Member-only story
One Day In a Warehouse
A candid look into the working class struggle
I just returned from a training session in a warehouse. For the sake of the company’s anonymity, and so as not to breach the non-disclosure agreement I signed, I will not give too many specifics as to the company or the exact nature of the work done. Rather, I seek to illuminate a world into which many never venture, and from which many more never venture out.
The first thing that struck me as I waited for my training to start was how busy everyone was. Those who were not actively on task seemed to be constantly on-call and diagnosing problems of the active workers. The people in the break room, in which I was instructed to wait, had a glazed look and did not venture to speak.
Social distancing measures were being constantly mentioned by various managers but seldom upheld. Distances between people frequently encroached on six inches, rather than constituting the advised six feet. Further, more than one person coughed loudly and dryly on the job, leading me to wonder how many COVID-19 cases might be discovered if warehouse-wide testing were to occur.
I was one of the few wearing a mask, and the only one wearing one in my training group. I decided to keep it on because the alternative would elevate my risk of getting seriously sick, and because one of my…
