COVID-19 reality Putting your life on the line for a job

Coronavirus was racing through a McDonald’s franchise in Oakland, California, but Angely Rodriguez Lambert and her coworkers kept reporting for work, even as they fell ill. Illegally denied paid leave, the workers couldn’t afford to stay home, and were threatened with termination if they took time off. And with unemployment spiking amid the pandemic, quitting wasn’t an option. The McDonald’s workers had to put their lives on the line because they had no bargaining power to force their employer to enact safety precautions.