A Wenatchee fruit grower is facing $353,000 in fines for safety violations that led to a worker being buried alive in a trench collapse last fall in Othello.

Photographs obtained by the Washington Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) show multiple workers of Stemilt Ag Services LLC digging in a trench more than five feet deep and about 25-30 feet long without any type of cave-in protection such as sloping, shielding or shoring.

A crew of 10 workers was repairing an irrigation pipe when a portion of the trench caved in on one of the workers, knocking him down and burying him. His co-workers were able to uncover his face after a couple of minutes to allow him to breathe while they dug for another 10 minutes to get him out of the trench. He was taken to the hospital with multiple crush injuries to his head, face, and body.

“This could have easily ended in death, all because the employer chose to ignore rules to protect workers,” said Craig Blackwood, assistant director for L&I’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health.

L&I cited Stemilt in March with five willful serious violations in connection with the cave-in. There was no protective system inside the trench to prevent a collapse, and no ladder or way for the workers to get out of the trench within 25 feet of where they were working. The piles of dirt dug from the trench were not set back at least two feet away from the edge. Dirt piles too close to the trench can cause the walls to collapse.

Also, there was no one onsite with the knowledge needed to inspect the trench before workers went into it, and no training program for trenching and excavation work. The company was also cited for changing the scene by filling in the trench after the cave-in before L&I inspectors arrived.

Willful violations are among the most serious and mean the employer knew or should have known the safety requirements, but chose to ignore them. The company is appealing the new citation.

It’s not the first time Stemilt has been cited for trenching issues. The company was cited and fined nearly $17,000 in Quincy in 2021 for violating the same trenching safety rules.

“We hope the latest fines will be the wake-up call that motivates Stemilt to keep their workers safe, before someone is killed,” said Blackwood.

The company is now is now considered a severe violator and is subject to follow-up inspections to determine if the conditions still exist.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/16730069

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[EU S14 E21] New Energies Organizing Unions

Not sure if this is the right place to ask. But I was interested in learning about how co-ops would function, so I was looking for some reading recommendations for the same. Would also be helpfulitf it included some comparisons of real life co-ops with more hierarchical organizations in the same sector

I'm thinking about starting a rumor at work about a bonus. Eg "does anyone else know what's going on with the mid quarter bonus?" There is no bonus but wondering if a rumor gets started if it can cause management to maybe give one because of employee expectations. Do you think this will work?

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I'll respond to your email at a reasonable hour
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Self care, bad bitch, I'm a villain I'm a villain, out of office email saying zero fucks given x6

Non paywall https://archive.is/DCIVo

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/15914243

The academic workers at UCLA and UC Davis will join 2,000 already on strike at UC Santa Cruz.

Most job responses I get is they're not hiring anymore due to restructuring. Aka they just go for pure profit increase while overworking the understaffed employees. No more remote interviews either. Tons of requests to do one sided video interviews. And the pays appear lower than they were during the main pandemic, even though all prices have gone up since. I've no clue how I'll find a job, yet alone one which will cover my expenses just to exist. And the employers catch on and push abusive shit. My current job has unpaid overtime. I'm leaving, but I've no clue what fate holds.

I haven't figured out the exact date, but it'll be effective 120 after publishing in the federal register.