Junio 15, 2020
Honoring David Cruz, Agricultural Worker who Died from COVID-19 During Worker Strike in Washington
David Cruz started to feel worse in the early morning. In order to not wake up his wife, he left his house in silence and drove alone to the hospital. That is how Mr. Cruz, a worker in Washington state who died on May 31st, was – committed to his family, his coworkers, and the fight for worker justice.
After working for 12 years at the same company – Allan Bros. – David was like family to his coworkers. Together, they started to see problems in the workplace that have become common during the COVID-19 pandemic. In spite of the high risk of contracting the disease the workers faced by laboring inside the Allan Bros. warehouse with many people, the company did not institute changes sufficient that workers could protect themselves. Many people were afraid but didn’t have the resources to stop working. It was not long before 14 workers from Allan Bros. contracted COVID-19.
In Yakima County, there are hundreds of workers in warehouses with similar conditions: they don’t have free access to hand sanitizer or a place to wash their hands and it is not possible to maintain social distance. Many companies don’t even provide face masks to workers. Workers in these situations are afraid not just for themselves, but for their families, who are also vulnerable if the workers are exposed to the virus during their work.
When the Allan Bros. workers saw that their work conditions were not healthy or adequate, they started to organize. David joined the strike, which started on May 7, 2020 and was organized by the Allan Bros. Worker’s Committee composed of workers who were democratically elected by their colleagues. The workers from Allan Bros. said enough and left work.
A few days later, David started to feel sick and stayed home. When his symptoms became worse and he went to the hospital, he stayed there for 22 days until, with his wife at his side, he passed away. His sacrifice has broken the hearts of his family – in particular his wife Reyna – and of the community, who believe that if Allan Bros. had taken adequate measures before, David would be alive today. But his sacrifice has also given strength to the strike and all the workers in Washington to continue to fight for safe working conditions and pay, which are more urgent than ever in this moment of high risk due to the pandemic.
Days after David died, the Allan Bros. workers came to an agreement with the company for better protections and to continue to negotiate pay. However, many workers in other places remain on strike.
The workers remember and honor David. In a caravan of dozens of cars on June 3, workers from the whole county came together in front of the Yakima Health Department to demand better working conditions and tell David Cruz Serrano’s story.
In their hands, the workers carried posters with the writing, “Rest in power, David,” and “How many deaths from COVID-19 are necessary?” With their voices, they shouted, “We want justice, we want it now!” and “David Cruz is with us!”
If at any time you think your rights as a worker have been violated, contact el Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, Inc. All support is free and confidential.
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