In 2020, the UFCW established itself as a national leader in the effort to strengthen protections and support for frontline workers during a global pandemic.
During the beginning of COVID-19 outbreak, the UFCW worked with major employers in the grocery industry to obtain a temporary designation of “extended first responders” or “emergency personnel” for grocery workers in stores across the country. We called on Congress and state governors to designate our members in the grocery, retail and food processing sectors as first responders and mandate that these workers have at least two weeks of paid leave.
Our union also called on President Trump and members of his administration to protect meatpacking and food processing workers during this pandemic, including testing and access to personal protective equipment. We called on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue mandatory guidance for grocery stores, pharmacies, and food processing facilities during the outbreak. International President Marc Perrone also testified at both a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the growing number of deaths across the food industry from COVID-19 and at a U.S. House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing on the need to protect essential workers.
Our union launched the “Shop Smart” campaign to protect our members in grocery stores, as well as a national campaign to restore hazard pay for millions of America’s frontline workers. We also worked with elected leaders around this issue and amplified the voices of our members about the importance of restoring hazard pay for frontline workers as COVID-19 cases continue to climb nationwide.
Here are the articles about the UFCW’s effort to protect our members that appeared in OnPoint this year:
UFCW Launches Shop Smart Campaign for the Holiday Season
UFCW Calls on CDC to Prioritize Essential Workers for Vaccine Access
UFCW Highlights Growing Threat to Grocery Workers on Frontlines of Pandemic This Holiday Season
UFCW ShopRite Workers Achieve New Hazard Pay Agreement
UFCW Calls for Action Following New Report on Meatpacking Outbreak
UFCW Pressures USDA to Strengthen Poultry Worker Safety
New Hazard Pay Agreement Is a Victory for Stop & Shop Workers
UFCW Criticizes Kroger’s Stock Buybacks and Cuts to Hazard Pay
UFCW: DOL Fines on Smithfield and JBS Are a “Slap on the Wrist”
UFCW Launches National Hazard Pay Campaign
UFCW and Lawmakers Condemn USDA’s Push for Faster Line Speeds in Poultry Plants
UFCW Condemns COVID-19 Gag Rules at Top Companies
Highlighting the Voices of Our Members to Restore Hazard Pay
UFCW Challenges Meat Industry Deal That Endangers Workers
UFCW and Senator Kamala Harris Call on Grocery Store CEOs to Reinstate Hazard Pay
UFCW Sues USDA Over Dangerous Line Speeds in Poultry Plants
UFCW Calls on Congress to Hold Amazon Accountable for Company Failures
UFCW Continues to Call on Grocery Chains to Implement and Enforce Mask Requirements
UFCW and U.S. Senators Call on Top Grocery Companies to Extend Hazard Pay
UFCW: Kroger’s Mask Mandate Is Long Overdue
UFCW and Over 100 Health Experts Call for Mask Mandates Nationwide
UFCW Calls on Congress to Slow Production Speeds in Meatpacking Plants
UFCW Calls on Lawmakers to Protect Retirement Benefits Endangered by Bankruptcies
UFCW Marks 100 Days of Pandemic and Demands Action to Protect America’s Frontline Workers
As COVID-19 Cases Rise, UFCW Calls on Food Retailers to Reinstate Hazard Pay
UFCW Calls on Congress to Protect Essential Workers as Coronavirus Deaths and Infections Increase
Iowa Locals Oppose Bill Exempting Businesses From COVID-19 Worker Safety Requirements
UFCW, Farmers and Ranchers Call for Better Protections at Meatpacking Plants
UFCW Calls on Top Supermarket Companies to Reinstate Hazard Pay
UFCW: New DHS Policy Exploits Coronavirus Outbreak, Threatens Safety of Workers and American Jobs
Perrone Testifies at Senate Hearing on Coronavirus Deaths and Infections Among Food Workers
UFCW Condemns Top Supermarket Chains for Ending COVID-19 Emergency Pay
UFCW Calls on President Trump and Governors to Protect America’s Meatpacking Workers and Food Supply
UFCW and Stop & Shop Request First Responder Designation for Grocery Workers
UFCW Calls on USDA and White House to Protect Meatpacking Workers and America’s Food Supply
UFCW and Kroger Call for Nation’s Elected Leaders to Designate Grocery Workers as First Responders
UFCW Calls on CDC to Issue Mandatory Guidance for Frontline Workers During Outbreak
Albertsons and UFCW Launch Joint Effort to Classify Grocery Workers as First Responders
Protecting Our Members on the Front Lines of the Coronavirus Outbreak
UFCW, Kroger Announce Increased Pay, Benefits and Protections for Workers During Outbreak
Protecting Our Members During a National Crisis
UFCW: Congress Must Strengthen First Responder Designation and Paid Leave
UFCW and Other Unions Call on CDC to Reconsider Protections During Coronavirus Outbreak
