COLUMBIA, S.C. — Workers are striking today over what they say are unsafe working conditions. . Customer service employees in Georgia, North Carolina as well as here in South Carolina spent the day protesting for change.
Around noon on Tuesday afternoon, people stood outside the entrance to a local supply chain management facility. They say they are part of the Union of Southern Service Workers (USSW).
They are gathered to protest what they claim are unsafe working conditions at a variety of businesses ranging from fast food restaurants, to convenience stores and supply chain management facilities like the one they protested in front of.
Sersie Cobb works at the facility. He says he has made complaints to the company about the lack of personal protective equipment like goggles while operating heavy construction equipment.
Cobb also filed his own complaint with South Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). We contacted OSHA, who says it has opened an investigation on March 29 into the matter.
Steffany Blann is also a part of the union. She has worked at a convenience store locally for two and a half years.
Blann tells me she feels unsafe at work because she says she works the late night shift alone.
"We all deserve safety in the workplace and the corporations are cutting back labor and hours," Blann explains.
Tyisha Gibbs is also in customer service, but is not with a union. She thinks this method of protest might not be effective.
"You’re missing out on money. Rent too high for that. Food too high for that," Gibbs shares.
She says a private conversation with individual employers might work better.
"Just have an employee meeting. Tell your manager you need to talk, you feel unsafe. Let your manager know what’s going on," she details. "Maybe y'all can put y'all heads together, come up with a safety way of letting y’all work and still be safe, even if it’s hiring security or hiring an extra person to work on your shift."
Nikhil Kesar is a manager at a series of separate gas stations on Garner's Ferry. He says when employees came to him in the past about feeling unsafe at work, he established bulletproof gas around registers and ensures at least two people are working every shift.
"I think it’s better if they come to me straightforward and ask instead of dong some type of protest because we can work it out," Kesar explains. "Sometime it’s a one-on-one situation so it would be easier that way instead of getting everybody else involved."
The workers protesting today say that they did so to raise awareness of what they call unsafe working conditions. They want osha to perform more routine safety inspections across the customer service industry.