California McDonald's workers in 'dog diaper' lawsuit win more coronavirus safety measures
Oakland Mickey D's location must bolster health and safety measures amid the coronavirus crisis, judge rules
A McDonald's in Oakland, Calif. must bolster its health and safety measures amid the coronavirus crisis in order to reopen, a judge has ruled.
An Alameda County judge has issued a temporary restraining order requiring the Mickey D's location to implement better protective protocol, Bloomberg Law reported on Tuesday of the "dog diaper" suit.
A group of workers employed at that Golden Arches branch recently filed suit against the franchised location, alleging that the restaurant provided them with makeshift, inadequate PPE. (iStock) (iStock)
A group of workers employed at that Golden Arches branch recently filed suit against the franchised location, alleging that the restaurant provided them with makeshift, inadequate personal protective equipment (PPE) to wear while on duty, such as face masks created from dog diapers and coffee filters. The employees also said they were asked to come to work even if they were sick, per the San Francisco Chronicle.
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What's more, the plaintiffs claimed, the Mickey D's was responsible for at least 25 local cases of COVID-19, the Chronicle reports, including 11 workers who tested positive for the viral disease.
The 4514 Telegraph Ave. branch is originally said to have closed on May 26.
Moving forward, the Oakland McDonald's must provide adequate PPE for employees, conduct temperature checks for workers and enforce safe physical distancing inside the restaurant in order to reopen.
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"We are glad the court took action both by imposing conditions on the store's re-opening and setting a quick hearing on the workers' request for additional safety measures," the plaintiffs' lawyer B.J. Chisholm told Bloomberg Law of the news.
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"These measures are necessary to guard against the further spread of COVID-19 and to ensure the health and safety of the workers and their families."
A hearing is set for July 2, during which the franchisee can argue against the order being changed to a preliminary injunction.
The owner of the Oakland franchise in question has denied the accusations, telling FOX Business that the branch has followed government guidance regarding the distribution of mandatory PPE.
"The use of PPE in our restaurants, including masks and gloves, is absolutely mandatory and has been provided to our crew members," said Michael Smith, McDonald's owner-operator. "We personally purchased 3,000 masks and 500 sets of gloves for a total of 375 employees in our organization in an effort to further mitigate any risk of transmission in any of our restaurants."