Hospital COVID-19 Response Report Card
/If you work in a hospital, tell us how your workplace is responding to COVID-19 safety standards.
Telephone Town Hall Calls Monday, December 14
/UFCW 21 Members Telephone Town Hall:
Monday, December 14 at 5:30 PM
We’ll call you between 5:30 and 5:40 PM on Monday, but if you miss the call or don’t receive one, call in directly at 888-544-2310 and enter meeting ID: 5513
You’ll join other UFCW 21 members in retail, meat processing, cannabis, laundries, and other industries. We’ll be discussing COVID safety, what our union is doing to deal with the impacts to our workplaces, and any questions members have. All you have to do is pick up the phone when it rings between 5:30-5:40pm on Monday, or if you don’t receive a call, just use the call-in number and Meeting ID above.
Grocery Store Members Telephone Town Hall:
Monday, December 14 at 6:30 PM
We’ll call you between 6:30 and 6:40 PM on Monday, but if you miss the call or don’t receive one, call in directly at 888-844-0726 and enter meeting ID: 5514
We are holding another Town Hall call for grocery store workers so we can discuss safety issues in our stores, the ongoing campaign for hazard pay and higher wages, and what we can do in the coming weeks to stay safe at work and advocate for the respect, safety, and compensation we deserve. All you have to do is pick up the phone when it rings between 6:30-6:40pm on Monday, or if you don’t receive a call, just use the call-in number and Meeting ID above.
Health Care Members Telephone Town Hall:
Monday, December 14 at 7:30 PM
We’ll call you between 7:30 and 7:40 PM on Monday, but if you miss the call or don’t receive one, call in directly at 888-598-4224 and enter meeting ID: 5515
You’ll join other UFCW 21 members working in health care and dental workplaces to discuss our safety at work during this COVID surge. Members have begun fighting back against management missteps during COVID outbreaks in hospitals, and we’re learning how to push for changes in a way that impacts everyone in health care. To join the call, all you have to do is pick up the phone when it rings between 7:30-7:40pm on Monday, or if you don’t receive a call, just use the call-in number and Meeting ID above.
Bernie Sanders Joins UFCW 21 and UFCW 7 demanding Safer Stores and Fair Compensation For Essential Grocery Workers
/FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 14, 2020
Contacts:
Tom Geiger | tgeiger@ufcw21.org | 206-604-3421
Bridget Bartol | bbartol@skdknick.com | 954-594-0689
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) Joins UFCW Local 7 and Local 21 in Letter to Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen Demanding Safer Stores and Fair Compensation For Essential Grocery Workers
Unions representing 42,000 Essential Grocery Workers in Colorado, Wyoming & Washington State Urge Kroger To Reinstate Hero Pay of $2/Hour In Pandemic
DENVER – At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kroger Co. implemented a Hero Pay bonus of $2/hour for Essential Grocery Workers, calling grocery workers “heroes” because of their extraordinary sacrifice and dedication to the company and its customers during the COVID-19 pandemic. On May 17, 2020, the company stripped away the Hero Pay bonus program and has since relaxed safety protocols in stores. Seven months later, COVID-19 cases are higher than ever before throughout the country, yet Kroger’s employees who risk their health at work went from being treated as Heroes to Zeros by the company.
U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) joined Kim Cordova, President of UFCW Local 7 of Colorado and Wyoming, and Faye Guenther, President of UFCW Local 21 of Washington State, which together represent 42,000 Essential Grocery Workers, sent a letter to Kroger Co. CEO Rodney McMullen, urging him to ensure that workplaces are safe and to reinstate the $2/hr. Hero Pay bonus for all grocery workers across the country.
An excerpt from the letter below:
“You often mention your experience as a stock boy to reaffirm to the public and shareholders that you're committed to seeing things through your customers' eyes. The time has come for you to see the risks through the eyes of your workers. Your inaction only increases the fear and anxiety that our members deal with as they walk into work each day.
“Hundreds of thousands of UFCW members work to keep YOUR stores clean, YOUR shelves stocked, and YOUR business running. Their work has enabled the large increases in sales and higher profits you've reaped since the pandemic began. Yet, they are working in fear, they are working in danger, and they are working without adequate support and respect from their employer, Kroger. They are risking their health and that of their families to keep America's food supply chain running and the country fed. It is time that YOU take care of Kroger's frontline Essential Workers like they are taking care of your customers.”
A PDF of the letter can be found HERE, and the text of the letter is below:
December 14, 2020
Dear Mr. McMullen,
We write to you as UFCW Local Union presidents, representing 30,000 Essential Workers at Kroger Co. stores across Colorado, Wyoming, and Washington State. Together with U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT), we hope and expect you are taking substantial time to work with the current and incoming administration to ensure that your grocery store Essential Workers are a priority for a COVID-19 vaccination. We write today to urge you to take the necessary and responsible steps to improve stores' safety and compensate Kroger Essential Workers fairly by immediately reinstating Hero Pay ($2/hr.) to all workers across the country.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage our communities and stores more than ever and, as we navigate this especially hazardous winter season, it is imperative to recognize the dangers Essential Grocery Store Workers face. Our members, your employees, are at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19, yet these heroes are being denied the Hero Pay you awarded them at the beginning of the pandemic. Kroger's employees went from Heroes to Zeros. As we continue to witness a severe and alarming increase in worker case numbers, store safety must significantly improve to stop the spread. Preventive measures include enforcing mask requirements, reinstating and enforcing strict shopper limits to allow social distancing for all in the stores, improved staffing on all shifts so there is sufficient coverage to enable all workers to take COVID-19 sanitation breaks where they can conduct extra hand-washing and have allotted times to wipe and disinfect all areas of the store.
