'This is crazy': Meat plant workers on Trump's order compelling processing firms to stay open

Meat-processing plant workers are unhappy about United States President Donald Trump's executive order that compels plants to remain open during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Trump on Tuesday ordered meat-processing plants to stay open to protect the food supply in his country, despite concerns about coronavirus outbreak.

Trump issued an executive order using the Defense Production Act to mandate that the plants continue to function -- with concerns about food shortages and supply chain disruptions in consideration.

Also read | Trump to order meat processing plants to stay open even as they become coronavirus hot spots

The executive order, released Tuesday evening, said the closure of just one large beef-processing plant could result in 10 million fewer individual servings of beef in a day.

But these meat plant employees are among America's most vulnerable workers, and some say they expect staff will refuse to come to work.

"All I know is, this is crazy to me, because I can't see all these people going back into work," said a worker. "I don't think people are going to go back in there."

Over the past several weeks, a number of major meat suppliers have announced temporary closures as workers fell ill with COVID-19. Twenty meatpacking and food processing workers have died so far in the country.

By invoking the Defense Production Act, Trump is requiring plants to remain open with some of the most dangerous conditions during the pandemic.