Monthly Archives: April 2020

Keeping every UFCW member safe on the job is our top priority as we work to combat this outbreak. The International’s Legislative and Political Action (LAPAD) and Digital Departments have been working with locals to reach out to federal, state, and local officials to secure essential status and expand benefits for our members on the front lines.

In Congress, the LAPAD and locals secured national economic relief for our members in the CARES Act, which was passed in March. This legislation provides up to $1,200 for members earning less than $75,000 a year (or $2,400 for a married couple making less than $150,000).  Members can also now wait until July to file federal taxes, and health insurance plans are mandated to cover COVID-19 testing and treatments. The department plans to launch a new campaign to put pressure on federal lawmakers to make sure our members receive the additional protections and support they need in the next stimulus package.

On the state level, the LAPAD has been working hand in hand with locals across the country to ensure that our message is getting to governors and other local elected officials. The focus of this campaign has been getting protections and benefits for members in grocery stores and food processing facilities. These protections and benefits include free childcare, access to personal protective equipment, free testing and treatment for COVID-19, and other benefits that could be extended by governors and local officials.

The department is also working with and pushing governors to issue safety standard executive orders for workers in these industries. Governors who have deemed our work essential have been targeted to pull down federal block grant money for childcare, which was included in the CARES Act. Because of our efforts, states have expanded childcare access for our members and some states like Illinois and Minnesota are providing it for free.

In addition to organizing calls with elected officials and sending letters, the LAPAD has been working closely with the Digital Department to generate over 40,000 emails to governors, as well as 1,200 tweets.  Digital ads have been created to target 10 states (Arizona, Colorado, Ohio, Wisconsin, California, Kansas, Indiana, Georgia, Connecticut and Missouri). These ads have been sent to our members to encourage them to make their voices heard to their respective governors. As a result of these ads, nearly 10,000 members have sent emails or signed petitions directly to their governors, asking for essential status classification, added benefits, and access to testing as it becomes available.

“We know our members are working during unprecedented times and want to make sure we are doing everything we can to support locals on the frontline of this pandemic and hold elected officials accountable to promises made to support working people,” said International Vice President and LAPAD Director Ademola Oyefeso. “We are expecting a lot more than lip service while our members’ lives are literally on the line.”

If you have any questions about what the LAPAD is doing to help locals and our members, please contact Karen Gasper at kgasper@ufcw.org. Questions regarding our digital campaign should be directed to Rachelle Netzer at rnetzer@ufcw.org.

On March 31, the UFCW and Kroger Co. announced a new increase to the pay and benefits for the company’s more than 460,000 workers across the country. The UFCW welcomed the increase as an essential investment in grocery workers who are on the front lines of the coronavirus outbreak.

The UFCW and Kroger have been working closely to ensure that these grocery workers are able to continue to provide the necessary food and supplies to their communities during the coronavirus pandemic, and the increases to pay, benefits, and protections include:

• $2 per hour pay increase which will be paid to hourly frontline associates in retail stores, manufacturing plants, distribution centers, central fills, pharmacies and contact call centers for the next three weeks at which point UFCW and Kroger will revisit discussions.
• Providing emergency paid leave: This ensures that any associates who are affected by COVID-19 – whether experiencing symptoms and self-isolating, diagnosed or placed in quarantine – can recover with the financial support they need.
• Additional cleaning and sanitizing protocols which include allowing associates to wash their hands and sanitize their registers every 30 minutes.
• Shortened store operating hours to provide ample time to allow restocking, cleaning, and to provide appropriate rest and relief for associates.
• Installing plexiglass partitions at check lanes, pharmacy and Starbucks registers across each store.
• Adding floor decals to promote physical distancing at check lanes and other counters.

In addition, the UFCW and Kroger have worked together to take several additional actions to support associates, including:

• Earlier access to pay: Beginning this week, the Kroger Family of Companies is adding ExpressPay – a new benefit that allows most hourly associates to access some of their pay faster, putting money in their pockets sooner than usual.
• Financial assistance for childcare and other needs: Kroger will make $5 million available for those facing hardship, including lack of access to childcare and for those considered high-risk due to COVID-19 through the Kroger Family of Companies Helping Hands fund.
• Employee hotline: Kroger will offer an associate hotline to answer benefit questions quickly.
• Expanded health care services: Kroger will provide access to mental health services and other benefits to support associates’ mental and physical well-being during this stressful time.

“Following talks between UFCW, America’s largest food and retail union, and Kroger, UFCW is proud to join the company today in announcing a $2 per hour wage increase, additional emergency paid leave, new workplace safety measures, and other critical worker protections,” said UFCW International President Marc Perrone in a statement.

“Working together, UFCW and Kroger have listened to workers and customers across the country to identify the most urgent needs and determine the best way to support these hard-working men and women on the front lines who are serving our communities every day throughout this national crisis,” Perrone added. “Today’s increase in pay and benefits is a good first step in our ongoing conversations with Kroger to keep customers and workers safe in stores during this crisis. We look forward to continuing to work with Kroger to strengthen support and protections for these essential workers on the front lines of this outbreak as they continue to serve families across the country.”