As a company, you initially recognized the dangers of this virus, implementing a Kroger Hero Pay bonus of $2/hr. in March, you coordinated better staffing for the extra work needed to clean stores, allowing more frequent breaks to wash hands and other safety measures. Yet, case numbers and deaths have risen exponentially since you prematurely claimed that we were "beginning to see a return to normal," and you ill-advisedly relaxed safety protocols and stripped away hazard pay on May 17, 2020. These decisions blatantly disregarded the dangers Essential Grocery Store Workers faced, not just by going into work but also by weakening them financially when dealing with COVID-related hardships, such as lack of childcare due to homeschooling, sick relatives, and additional medical costs.
Since Kroger stripped away Hero Pay, COVID-19 infections among these Essential Grocery Store Workers have exploded among our members. For example, there have been 491 positive cases, a 692% increase, and three deaths, among Local 7 members alone: James McKay, Karen Haws, and Randy Narvaez. As recent COVID cases in Washington have reached record levels, we see cases of grocery workers on a significant rise, and several outbreaks have been reported in just the last two weeks. In some cases, these outbreaks include more than a dozen cases in only one store.
Underneath those numbers, we see the threat to communities of color, which make up a majority (50%) of our nation's Essential Workers-- and an even more significant proportion of the food and agriculture workforce.
You often mention your experience as a stock boy to reaffirm to the public and shareholders that you're committed to seeing things through your customers' eyes. The time has come for you to see the risks through the eyes of your workers. Your inaction only increases the fear and anxiety that our members deal with as they walk into work each day.
Hundreds of thousands of UFCW members work to keep YOUR stores clean, YOUR shelves stocked, and YOUR business running. Their work has enabled the large increases in sales and higher profits you've reaped since the pandemic began. Yet, they are working in fear, they are working in danger, and they are working without adequate support and respect from their employer, Kroger. They are risking their health and that of their families to keep America's food supply chain running and the country fed. It is time that YOU take care of Kroger's frontline Essential Workers like they are taking care of your customers.
Every day wasted is another day our members risk contracting COVID-19 at a Kroger store. Another day, our members are not paid fairly for the dangers they face conducting essential work. Kroger must reinstate Hero Pay immediately. Kroger should be a leader by ensuring their profits, made possible by Kroger's employees, are at least partially used to keep them and our shoppers safe and secure.
That is why we call on you, Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen, to reinstate Hero pay immediately because, as you stated, Essential Grocery Store Workers are heroes. They were heroes at the beginning of the pandemic, and they continue to be the unsung heroes keeping Kroger and the country moving forward.
Sincerely,
U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders
Kim Cordova, UFCW Local 7 President
Faye Guenther, UFCW 21 President
# # #
Local 7, the largest Union in Colorado, is affiliated with United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, which represents over 1.3 million workers in the United States and Canada, and is one of the largest private sector Unions in North America. UFCW members work in a wide range of industries, including retail food, food processing, agriculture, retail sales, and health care. Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
UFCW 21 represents over 46,000 workers in grocery store, retail, health care and other industry jobs across the state of Washington
Press Advisory: Puget Sound Grocery Store Workers Speak Out for Hazard Pay, Staffing and Safety
/
Advisory
For immediate release: Monday November 23, 2020
Contact: Tom Geiger. 206-604-3421
Puget Sound Grocery Store Workers Speak Out for Hazard Pay, Staffing and Safety
Thank you to all who attended, if you missed this online webinar where unionized grocery store workers share their experiences and feelings about improved safety and reinstating hazard pay you can watch it here.
Grocery store workers here in Washington and around the nation continue to go to work every day, risking exposure to the deadliest virus in over one hundred years. Despite these risks and the dramatic increase in sales and profits that grocery stores have recorded since the beginning of the pandemic, the hazard pay that had been put in place in March was cut by early summer. Workers are also feeling a lack of sufficient staffing at a time when the need for sanitizing and breaks are paramount. Unionized workers have continued to press for the hazard pay and improved safety procedures. With the recent new spikes of exposure, positive cases and deaths, workers are re-doubling efforts for safety, staffing and hazard pay.
Background:
Nine months into the pandemic front line workers like grocery store workers are still going to work every day, exposed to the virus and concerned with safety. Early on during the pandemic, many stores like Safeway, QFC and Fred Meyer began paying workers an additional $2 an hour in hazard pay. In addition, we won increased safety protocols grocery store workers had been demanding, such as frequent disinfecting, wiping down carts and check-out stands, installing plexiglass, limiting the number of people inside the store to be able to allow shoppers to socially distance, asking shoppers to wear masks and allowing workers to take frequent breaks to wash hands and maybe get some fresh air.
At the very beginning of March 2020 our nation had its second recorded death from Covid. By the end of that month, the death toll had surpassed 1,500. By the early summer, in all counts, the pandemic had already taken a massive toll, was still out of control, and there was no end in sight. However, while profits and sales at grocery stores soared, workers’ hazard pay was inexplicably cut. Workers who continued to do essential and hazardous work were apparently not worth the extra $2 an hour. Unionized workers’ protests delayed the pay cuts in some places for a month, but by mid-summer, it was all taken away.
Fast forward to today: our nation has recorded over a quarter million COVID deaths. The slow-down in daily rates of infection and deaths has now turned around, with spikes and new records set throughout the month of November. Workers continue to be exposed, but safety protocols in many stores seem to have become more lax, and reduced staffing has made it very difficult to take the time to do the extra work required to disinfect the store, check-out stations and carts, as well as making it hard to take more frequent rest breaks to wash hands and get fresh air. And the hazard pay that was cut from workers’ weekly checks has still never been reinstated.
Unionized grocery store workers in Washington and around the nation this week are calling out for improved safety, including safer staffing, and a reinstatement of hazard pay for hazardous work.
