Longtime worker at Central Valley raisin plant dies of coronavirus
A longtime employee of Sun-Maid who was among the first at the Kingsburg raisin plant to become sick with coronavirus has died.
Company officials did not name the employee, citing privacy reasons. But they did confirm his death.
“This person worked at our Kingsburg facility and was last at a Sun-Maid facility on April 4. Their family and loved ones are in our thoughts,” said Matt Babiarz, human resource manager for Sun-Maid. “We are taking time to support Kingsburg colleagues during this difficult situation.”
Several Sun-Maid co-workers identified the employee as 60-year-old Leo Diaz, who had worked for more than two decades with the company. He was a machine operator.
Co-workers said Diaz was one of the first employees to be stricken by the highly contagious virus. He died in mid-May, after fighting the illness for more than a month.
“He was a great guy, always saying hi to people,” said Solomon Barela, a 43-year employee and a friend of Diaz. “There is a lot of sadness at work.”
Diaz is the only Sun-Maid employee to die from COVID-19.
Since March there have been 14 workers who have tested positive for the virus. And Babiarz said he believes that a majority of those got COVID-19 due to exposure via a family member at home.
“To address work safety and keep our teams informed, we hold weekly meetings to share updates with employees and continue to recommend vigilance at home, and staying home if anyone feels any symptoms,” Babiarz. “We have a very clear and cautious process in place to immediately act with all team members who may have been exposed to any employee who tested positive, and Sun-Maid took swift action with each reported case.”
Sun-Maid, whose corporate headquarters are in Fresno, is a centuries-old cooperative made up of raisin farmers in the central San Joaquin Valley. The company employs about 600 people.
This story was originally published June 17, 2020 at 5:48 PM.
