'COVID's Hidden Toll': a retrospective glance at the events of 2020

 

Sinthia Hernandez, source: PBS

        On Tuesday afternoon, I attended Daffodil Altan and Andres Cedille's presentation of "COVID's Hidden Toll" at Baker University Theater, a part of the Schuneman Symposium. The documentary shares the story of several agricultural workers in Salinas Valley and their struggle with the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020. In addition, the film examines the concerns workers have about the rapidly accelerating infection rates and the responses offered by their employers. Cynthia Hernandez, pictured above, expresses frustration throughout the documentary about a lack of concern among her employers regarding the virus, especially with the added risk of her health conditions- cancer and diabetes. 

    Watching the film brought back many memories from that point in time. The sense of confusion dominating the social mindset created a feeling of uncertainty that seemed to permeate every aspect of life. During the spring of 2020, I worked at an aerospace factory to save money for school. Scenes in the documentary seemed like deja vu. The HR representative's chat with the workers following a positive case among a crew, where the company offered workers the option to return to work or quit on-site, was an almost word-for-word reenactment of several team meetings I sat through at the factory. The pandemic showed that essential workers, the factory production teams, the farmworkers, and the foodservice industry workers had no real support from their employers when the going got tough. Production was the only thing on employers' minds, and nothing would stand in their way, no matter how many employees got sick or how many people lost their jobs. 

     Unemployment rates during the pandemic gave employers a hefty bargaining chip, with a majority of Americans living paycheck to paycheck. However, the documentary pointed out an added area of conflict for farmworkers in the Salinas Valley. Most undocumented workers were hesitant to complain about their employers and more hesitant to apply for government aid during the pandemic due to their immigration status. The social frustration surrounding working conditions, coupled with the increased consciousness of police brutality and race relations in the United States, led to some of the largest protests in recent memory. 

    Through more media exposure like "COVID's Hidden Toll" and community discussion regarding worker's rights, civil rights, race relations, and public health, the working class and the population can demand better from our government and our employers.