Grocery Store Workers speak out:
"As a grocery cashier, at least at my store, the best analogy I can give you is that every day is like that Snowmageddon period, where we had lines as far back as we could see, and we didn’t have enough cashiers. Customers are so used to it that they don’t even think about complaining, and the corporate heads think they can get by with it. It’s not because they can’t hire enough people; they’ve hired plenty of people. They just want to have a minimum crew and maximum profits. So we get worked to death because there’s fewer of us doing the work of many. - Wil Peterson, 17-year Kroger employee
"To my customers, I say you don’t need to be accepting these long lines. We have 13 check stands in my store. Today there were only 2 cash registers open. This is ridiculous. We’re speaking up about it. We’re working through our union to get a safer store. The way it is now means more strain on everybody — more work for us, customers in the store longer, backed up in the aisles, even though experts seem to say people should keep their shopping trips to 30 minutes. How can they do that if corporate isn’t listening to them and to us?" - Wil Peterson, 17-year Kroger employee
“I just also want the company to work to keep me safe, and not run me into the ground. Our work is a lot more stressful than it used to be. In our department, we’ve grown in size but we’ve grown even more in how many orders are coming in. Everyone is tired. Everyone is getting worn down. Sections of the store can get so crowded, it’s impossible to keep social distancing and still meet our timelines for fulfilling orders. And I’m very conscious of the risk I’m exposed to. My partner is a nurse, and we have a lot more potential exposure than the people we know who can work from home. That risk is something that I don’t get to leave behind when I leave work—I carry it home with me. My job takes up so much more space in my life now.
On top of all this, on top of them cutting the hazard pay we were getting at the beginning of the pandemic, we’re getting squeezed to be more productive. We push trolleys with the orders we’re preparing all around the store, and they just increased the capacity of those trolleys by 50%. Now they’re so big we can’t see past them around corners, and they’re 50% heavier to push around all day. Lately, the only things any of us are talking about is how tired and sore we are. People are saying they don’t know how much longer they can stay. We are working on these issues through our union, but if our employers can’t commit to keeping us safe, we’re going to lose people who are experienced, who know how to do this work and care about it.” - Amanda, QFC Clicklist
“Through all of this, wanting to give good service, keep our workplace safe for ourselves and our customers, we’re getting nothing from our employers. We got a small amount of hazard pay in the spring and then it was taken away, just like that. They just put $100 on our Advantage cards recently as a little bonus, and it feels like a slap in the face. “
Click here to file a safety report on your neighborhood store and help keep our Grocery Store Workers and our Communities safe.
“We’re back in the throes of it all. We’re here working on the front lines and we don’t feel appreciated. It’s not fair. I’m pissed off. I’m tired. My family’s health care depends on this job. I’m a cancer survivor and I’ve fought to maintain our great union health care for years, I’m proud to work here. I love my customers, but this is so hard. “
“We need hazard pay. We need fully staffed stores so we can keep ourselves and our customers safe. We need respect from our employers—we’re the ones running these stores every day. “ -Amy, QFC
When There Is a Positive or Suspected COVID Case at Your Workplace
/Note: There may be special circumstances around COVID cases in some health care workplaces. For all other workplaces, these basic recommendations should be followed.
When There Is a Positive or Suspected COVID Case at Your Workplace:
YOUR EMPLOYER SHOULD:
Notify anyone who had a close contact with the person who tested positive
The CDC defines “close contact” as someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period
This close contact also means being that close 2 days before the infected person becomes symptomatic, or 2 days before their test is taken, anytime until the infected person is isolated
Have the person with COVID or COVID symptoms, and all close contacts, immediately go home and stay home from work to safely quarantine
Workers who have been exposed to COVID but do not have symptoms should still go home and quarantine for 14 days
How you should be paid for your time in quarantine or recovery depends on your contract, whether there is a negotiated COVID agreement in place at your workplace, and the industry you work in, but there are many ways to make sure you are compensated. If your employer does not offer you paid leave immediately, you should work with your Union Rep to identify the best paid leave for your situation. You should not have to choose between a paycheck and your health and safety.
Follow CDC protocols to clean, sanitize, and disinfect the workplace
Before cleaning, close off any areas used for prolonged periods of time by the sick person for 24 hours (or as long as possible) to minimize exposure to respiratory droplets
Open outside doors and windows to increase air circulation in these areas
Clean dirty surfaces with soap and water before disinfecting
Disinfect surfaces using products that meet EPA criteria for use against SARS-Cov-2
Clean and disinfect all common areas (e.g., bathrooms, break rooms), shared electronic equipment (e.g., touch screens, keyboards, ATM machines), and frequently touched surfaces (e.g. counters, doorknobs)
Provide appropriate PPE and training for anyone using these chemicals
Notify UFCW 21 of a COVID case in the workplace
YOU AND YOUR COWORKERS SHOULD:
Let your Union Rep know about the positive case as soon as you can
Protect your health and safety by being realistic about your risk and level of exposure and advocating for yourself
If you and your employer disagree about whether you had close contact with someone at work who tested positive for COVID, contact your Shop Steward or Union Rep for help advocating for your safety
Understand that to protect people’s medical privacy your employer may not be able to tell you who has tested positive
Refrain from spreading rumors or stigmatizing people for getting sick—we need to stand together to support each other and encourage transparency so we can all stay safe
If your employer is violating the state’s COVID guidelines for businesses, such as not requiring employees or customers to wear face coverings or not ensuring 6 feet of physical distancing throughout the workplace, remember you can report violations that affect your safety directly to the state at: coronavirus.wa.gov/report-safe-start-violation
To file a safety report by email, send your name, workplace, and description of the issue to: safetyreport@ufcw21.org
Help nominate PCC workers to the PCC Board of Trustees!
/Two longtime PCC workers, Donna Rasmussen and Laurae McIntyre, are currently running for seats on the PCC Board of Trustees, and need thousands of signatures to earn their nominations. If you are a member of PCC, please sign their petitions to get them on the ballot! You can find community members collecting signatures outside PCC stores this month, and if you work at PCC contact your Shop Steward to sign a petition.
