“The pandemic isn’t going away, coronavirus isn’t going away, so why are they taking away these two dollars from us? It’s absurd,” Ralphs cashier Dionna Richardson said.
Often, customers aren’t wearing face coverings. When that happens, Richardson takes it upon herself to ask them to wear one. Some push back, making aggressive or testy remarks, or refusing to leave the store. “It’s like a war zone sometimes,” she said.
“The pandemic exposed how little corporations pay many workers, workers on whom the public deeply depends,” said John Grant, president of UFCW Local 770 in a statement. “With all eyes on essential workers during the pandemic, grocery corporations were quick to capitalize on the good PR of raising wages, but they cannot justify taking them away, especially since they have continued to do business while so many other businesses are closed and their profits are record high.”
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We appreciate everything you do and the sacrifices you make especially during this difficult time.
I was in shock, in my paystub portal the money was categorized as an emergency COVID-19 fund. I thought that money was given to me to help my family, I never thought I would have to pay it back. The thought of repayment brought a lot of frustration. I am married and have two children who depend on me. I was incredibly stressed,” said Larry Franklin, a night crew manager at a Ralphs in Temple City, Calif. “UFCW 770 is an advocate for essential workers, and together the union makes sure corporations like Kroger do not take advantage of us.
I feel this victory for essential workers is another slap in the face for Kroger. They get a chance to recoil. Kroger needs to face the consequences for its actions.”
Often, customers aren’t wearing face coverings. When that happens, Richardson takes it upon herself to ask them to wear one. Some push back, making aggressive or testy remarks, or refusing to leave the store. “It’s like a war zone sometimes,” she said.
“The pandemic exposed how little corporations pay many workers, workers on whom the public deeply depends,” said John Grant, president of UFCW Local 770 in a statement. “With all eyes on essential workers during the pandemic, grocery corporations were quick to capitalize on the good PR of raising wages, but they cannot justify taking them away, especially since they have continued to do business while so many other businesses are closed and their profits are record high.”
Please support your community grocery workers—our #EssentialHeroes—by telling Kroger how you feel about their takeaway of the Hero pay.
https://ufcw770.org/grocery-store-unions-call-on-kroger-to-cease-plans-to-eliminate-hero-pay-for-essential-workers-improve-safety-in-stores/
https://t.co/sCHZW39Vm2
Kathy Finn, UFCW 770 Secretary-Treasurer
#MyHealthIsYourHealth #MiSaludEsTuSalud #WMD2020 https://t.co/uJAAKinpqy
Kathy Finn, UFCW 770 Secretary-Treasurer
#MyHealthIsYourHealth
#MiSaludEsTuSalud
#WorkersMemorialWeek
#WMD2020
That’s not the only problem. As the coronavirus began to spread more rapidly in mid-March, the store instituted crowd-control measures. But at the end of the month, it suddenly went back to business as usual, Mueller-Reiche said.
“Nobody was standing 6 feet apart; there were way too many people in the store,” she said. “It got really, really scary.”
The stress of working under such conditions sent Mueller-Reiche into a panic attack that left her physically unable to work, she said. She’s been off work since then on the advice of a doctor.
UFCW is proud to have worked to extend protections to grocery workers and all food chain workers, even those without the protection of a union, to essential workers, their families and the community to keep Californians safe and fed.
Read more at the link below.
https://ufcw770.org/executive-order-keeps-food-sector-workers-and-customers-safe/
We are still fighting to bring these rights to all cities in our jurisdiction. https://t.co/uSAJFPyZPd
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