At least 10 state road workers at Caltrans maintenance yards have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last two weeks, according to notices sent to employees.

The union representing the workers filed a grievance over the infections on Monday, saying the department isn’t doing enough to protect workers’ safety.

“I’m just extremely alarmed by the increasing numbers,” said Steve Crouch, director of public employees for the International Union of Operating Engineers, who filed the grievance.

The 10 positive tests occurred at nine different Caltrans stations from June 16 to June 28, according to emails warning employees that their coworkers tested positive.

Crouch said the positive tests have accelerated in the last two weeks. The virus has been spreading in California as the state has gradually reopened. About 217,000 people in California have tested positive so far and nearly 6,000 have died, according to a state tracker.

Most of the positive Caltrans tests were reported in maintenance shops near Los Angeles and in the Bay Area. Infections were also reported at remote stations in the southeastern section of the state and at the McGee Creek maintenance station near Yosemite National Park, according to the emails.

“The department strictly follows recommendations issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and California Department of Public Health,” Caltrans spokesman Matt Rocco said in an email. “As part of these guidelines, the department notifies and coordinates with the local health department and temporarily closes and thoroughly disinfects maintenance yards or any Caltrans building associated with a positive COVID-19 test.”

Overall, Caltrans has reported 52 positive COVID-19 cases, Rocco said. He said Caltrans’ critical activities are not impacted by the temporary closures.

The emails show big differences in how regional supervisors treated the infections.

Many closed offices for one or two days to clean and disinfect the spaces. Supervisors told workers to telework when possible, wear masks, disinfect equipment, to maintain social distancing and to take other measures.

Yet the McGee Creek email didn’t include any information about cleaning or closures.

An email regarding an infection at El Centro Sub Shop, near Descanso in the southeastern part of the state, said only that the organization would continue taking steps to disinfect the space and “maintain a healthy and safe environment.”

The other stations with positive tests in the last two weeks are the Magana Ortega maintenance station in Bloomington, the Torrance maintenance yard, the Bernal maintenance facility, the Monrovia maintenance station, the Pomona yard, a shop in Pacifica and a station in Vidal, according to the emails.

The union grievance over the infections says trucks, equipment and tools aren’t being sanitized between uses and that no one is being pre-screened for COVID-19 symptoms before entering maintenance yards or buildings.

Crouch said workers aren’t receiving sufficient time to disinfect large pieces of equipment, and they haven’t been trained in things like how often or how extensively they should be using disinfectant.

Workers, who have been issued two masks, need more masks, the grievance says.

The grievance requests a meeting with Caltrans to discuss ways to improve protections for workers.

This story was originally published June 30, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "State road workers from at least nine Caltrans stations test positive for COVID-19 in 2 weeks."