Unfortunately, PCC administration has tried to block union and community advocates from gathering signatures. We believe this violates the democratic process and the values of the co-op. You can help these workers earn a spot on the ballot by calling the PCC office at 206-547-1222 and telling them: “I’m a PCC shopper, and I’m asking the CEO to stop blocking workers from running for the Board of Trustees. Give Laurae and Donna a fair and safe process to get on the ballot and let workers collect signatures electronically.”
You can also file a customer comment with PCC at: pccmarkets.com/contact-us
PCC worker Jared gathers signatures to support his coworkers getting on the pcc board
Learn more about these worker candidates and what they stand for:
Donna
I’m a working mom, and my whole family is invested in the mission and success of PCC—in fact, my partner and two teenage sons all work for the co-op. In my 40 years of customer service, I think PCC has hands-down the best customers I’ve ever worked with.
As PCC focuses on its growth, many of my coworkers and I feel it’s time to again have a worker voice on the Board of Trustees to ensure that customers, workers, and our community are kept front and center in decision-making. Members helped build this co-op, and as someone who interacts with our members and customers every day, I want them to know we’ve got their backs and that they can trust us. I spend money here because I trust us and I believe our co-op can grow, while holding onto its mission, values, and connection to the community.
I’m passionate about fair trade, gender and racial equity, affordable housing, and community living. For 10 years now, I have lived in a co-op housing community, where I take an active role and hold a position in community leadership. I’ve been a grocery store worker and active member of my union (UFCW), since the 1980s, serving on the union bargaining team during the big 1989 grocery strike. I also worked for QFC for 12 years, before and after it was bought by Fred Meyer and then the national chain Kroger. I experienced firsthand what happens when a well-loved community grocery store strays away from and loses what makes it unique. I have proudly been at PCC for more than 6 years now.
I’m committed to helping PCC continue to thrive while staying focused on our mission. That means connecting authentically with the communities we’re moving into as we open new stores. It means making sure PCC workers can afford to shop at our stores and live in our communities. When PCC takes care of its frontline staff, we can better take care of our customers. It also means continuing to support our small farmers and local vendors, even if they can’t produce enough to get their product in every one of our expanding locations. After all, as a co-op, our stores should be a reflection of our communities.
Right now, 8 months into the pandemic it remains stressful for most people to shop for food. My coworkers, including my boys, and I have committed to provide our customers access to fresh, healthy food in a safe and sanitized environment. We do our best to hold each other up and try to stay healthy ourselves, while working during such difficult times.
If I ring up your groceries or pass you in the aisle, please be sure to say hi!
Laurae
I’ve been a member of PCC since the 1980s, and I have family whose porches used to be part of the co-op’s original network of drop-off spots in the ’50s! I came to work at PCC about 6 years ago, wanting to work somewhere that aligns with my values and where I get to interact directly with a lot of people in my community. Our role has only become more important now, during the COVID pandemic. For lots of people, coming to the grocery store is one of their only opportunities for community and connection, along with healthy food. I’ve been really humbled by this experience and the appreciation our customers have shared with us.
PCC is a community. People become members because of what we stand for. We support local producers instead of corporate ones, our food is clean and handled properly from its beginning to the store shelves. People work here because of what we stand for, too. As a union shop steward in my store, I get to welcome new people to our staff. We have a young and vibrant workforce that is pushing us to step up on racial equity, LGBTQ inclusion, and justice for workers all along the food supply chain—including the workers in our own stores.
I want to make sure my coworkers are represented on the Board of Trustees.
PCC has been expanding so fast recently, focusing on opening new stores and big remodels. That’s great, I’m happy for us to grow. But given that the people who are usually on the Board of Trustees are business focused, some with no retail experience whatsoever, PCC workers agree we need some representation on the Board. We’re the ones working in these stores day in and day out. We want to protect the core mission of the co-op, the reasons why we work here, and why our members shop here.
With a worker voice on the Board, the decisions that steer the future of our co-op can be informed by the people interacting one-on-one with our customers and working with the beautiful food our farmers provide. We’re ready to have a voice in shaping the values and direction of this community.
Tell PCC Administration: Stop Undermining Our Co-Op Democracy!
/
PCC administration is trying to block the union and community advocates from gathering signatures to nominate PCC workers to serve on the co-op’s Board of Trustees, which we believe violates the democratic process and the values of our co-op. Over the last several months PCC administration has:
- Obstructed workers’ access to comprehensive election information.
- Refused to allow workers to collect signatures electronically, even as COVID surges in our community.
- Banned signature-gatherers from being outside PCC.
PCC members deserve a fair process that values the voices of essential workers. Two longtime PCC workers, Donna Rasmussen and Laurae McIntyre, are currently running for Board seats and need thousands of signatures to earn their nominations. Please sign their petitions to get them on the ballot!
HOW YOU CAN HELP:
Call the PCC office at 206-547-1222 and tell them:
“I’m a PCC shopper, and I’m asking the CEO to stop blocking workers from running for the Board of Trustees. Give Laurae and Donna a fair and safe process to get on the ballot and let workers collect signatures electronically.”
You can also file a customer comment online at: pccmarkets.com/contact-us
Count Every Vote - And Make Sure Your Vote Counts
/As a member-led union, one of our core values is that every voice and every vote counts.
We believe everyone should be able to participate in decision-making about the things that affect us. We believe in that principle in our union, where workers vote to approve their contracts and elect the leadership of the union, and we believe in that principle in our local and national elections. Here in Washington State, our members have long been part of the movement to make sure as many Washingtonians as possible can vote in every election, with statewide vote-by-mail, pre-registration for our youth, and other policies that empower people to participate in the democratic process.
