Posts Categorized: On Point

On March 12, the UFCW endorsed the reintroduction of the Food and Nutrition Delivery Safety Act. This legislation would require that federal agencies establish delivery guardrails for retailers participating in the online SNAP delivery program.

If enacted, this legislation would update the Food and Nutrition Act to require that federal agencies establish strong protections for both in-store and independent contractor, “gig,” delivery workers. Qualified SNAP-eligible retailers would be required to pay delivery workers no less than minimum wage, receive employer-provided health and safety training and be given appropriate food safety equipment, with compliance monitored by U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service. Non-compliance would result in retailers losing their authorization to participate in the SNAP online delivery program, with the ability to reapply once they have shown they are following standards and ensuring a safe and equitable workplace for delivery drivers.

“We are proud to endorse the Food and Nutrition Delivery Safety Act,” said UFCW International President Milton Jones in a statement. “This crucial legislation would ensure that delivery workers within the SNAP delivery program are fairly compensated and have the tools and training necessary to do their jobs.”

“Delivery workers, whether in-store UFCW members or workers who are part of the gig economy, play a critical role in ensuring that the nearly 42 million monthly SNAP recipients have food on their tables. Failing to enact these guardrails and compensate them justly sends a dangerous message about how essential workers are valued in this country. We applaud Senator Fetterman (D-PA) and Representative Figures (D-AL) for their leadership on this issue.”

This year, the UFCW is once again partnering with the National Association of Letter Carriers to sponsor the annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive on Saturday, May 9. This campaign, which is the largest single-day food drive in the country, is an opportunity for UFCW locals to make a positive difference in the lives of millions of America’s families who are suffering from the effects of hunger.

According to Feeding America, over 48 million people in the U.S., including one in five children, are coping with food insecurity—which is why the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is so important. This food drive donates millions of pounds of food at a critical time when many food banks are struggling to keep up with the demand of feeding more families due to rising inflation and higher food prices.

During the past few years, UFCW locals from across the country helped to collect millions of pounds of food for this campaign. This year, we are encouraging all UFCW locals and their members to get involved in this food drive by collecting unopened, non-perishable food and placing the items in a bag next to their mailbox before their letter carrier delivers their mail on Saturday, May 9.

Help us make this year’s Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive a success. You can get more information about the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive here. Locals are encouraged to send photos of Stamp Out Hunger events to Julie Anderson at janderson@ufcw.org.