Monthly Archives: June 2021

The International’s Legal Department has compiled answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) about workplace vaccine policies in relation to workers’ rights and our union contracts.

As COVID-19 vaccines have become increasingly available throughout the country, and with new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance that permits fully vaccinated individuals to dispense with certain safety precautions, workplace vaccine policies are being implemented by many of our employers as part of their plans to return to normal business operations. The UFCW’s FAQs address whether a company’s vaccine policy is a mandatory subject of bargaining; whether a vaccine policy, or lack thereof, can violate a bargaining agreement; whether a company can request proof of a worker’s vaccine status; and whether a company can require workers to receive a vaccine. The FAQs also address what a company and a local union should do if a member has a religious or medical basis for refusing a vaccine and whether a company can fire a worker for not getting a vaccine.

“We hope these FAQs will help empower locals as they continue navigating the challenges the pandemic has presented and allow them to bargain effectively over COVID-19 vaccines and other health and safety requirements to help keep members and customers safe,” said Assistant General Counsel Amanda Jaret.

Click here to view the full list of vaccine policy FAQs. If your local has any questions or concerns about the FAQs or workplace policies, have your Region Director contact Sarai King or Amanda Jaret in the Legal Department at sking@ufcw.org and ajaret@ufcw.org.

The UFCW recently applauded President Joe Biden’s nomination of Gwynne Wilcox to serve on the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

Wilcox would make history as the first Black woman to serve on the NLRB if confirmed by the Senate. Wilcox is a partner at the law firm Levy Ratner, P.C. in New York, where she has represented unions and individual employees for over 20 years. Before joining Levy Ratner, Wilcox worked as a field attorney at Region 2 of the NLRB in Manhattan. Wilcox serves as Assistant General Counsel of 1199 SEIU and also represents several other unions before the NLRB and other administrative agencies and in arbitration, litigation, and contract negotiations. 

“President Biden’s choice of Gwynne Wilcox to serve on the NLRB sends a clear message that this White House is committed to creating a level playing field for American workers,” said UFCW International President Marc Perrone in a statement. “As this pandemic continues, millions of grocery and meatpacking workers on the front lines of COVID-19 are still facing daily health risks to ensure our families have the food we need. Essential workers across our economy need to know the NLRB is putting workers on even footing with employers, ensuring that workers get a fair shake and know that their rights are protected, and they will be safe on the job.”

“Gwynne Wilcox brings the strong experience, valuable perspective, and sound judgement needed to repair the damage done by the Trump-era NLRB and once more ensure that giant corporations are held accountable for the safety of their workers on the front lines of this pandemic,” Perrone added. “As one of the country’s largest unions for essential workers, the UFCW is calling on the Senate to ensure this highly qualified NLRB nominee is quickly confirmed so that the labor board can continue its critical mission to uphold and strengthen the rights and protections of all American workers.”

Wilcox previously served as a member of the board of directors of the AFL-CIO Lawyers Coordinating Committee (now called the Union Lawyers Alliance) and is a graduate of Syracuse University and Rutgers School of Law-Newark.