Members of UFCW 21 have worked tirelessly during the 2020 election to interview local candidates for office and understand where they stand on the issues working people care about, to call and text each other to make voting plans, to coordinate with our international union to help UFCW members in other states and other working people exercise their right to participate in the election, and now to contact each other to make sure any issues causing our ballots to be held up are addressed so we can be counted.
We encourage everyone in Washington to check on the status of your ballot at VoteWA.gov so you can be sure your vote has been counted and address any issues if it hasn’t. We will be organizing with the labor movement and trusted community partners to ensure that any attacks on the integrity of our national election are addressed.
We are the largest private-sector union in Washington State, more than 46,000 members strong, and we are a diverse union. But regardless of where we live, who we vote for, what industry we work in, we stand for the bedrock belief that every vote must be counted, and every voice must be heard.
State Hazard Alert for Preventing Spread of COVID-19 in Healthcare Settings
/UFCW 21 members at CHI’s Harrison/St Michael Medical Center faced an outbreak at their hospital in August 2020, and after management did not address health care workers’ safety, members pushed back and stood up for a safer workplace for themselves and their patients. Their advocacy led the state’s Department of Labor & Industries and Department of Health to issue a special document called a Joint Hazard Alert, which addresses a special workplace issue brought to these departments’ attention.
The September 2020 Joint Hazard Alert specifies requirements of health care employers to keep workers and patients safe as we deal with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Employers must meet the requirements outlined in this alert, and can be held accountable to these standards by complaints filed with the state’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH). If your employer is not meeting these standards in any area, you should contact your Union Rep immediately or submit a safety report at safetyreport@ufcw21.org to get help filing a report.
The Hazard Alert covers specific safety requirements such as:
“Disposable respirators and procedural masks must be replaced daily at the beginning of each shift for every employee and immediately upon employee request when soiled or damaged during the shift. Multiple shift use of disposable respirators/masks is NOT allowed.”
“Hospitals must develop and implement an effective system to track N95/PAPR/CAPR training and testing that ensures every employee is supplied with appropriate respiratory protection.”
“Staff must be provided a safe place to don and doff PPE prior to entering spaces where facemasks must be removed for eating and drinking. Staff should don a new facemask prior to returning to the unit.”
“Provide adequate space and procedures for staff to physically distance at a minimum of six feet in break rooms, nurse stations, cafeteria and other places where staff congregate”
“Prohibit staff from working or being on the premises if exposed to COVID-19, and all staff who test positive must be excluded from work and isolated according to CDC guidelines”
There are many more specifics in the Hazard Alert. Be sure to read the entire document to understand your rights to a safe workplace during COVID-19.
Again, if your employer is not meeting these standards in any area, you should contact your Union Rep immediately or submit a safety report at safetyreport@ufcw21.org to get help filing a report.
Grocery Store Workers and Community Leaders Condemn Fred Meyer and QFC Ban on Black Lives Matter Insignia
/For Immediate release: Tuesday, September 22, 2020
Contact: Tom Geiger, UFCW 21, 206-604-3421
Grocery Store Workers and Community Leaders Condemn Fred Meyer and QFC Ban on Black Lives Matter Insignia
Puget Sound-area retail and grocery store workers, with the full backing of their union (UFCW 21), launched a campaign today calling on Kroger-owned Fred Meyer and QFC to reverse the companies’ ban on employees wearing Black Lives Matter buttons at work.
Over recent weeks, management has begun ordering workers to remove “Black Lives Matter” buttons distributed by the UFCW 21.
UFCW 21, the union which represents over 13,000 workers at Puget Sound-area Fred Meyer and QFC stores, says the ban violates workers’ rights under the companies’ union contracts and federal labor law.
This morning, after weeks of attempts to resolve the problem internally, UFCW 21 filed formal grievances with the companies, as well as an unfair labor practice charge under federal labor law.
UFCW 21 and community leaders are also calling on supporters to sign an online petition to the companies (see: tinyurl.com/BLMatKroger).
Everett Fred Meyer worker Shawntia Cunningham, who is Black, explained why she is fighting for her right to wear the button: “I get pulled over by cops for having a nice car to the point that my husband, who is white, has to drive so I can just feel safe. I have been called the ‘N’ word by customers at my store a few times. I need this company to respect us as human beings and to respect our rights as workers. I need Fred Meyer and QFC and all Kroger to see that Black lives really do matter.”
UFCW 21 President Faye Guenther said: “Systemic racism is real and it negatively impacts thousands of our members on the job and in the community. We are proud of our members who are standing up to say ‘Black Lives Matter’ and we will support their right to do so with every tool available to us.”
The campaign is drawing support from area labor and civil rights leaders. Gabriel Prawl, Sr., A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI) Seattle Chapter President, today called on Fred Meyer and QFC to reconsider the ban on Black Lives Matter and meet with Black workers and community leaders to address “ongoing racist issues in the retail environment.”
April Sims, Secretary Treasurer of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO offered full support: “Solidarity among working people is the foundation of the labor movement, and these workers are living that commitment by wearing Black Lives Matter buttons. These brave workers are backed by the 550,000-person strong labor movement of Washington state, and we call on these companies to reverse their decision to prioritize the feelings of racists over the humanity of their Black and Brown employees and customers.”
Updates on August COVID-19 Outbreak for CHI Harrison / St Michael Members
/UFCW 21 has been tracking the COVID-19 outbreak at CHI Harrison/St Michael very closely. The hospital says they learned of the first case and notified Kitsap County Health Department on August 4. The outbreak was not made public until August 21.
This week we had an emergency online meeting with hospital workers to discuss the outbreak, our demands from CHI, and our next steps. We talked in the meeting about a way for workers to report our experiences before and during this outbreak, and there was a lot of interest in a meeting with state officials to report issues directly to relevant agencies.
