Employees of a Wisconsin-owned private company owned by two major Republican donors in the U.S. have faced significantly higher rates of Covid-19 infection and have filed numerous occupational safety complaints with federal authorities, according to an investigation by Guardian on Uline.
Dick and Liz Uihlein, the billionaire founders of the packaging and office supplies company Uline, who were dubbed the “most powerful conservatives you’ve ever heard of,” have been critical of stay orders. at home in Wisconsin and, some employees fear, considerable political influence in trying to challenge state safety rules.
An internal document seen by The Guardian shows that at least 14% of Uline’s corporate workforce has tested positive for Covid-19 since last April, compared to 8.7% of Kenosha County’s population. , where the company’s corporate office is located.
Nearly 19% of the company’s Illinois jobs have tested positive, 23% of its workforce is based in California and nearly 27% of its workforce is in Texas.
A complaint filed with federal workers ’safety regulators, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which was received in July 2020, described occupational hazards that include: social distancing guidelines do not apply; dress in loose masks in the office; allow symptomatic employees to continue working without facial covers; and employees are forced to return to work in close contact with others, even when they could work feasibly from home.
In one case, the complaint also noted that the company held a “lunch and learn” meeting with former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. A photograph of the meeting showed maskless employees sitting nearby listening to Walker, a Republican, who was also standing without a mask.
Uline declined to comment.
In response to Osha, documents viewed by The Guardian show that Uline told federal regulators in his July response that he had maintained his “culture in the office,” but that he had allowed employees to work remotely “when it was possible “.
The company also said it had established special accommodations for people who were considered “high-risk” according to CDC guidelines, “on a case-by-case basis.”
Uline also said he “encouraged” wearing masks in common areas and when traveling around the building and that disposable masks had been made available to customers and employees “for free”.
Osha said in a letter to the employee who filed the complaint that he believes the “case can be closed” based on Uline’s response.
Current and former employees interviewed by The Guardian describe a work environment they believe takes a random approach to security and in which the conservative political views of the founders, including their opposition to Wisconsin home stay orders , which Uline said they respected – permeate the work environment.
Workers at Uline’s corporate offices must also comply with strict dress rules, including women, make sure the dress jacket is closed when walking around the building and wear pantyhose with skirts from November to April.
“Official HR stuff will say ‘distance,’ but most people don’t distance themselves. Liz has meetings without masks,” said an employee who agreed to speak to The Guardian.
“Honestly, I feel like Liz and Dick are so powerful that they can do whatever they want. I think the government is not even able to protect the people here, ”said the employee.
Part of the feeling of helplessness, the person said, came from knowing the political power the uihleins have. The couple donated $ 80 million to Republican candidates and causes in the 2020 election, including to support Donald Trump’s campaign.
Richard Uihlein has almost alone funded an Illinois-based political action committee with a $ 24.5 million donation to the 2020 election cycle. The group, called Restoration Pac, spent nearly $ 19 million attacking Democratic candidates in the last election cycle, in eight races. Seven of the eight Democrats attacked by the group, including Joe Biden, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, won their careers. Restoration PAC lists four top priorities on its website: “stop the antifa,” defund Planned Parenthood, “support the police,” and implement electoral identification laws.
The Guardian previously reported that the Uihleins pressed against Wisconsin rules to stay home during the previous stage of the pandemic, and claimed the crisis had been “overestimated.” Later, the couple tested positive for Covid-19. Among other actions, the couple distributed a petition to employees for Democratic Gov. Tony Evers to be removed from office. Then, last April, Liz Uihlein told The Guardian in a brief phone interview that only 15 Uline employees had tested positive for the virus.
Experts who closely follow Wisconsin politics say the Uihleins have been a powerful force shaping politics across the state, including support for Republican lawmakers and former Gov. Walker, allies of the U.S. who now act as judges in the state supreme court.
“During the pandemic we had heard complaints that public health guidelines were not taken as seriously as they should be and that employees were told to go in to work in person, even though you know they knew they could do it. his job remotely, ”said Melissa Baldauff, a Democratic strategist and former senior aide to Governor Evers.
He added: “They were certainly one of the strongest voices opposing the governor’s efforts to keep people safe … It’s a pretty fantastic strategy if you can afford it, buy the legislature and buy the [state] Supreme Court. That way it will ensure you victory, no matter what happens. Essentially, they got two out of three branches of government. “