DAVID: MEAT PACKING WORKERS STILL DON’T HAVE COVID-19 PRECAUTIONS IN THEIR UNION CONTRACTS. ALEXANDRA: THEY SAY THEY’RE STILL WORKING SHOULDER-TO-SHOULDER AND AREN’T GIVEN PAID DAYS OFF IF THEY GET THE VIRUS. KETV NEWSWATCH 7’S DALAUN DILLARD WAS AT THEIR PROTEST IN LINCOLN WHERE THEY’RE CALLING FOR PROTECTIONS. DALAUN: UNION MEMBERS TELL ME EMPLOYEES HERE AT SMITHFIELD ARE STILL WORKING UNDER SOME DANGEROUS CONDITIONS AND THEIR SAFETY IS BEING COMPROMISED. THEY ARE URGING THE COMPANY TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT AND URGING STATE LEADERS TO STEP IN AND HELP. [CHANTING] CHANTS, HEARD ECHOING IN LINCOLN’S HAYMARKET DISTRICT THURSDAY. UNION WORKERS, FLOOD PLANT EMPLOYEES, AND VOLUNTEERS SAY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. >> THEY NEED PROTECTION WHEN THEY GET COVID, THEY MAKE THEM WORK SICK, EVEN WITH FEVERS, THEY MADE THEM WORK. DALAUN: BERNARDO BERCERRA SAYS HE AND HIS WIFE WORKED IN A SMITHFIELD MEAT PLANT FOR 11 YEARS, AND 2020 WAS TOUGH. >> FOR ME, IT WAS PRETTY BAD, BECAUSE MY WIFE GOT SICK, MY WIFE GOT IT, MY MOM GOT IT, AND I GOT IT. WE WERE WORRIED THAT WE WERE GOING TO GET FIRED. DALAUN: THAT’S WHY UFCW LOCAL 293 IS FIGHTING BACK, NEGOTIATING A UNION CONTRACT WITH SMITHFIELD THAT INCLUDES COVID-19 SAFETY PRECAUTIONS. >> THE WORKERS HAVE BEEN ELBOW TO ELBOW IN A LOT OF CASES, EVEN WITH PLEXIGLASS DIVIDERS. YOU STILL HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE GOING TO BREAK ALL IN ONE GROUP, YOU STILL HAVE VENTILATION PROBLEMS. EVEN WITH THE PROTECTIONS THEY HAVE PUT IN, THERE ARE STILL MANY MORE THINGS THEY CAN DO. DALAUN: ERIC REEDER IS THE PRESIDENT OF LOCAL 293. >> THE COMPANY SHOWED NO INTEREST IN PUTTING COVID RESTRICTIONS IN THE CONTRACT, WHICH ILLUSTRATES WHY LB 241 IS SO IMPORTANT. DALAUN: LB 241 WOULD REQUIRE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS FOR ALL MEATPACKING WORKERS, INCLUDING THINGS LIKE SIX FEET OF SOCIAL DISTANCE, FACE MASKS, AND PAID SICK LEAVE. REEDER SAYS MEATPACKING WORKERS NEED IT. IN LINCOLN, DALAUN DILLA