LISTENING SESSION WITH STATE HEALTH & LABOR OFFICIALS & GOVERNORS OFFICE
MONDAY AUGUST 31
7:30 PM
ONLINE MEETING
We immediately scheduled a listening session meeting with top officials at all relevant state agencies. This is an online meeting over Zoom and all Harrison/St Michael workers are invited. We will be joined by officials from:
WA State Dept. of Health
Kitsap County Public Health
Labor & Industries
Office of the Governor
You will have a chance in this meeting to ask questions, report safety concerns, and let them know what is really happening on the ground. These agencies want to hear from you about your experiences and what you need. Please register as soon as possible, and share this important opportunity with your coworkers.
We also created a COVID outbreak safety survey and reporting tool. Members said they would appreciate a place to share experience with testing, exposure, notification, safety protocols, PPE, and other issues surrounding this outbreak. That survey is here:
We encourage all Harrison/St Michael workers to spend 5 - 10 minutes this week to go through these questions and help us track as much information as possible about this outbreak and your safety. There is an option to upload pictures or documents in that survey as well, and a place you can request support if you are in quarantine and would like to be connected to any union or community support. Other members and our community across Kitsap is reaching out to ask how they can help support you at this time.
NOTES FROM OUR EMERGENCY MEETING
Our current demands for CHI:
Rapid testing for all workers
Complying with our existing agreement for 8-hour notification of any exposure
Paid administrative leave during the full length of any quarantine and while waiting for test results
Adequate PPE for all workers
Maintaining safe staffing levels even during this outbreak
Hazard pay
Existing right to paid leave: The first piece of our existing agreement with CHI says:
“A nurse or healthcare worker who the Employer does not permit to work due to exposure to Covid-19 disease while at work shall be placed in paid leave status during any required quarantine period. Paid leave status may be a combination of L&I Workers Compensation and employer paid administrative leave. The combination of which will ensure the employee will experience no loss of pay or accrued time off until such time as the Employer permits the employee to return to work. An employer representative will be available to assist employee with coordination of federal, state and employer benefits as may be applicable.”
The state has ruled that there is an automatic presumption that if a health care worker acquires COVID, it was acquired at work and you are eligible for workers comp. If you have any questions or issues with paid leave during this time, please contact your Union Rep as soon as possible.
Community support: Fellow UFCW 21 members and the larger Kitsap community are springing into action and asking what they can do to help, especially for workers who are in quarantine. We will be organizing whatever support workers need, be it meals, wellness checks, financial support, or anything else, and encourage all Harrison/St Michael workers to contact your Union Rep for whatever you or coworkers need so we can connect you with your community support.
Union actions: We are planning for public actions that are safe but can put pressure on Harrison/St Michael management to meet our demands, keep workers and patients safe, and prevent the next outbreak crisis. We will be updating everyone as these plans solidify, but if you are interested in participating or have ideas for safe actions that make a point, please connect with your Shop Steward or Union Rep.
Ongoing safety issues: We received many helpful and specific reports of safety issues and workplace concerns during the emergency meeting. We will be addressing these individually and collectively in the coming days. Examples of issues discussed include: the safety of floating right now; worries about the upcoming flu season; inadequate PPE supplies, training, and fit-testing; short staffing in many departments including EVS; nurses being asked to clean COVID rooms; special issues facing procedural care staff, cath lab, and high-risk workers; problems with testing and notification; concern around new CDC guidelines; and much more.
As always, we encourage you to report safety concerns to your Union Rep, or to use our COVID safety report email:
PRESS COVERAGE OF HARRISON/ST MICHAEL WORKERS SPEAKING OUT
On Tuesday August 25, we held a press conference responding to CHI’s public statements that they are handling this outbreak as well as possible, that they notified everyone involved in a timely way, and that their PPE supplies now and throughout the COVID pandemic have been totally adequate.
You can watch the full press conference at this link
And find some of the press coverage below:
KING 5: Hospital staff at St. Michael in Bremerton release list of demands after COVID-19 outbreak
KUOW radio: Workers at Bremerton hospital say they are not being protected
Seattle Times: Bremerton hospital’s union asking for more to be done to control COVID-19 outbreak
KOMO News: Bremerton hospital workers speak out after COVID-19 outbreak
Spokesman-Review: COVID outbreak at Bremerton hospital worries workers
National Week of Action for Hazard Pay for Essential Workers
/When the COVID-19 outbreak hit, our members across industries felt it immediately—especially in frontline industries like health care and grocery stores.
We continue to believe that all essential workers deserve hazard pay during this pandemic.
UFCW has been advocating for employer-paid hazard pay as well as federal support for essential workers throughout this pandemic. Hazard pay is intended to compensate people for hazardous work duties, and all essential workers have had elevated risk added to their work lives during this crisis. We also believe many workers have new job duties related to sanitizing, infection control, protective equipment, chemical use, and handling ever-evolving public health recommendations and government mandates that change nearly everything we do. These new duties and the reminder of the centrality of our work deserves recognition that goes well beyond thank-you commercials.
After workers spoke up about what we were facing on the job and started organizing for hazard pay, many grocery employers started paying it in various forms, most commonly $2/hour in extra wages. “We recognize that this crisis is far from over,” Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen wrote to workers in mid-April. “After reflecting on feedback from you, we want to further acknowledge you for your hard work to date as well as the work yet to come.” But by mid-May, Kroger had cut hazard pay, and in mid-June Safeway/Albertsons followed suit. Other smaller local chains have ended hazard pay or never started it in the first place. And health care workers facing daily exposure to COVID patients have been demanding hazard pay from early on in this once-in-a-century pandemic, with very little action from health care employers.
We know this crisis is still far from over. This summer we’ve started giving employers more of the kind of “feedback” that really moves corporate offices—union grievances, public pressure, and essential workers and our community coming together to say enough is enough.
