Posts Categorized: Grocery

On April 13, the UFCW launched #ShopSmart, a new national campaign that encourages American grocery shoppers to take the following steps to protect themselves and workers in the store: 1) wear a mask inside stores; 2) keep six feet apart; and 3) dispose of any used masks and gloves in trash cans.

The new nationwide public safety effort, which includes a new #ShopSmart ad campaign with digital and TV commercials, is in response to the growing number of food and grocery workers who are becoming exposed to the coronavirus and the direct threat this growing outbreak poses to our nation’s food supply.

“While tens of millions of Americans were told to work from home for their safety, grocery store and food workers have never had that option. More must be done to protect them and our food supply now,” said UFCW International President Marc Perrone in a statement.

“The “Shop Smart” campaign will help save lives by making clear that all members of the public can take key safety steps to help protect these workers and each other from the coronavirus,” Perrone added.

To highlight the growing concern of food and grocery workers, the UFCW also hosted a press conference call with five workers from across the country who reiterated the steps customers can take to “Shop Smart.” On the call, the UFCW also released results from a survey of more than 5,000 grocery and food workers (sample of 5,000 UFCW members/1 percent margin of error with 95 percent confidence level).

The key survey results, which are included below, highlight the real fear and concerns of food and grocery workers and the need to take a more dramatic series of actions to protect workers.

• Customer Support for Workers:
  • 29 percent said customers treated them somewhat poorly or very poorly.
• Top Customer Safety Issues:
  • 85 percent said customers are not practicing social distancing.
  • 81 percent said customers are hoarding supplies or groceries.
  • 62 percent said customers are blaming employees for shortages.
  • 43 percent reported instances of customers shouting at employees.
• Safety Priorities for Grocery Stores:
  • When asked what grocery stores should do to improve customer safety and treatment of workers:
    • 72 percent supported a limit on the number of customers in stores.
    • 49 percent supported stores banning unruly customers.
    • 41 percent supported stores hiring more security.
    • 26 percent supported stores hiring more workers to meet demand.
    • 23 percent supported advertisements with customer safety tips.

Additional information about the #ShopSmart campaign can be found here.

The UFCW sent a letter to the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on April 8 calling for the agency to issue mandatory guidance for grocery stores, pharmacies, and food processing facilities during the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak.

In the letter, the UFCW called on the CDC to issue detailed guidance for workers and customers in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and keep the food supply and prescription drugs safe. Specifically, the UFCW is calling for the following steps to be taken:

Grocery Stores and Pharmacies

1. In-Store Social Distancing:
   • Limit the number of consumers in a store at any given time to 20 to 30 percent of the store’s capacity.
   • Implement procedures to ensure that both employees and customers always remain at least six feet apart.
   • Procedures should include a marked “social distancing line” which begins six feet away from all checkout counters.

2. Improve Disinfecting, Sanitizing and Hygiene Practices:

1. • Employees must be provided with sufficient break times to wash their hands as necessary or, at a minimum, every 30 minutes.
   • Sanitize frequent touchpoints, including point of sale terminals at registers throughout the day.
   • Provide disinfecting wipes for customers to disinfect carts, as well as at cash registers.
   • Designate employee(s) to ensure cleaning guidelines set by the CDC are followed.
   • Provide set time to allow for stores to be properly sanitized and restocked.

3. Mandate Wearing of Personal Protective Equipment:

1. • Mandate that all workers wear masks, gloves, and any other personal protective equipment (PPE) available at the workplace.
   • Mandate all employers to provide N95 masks, gloves, and other PPE when it becomes available.

4. Urge Americans to Help Save Lives by Shopping Smart

1. • Call on all Americans to practice the following each time they visit a grocery store or pharmacy:
     • Always wear a cloth face cover, ideally a mask, when inside the store.
     • Limit number of shoppers to one per family
     • Practice social distancing throughout the store – not just at check-out stands.
     • Properly discard their own PPE in trash cans.
     • Respect special shopping times for seniors.

Food Processing and Packing Plants

1. Improve Safety Conditions

• • Mandate that all employers provide PPE, and that workers wear PPE during the workday.
  • Ensure social distancing practices are implemented across the workplace at all times where possible.
  • When social distancing is not possible, PPE must be provided and used by all employees. No exceptions.
  • Make sure that safety practices are clearly posted throughout facility and are in the necessary languages for employees to read.
  • Provide PPE for workers, including face masks.

“American workers in grocery stores, pharmacies, and food production are on the frontlines of the coronavirus outbreak to make sure families have the food and medicine they need. Every day, these brave workers are in close contact with sometimes thousands of customers, increasing their own risk of becoming infected with the virus,” said UFCW International President Marc Perrone in a statement.

“With the growing threat of the coronavirus, we are urging the CDC to issue new mandatory guidance that standardizes safety protocols for grocery stores, pharmacies, food processing and meatpacking facilities,” Perrone added. “Given the nature of the threat, the CDC must also provide new guidelines for physical distancing, enhanced cleaning, disinfecting and hygiene practices, personal protective equipment, and best practices for customers. It is absolutely critical that the CDC do more to help protect frontline workers who are at daily risk of becoming infected and even dying from the Coronavirus. This is about not just saving the lives of these workers, but also about protecting the customers they serve. It is about protecting and maintaining the safety of our food supply. Keeping these workers safe will help keep America safe. The CDC must act now to issue strong new safety guidance. American lives are on the line. These workers’ lives are on the line. We cannot wait any longer.”

You can read the UFCW’s letter to the CDC here.