness measures to protect workers during public health crises 💡.

I hope this outcome serves as a catalyst for meaningful industry-wide change 🚀. We must ensure that those who put their lives on the line during disasters are treated with dignity and respect 💕. This settlement is a small step towards achieving that goal 💪.
 
I'm glad to hear that some accountability has been reached out for those workers who were put through a tough time during the pandemic. It's just sad that they had to go through all that without proper protection and guidance from their employers... :(

The whole situation is pretty messed up, if you ask me. I mean, it's one thing to be in a disaster recovery situation, but not being able to keep your workers safe? That's just basic human decency. And the fact that they were housed like sardines and didn't have access to proper PPE... it's just unacceptable.

I'm all for industry-wide change now. Workers' health and safety shouldn't be an afterthought during a pandemic or any other time. It's good to see some of these companies acknowledging their mistakes and wanting to make things right. Fingers crossed that this settlement leads to more changes in the future 🤞
 
man this is just crazy what those workers had to go through during that pandemic cleanup work no way they should've been treated like that 4 guys sharing a bed in a hotel room? crowded vans daily briefings without social distancing? it's a miracle some of them didn't get sick or worse 🤯 and now they're getting compensation, which is about time, i hope this settlement leads to some major changes in the industry so these workers can be protected better next time around 💪
 
man I'm glad this lawsuit got resolved for those workers 🙏, but it's crazy they had to go through all that in the first place. four people sharing a bed? crowded vans? no social distancing? that's just insane 🤯. and to make matters worse, they get terminated when they show symptoms of COVID 🤢. I mean, come on, prioritize their health and safety! industry-wide change is definitely needed here 💪. at least the execs are saying all the right things about prioritizing worker safety, but we'll see how that plays out in practice 🤷‍♂️. hope those workers get some semblance of justice and fair compensation for what they went through 😊
 
omg y'all can't even imagine how crazy those guys had it 🤯 they were literally packed like sardines into hotel rooms no social distancing in the middle of a pandemic what's next?! 😱 i'm glad the sugar law center is fighting for these workers to get the justice they deserve, like proper protective equipment and sanitation measures. this settlement is a major win but let's be real, industry-wide change needs to happen ASAP 🚧💪
 
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