Posts Categorized: Survey

On August  3, the UFCW, in partnership with the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), released the results of a year-long study on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on UFCW essential members.

This study is the largest longitudinal survey of essential workers and union members during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly 20,000 UFCW essential workers across all 50 states in nearly every industry represented by our union participated in the survey.

Among the key findings of the year-long study of essential workers were:

• UFCW members who reported having COVID infections before May 2021 were twice as likely to be reinfected in the past year.
• Of those UFCW members who contracted COVID, 59 percent said that they believed it was likely they contracted the virus in their workplace.
• Six percent of respondents that contracted COVID needed to be hospitalized, which is a significantly higher rate than the nationwide 2 percent rate of hospitalization.
• Four percent of workers reported being unable to return to work after contracting COVID.
• In May of 2022, half of respondents reported that their lives were still deeply impacted by COVID.

“This UNMC study makes clear that COVID-19 has – and continues to have – a serious and significant impact on America’s essential workers,” said UFCW International President Marc Perrone. “The UFCW is calling on Congress, the Biden Administration, and states and localities to take bolder steps and policy actions to better address the impact of the pandemic, and to help protect workers from future pandemics. These essential workers paid a hefty price for continuing to do their jobs, which kept food on American families’ tables and our economy moving throughout the pandemic. They deserve immediate action as they continue to confront ongoing risk and the nation’s recognition for their service.”

“The unique partnership with UFCW has recorded the full scope of the markedly increased risk of COVID infections among union essential workers,” said Ali S. Khan MD, dean of the College of Public Health, UNMC. “Policies to protect these essential workers are critical to weathering the current surge of COVID cases nationwide and being ready for the next pandemic.”

In light of this groundbreaking study, the UFCW is calling for the following immediate actions to protect the health and safety of our essential workers:

• Ensure essential workers in every industry have access to dedicated paid sick leave that protects their employment status when dealing with infection;
• Immediately move on legislation, like the America’s Meatpacking Workers Act, to protect some of the most vulnerable workers in the hardest-hit industries;
• Implement a nationwide Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) infectious disease standard, and hold employers accountable who do not take steps to protect essential workers during pandemics.

More information on the survey can be found on the ufcw.org website here and a social media toolkit for Locals to promote the survey and key findings can be found here. 

Highlighting the voices of UFCW members is key to ensuring our national UFCW Essential Worker Study is a success. Partnering with the UFCW on the study are the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and FORWARD, the national databank for rheumatic diseases, to help our union strengthen workplace protections and ensure our members have access to life-saving vaccinations as this pandemic continues. To date, over 15,000 members have signed up for the study, which just released preliminary findings that are helping our union understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our members, and focus on rates of infection, which types of workplaces have had the most infections, and vaccination rates. The UFCW is looking for more members to sign up for the study so that it reflects the true diversity of our union.

Members that have signed up for the study have received two surveys so far. Key findings from the first survey are as follows: 

• 15% of survey participants had or think they had COVID-19.
• 82% of survey participants are vaccinated (higher than national average for adults). 
• 28% of survey participants who had COVID-19 report not being fully recovered. 

Participating in the Essential Worker Study is easy and involves the following:

•           Weekly Text Message: UFCW Members will receive a text message either once a week or every other week inviting them to fill out a short survey or providing key study results and updates. Survey responses will be kept anonymous and members’ privacy will be protected.

 •          Critical Safety Information: UFCW members will have priority access to COVID-19 informational newsletters and participate in Q&As with the top infectious disease doctors in the country.

 •          Sharing Your Views: By answering just a few questions, UFCW members will help strengthen workplace protections and protect essential workers for years to come.

Participants also get priority access to key findings, informational newsletters, and the opportunity to have their COVID-19 questions answered by UNMC doctors. You can learn more about the Essential Worker Study here.

We are still looking for locals to work directly with UNMC on promoting the survey to their members. If you are interested in joining a working group where you can work directly with UNMC on promotional materials and events for your members; ask questions about the survey results; and receive up to date information on COVID-19, the Delta variant, and the vaccines, please contact Director of Communications Jess Raimundo at jraimundo@ufcw.org.