NATIONAL WEEK OF ACTION FOR HAZARD PAY
UFCW essential workers across the country are taking action next week to stand up for hazard pay. You can participate in this week of action!
Below, click the button to record a video message explaining why hazard pay is important to you, and what it’s like working through a pandemic. Whether it’s cracked skin and repetitive stress injuries from constant sanitizing and disinfecting, working in health care without adequate PPE, or representing an industry that hasn’t been in the news as much but is still essential—laundries, food processing, cannabis, retail, etc! Why do we need hazard pay? Let’s tell the public:
If you’d like to participate further in the national week of action for hazard pay, contact your Union Rep.
HAZARD PAY GRIEVANCES FILED
In July, UFCW 21 filed grievances over Fred Meyer, QFC, Albertsons, Safeway, Haggen, and PCC’s cutting of our hazard pay. Here’s an excerpt of what we said in our grievance:
As you know, the Employer paid Hazard or Appreciation pay to bargaining unit employees for at least two reasons. First, it recognized Local 21 members have been working in the stores under constant threat of exposure to the deadly COVID-19 virus. Second, the Employer relies on Local 21 members to perform additional and/or different job functions to allow customers to continue shopping uninterrupted during pandemic conditions.
Both conditions mentioned above continue to persist today. Nevertheless, the Employer unilaterally decided to eliminate or modify the Hazard/Appreciation pay. In doing so, Local 21 believes the Employer has violated numerous terms of the parties' labor agreements, including, but not limited to the Recognition, Wage classification provisions and Appendices, and Just Cause.
In the coming weeks there will be plenty of opportunities to support this grievance and take action to show employers that we are all paying close attention to their next steps and we are not taking no for an answer.
Press Advisory: St Michael's Medical Center Workers and Their Union to Speak Out
/Press Advisory
Contact: Tom Geiger, 206-604-3421
For Immediate Release: Monday, August 24
Press Conference Tuesday at Noon Regarding St Michael’s Outbreak
After announced outbreak of COVID cases among staff and patients, St Michael’s Medical Center workers and their union (UFCW 21) are outraged, but no longer surprised by ongoing problems at the Hospital. St Michael’s Medical Center is formerly known as Harrison Hospital and is located in Bremerton, WA.
WHAT: Staff and members of UFCW 21 plan to hold a Zoom Press Conference to communicate the magnitude of the problems at St Michael’s – both how widespread the concerns are and how long the workers have been raising the alarm. Workers and their union will present a list of demands to the WA Department of Health and Kitsap County Public Health.
ZOOM MEETING:
Direct join link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86353217505
Webinar ID: 863 5321 7505
Dial-in #: (253) 215 8782
WHEN: Tuesday, August 25, 2020 at 12 PM, NOON
WHO: UFCW 21 President and staff will be joined by hospital workers who will share their experiences regarding the problems that have been going on at the hospital for months. These individuals will make brief prepared statements including information about their efforts over each and every month since March to raise concerns and the hospital’s failed response. We will be available to answer questions live during the ZOOM call.
Four-Part Education Series: Help Build the Movement for a Better Future
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Want to be better informed on how we got into this current crisis, the ongoing attack on working people, and what we as a union can do about it? Sign up today.
UFCW 21 is holding a free series of four 90-minute classes online to educate members on the history and future of our active, worker-led union movement. The series will include the following four classes:
8/18: Stealing the 2020 National Elections: Coronavirus Style
9/1: How Did This Happen? This Pandemic Did Not Need to Be This Bad
9/15: Divide and Conquer: Promoting Hatred and Bigotry to Divide Working People
9/29: The War on Workers: Coronavirus Style
All classes are from 6:30 – 8:30PM.
Each class is free to members, will be taught over Zoom and include significant opportunities for Question and Answer with the instructors. You will also have an opportunity to learn about ways that you can help make a difference this fall. Members attending all four in the series there will be a awarded a certificate of completion and it will be mailed to you.
The courses will be taught by Mark McDermott, who has led seminars with tens of thousands of union members across the nation and received wide praise from diverse audiences. He will be joined by co-hosts from our UFCW 21 staff: Faviola Lopez and Ariana Davis, Union Representatives, and Pia Rivera and Indira Trejo, Union Organizers. You don’t have to have a Zoom account to participate, just register.
“The ultimate test of a person, a union, a movement and a people is not whether we get knocked down. It is what do we do when we get up. Are we smarter, stronger, more determined and more united? This is always our choice.”
-Mark M. McDermott
Telephone Town Hall Calls Monday August 17
/UFCW 21 Telephone Town Hall: Monday, August 17 at 6:30 PM
We’ll call you between 6:30 and 6:40 PM on Monday, but if you miss the call or don’t receive one, call in directly at 888-652-0386 and enter meeting ID 5066.
It’s time for another union town hall call! We’re still fighting for safety on the job, hazard pay for all essential workers, and better enforcement of new laws and policies during this public health crisis. Let’s get together to discuss what we can do now and what we’re planning for the future. This week we’ll also be talking about our health insurance and ways to save money for anyone on the Sound Health and Wellness Trust insurance.
Health Care Members UFCW 21 Telephone Town Hall: Monday, August 17 at 7:30 PM
We’ll call you between 7:30 and 7:40 PM on Monday, but if you miss the call or don’t receive one, call in directly at 844-227-7561 and enter meeting ID 5067.
It’s time for another union town hall call! We’re still fighting for safety on the job, hazard pay for all essential workers, and better enforcement of new laws and policies during this public health crisis. Let’s get together to discuss what we can do now and what we’re planning for the future. This week we’ll be focusing on the different ways to address the issues we’re facing through bargaining, grievances, and reporting violations of the law.
OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS:
State Protections for High-Risk Workers Have Been Extended
If you are over 65 or have health conditions that put you at risk for COVID-19 complications, our state’s protections for you have been extended again. Find more information and an FAQ here >>
Help Build the Movement for a Better Future
Want to be better informed on how we got into this current crisis, the ongoing attack on working people, and what we as a union can do about it? Sign up for a free series of online classes to educate members on the history and future of our active, worker-led union movement. Click for more info and to register >>
Report Workplace Violations of COVID-19 “Safe Start” Rules
Is your workplace not following state regulations meant to keep you and your community safe? Don’t just ignore it—talk to your Shop Steward or Union Rep, and report any and all violations so the state can hold our employers accountable. The state has already stepped in at multiple workplaces to force management to follow the rules and maintain better safety, due to UFCW 21 members reporting violations. Click here for the state’s reporting form >>
Mental Health Resources for Members
This continues to be a difficult time for many people, but there are lots of resources available to help deal with stress and cope with the many challenges we’re facing. Please remember: you are a member of a union, and we have each other’s back. Click here for more information on crisis phone and chat lines, tele-mental health options, and the state’s COVID-19 stress phone line, and more >>
UNITED for Fair Pay and Safety Online Rally
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Join fellow union grocery store workers and our union Presidents from UFCW 7, 21, 324 and 770 from California to Washington to Colorado for an exciting and informative online rally on August 4th at 6:30 PM (Pacific).
There will be information on workplace safety, hazard pay and other important and timely topics. Save the date and plan to join us then.
Join us right here on this page for the live streaming event or join the conversation live at that time on UFCW 21’s Facebook Page.
Essential Workers Bill of Rights: Grocery Store Workers
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Article 1
RIGHT TO BETTER WAGES: We have a right to fair pay so we can afford food, clothing, a place to live, and the other necessities we need to live our lives and support our families. Better wages mean that current workers can be given the opportunity to move into higher paying jobs and have their time with the company recognized.
Article 2
RIGHT TO LIFE OUTSIDE WORK: We have a right to a life outside of work including two dependable days a week for ourselves, our families, our places of worship, and our communities.
Article 3
RIGHT TO HEALTH CARE: We have a right to an affordable health care plan that helps us stay well and takes care of us when we are ill.
Article 4
RIGHT TO RETIREMENT: We have a right to a dependable pension so we can retire with dignity.
Article 5
RIGHT TO PAID SICK DAYS: We have a right to paid sick days when we are sick so we can stay at home, get well and contribute to a healthy food supply. Nobody should have to choose between staying home and caring for themselves or a sick family member and paying the rent.
Article 6
RIGHT TO JOB SECURITY: We have a right to protection against unjust firing or demotion, and unfair discipline.
Article 7
RIGHT TO SAFE WORKPLACES: We have a right to decent and safe working conditions. This includes basic humane treatment including rest breaks and worker safety protections.
Article 8
RIGHT TO A VOICE ON THE JOB: We have a right to a voice in the workplace when we choose to have a union, without any interference by our employers.
Article 9
RIGHT TO HEALTHY FOOD: Grocery workers and our customers have a right to safe and healthy food in the stores where we work and shop.
Article 10
RIGHT TO MORE HOURS: We have a right to a dependable number of hours of work each week so that we can predict our paycheck, manage our household budgets, and be able to pay our bills.
Kroger Mandates Masks — UFCW 21 Members Demand Reinstatement of Hazard Pay
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UFCW 21 members at Kroger stores, including the Auburn Fred Meyer workers pictured above, have been protesting the company’s pay cuts with sign actions at their stores.
The United Food and Commercial Workers Union called Kroger’s decision to require that customers wear masks “long overdue.” UFCW has been demanding a mask mandate since early in the pandemic, and here in Washington UFCW 21 members were central to the governor’s decision to require that customers wear masks in stores and public places to help make our workplaces safer and prevent spread of COVID-19.
UFCW International President Marc Perrone has called on all grocers and retailers to implement mask requirements and said they should be enforced by “trained professionals, not retail workers already stretched thin during this crisis.”
Meanwhile, UFCW 21 members at Kroger-owned Fred Meyer and QFC stores in Western Washington are demanding that Kroger reinstate the $2/hour hazard pay that it terminated in May.
Eli Campbell, who works in grocery at the Bakerview Fred Meyer in Bellingham spoke out against Kroger’s termination of hazard pay, saying: “The pandemic is still here. Our added responsibilities for cleaning and sanitation remain, and so does the risk.”
“Our sales are amazing. We have been selling so much,” said Andrenna Caballero, an Assistant Deli Manager at the Port Hadlock QFC. “That's why when we were told our hero pay was going away and our hours were going to be cut we were all so angry.”
UFCW 21 members at Kroger stores, including the Auburn Fred Meyer workers pictured above, have been protesting the company’s pay cuts with sign actions at their stores.
UFCW says 278 members have died from COVID-19 in the first 100 days of the pandemic, and 44,419 have been exposed or infected.
If you need signs for your store, contact your rep.
Harrison Community Caravan Takes the Streets of Kitsap!
/The UFCW 21 Harrison ProTech Bargaining Team was joined by UFCW 21 Kitsap Movement Builders, UFCW 21 Doctor’s Clinic & grocery members, as well as the Kitsap Central Labor Council and political and community leaders for an inspiring, powerful, creative and ultimately very noisy action from Bremerton to Silverdale on Tuesday, July 14.
UFCW 21 members shared what is happening in our workplaces, the risks to our safety and how we are doing everything we can (including making our own personal protective equipment) to keep ourselves and our colleagues safe. We asked community to join our campaign asking CHI to do better in terms of health care, wages, PPE, and other important safety protections. Then about 40 cars decorated with streamers, paint, and signs saying things like “Protect Health Care Workers, Protect Our Community” and “Honk for Healthcare Workers” circled Harrison Medical Center in Bremerton, getting waves from health care workers on break and passers by. We then beeped our way, in formation, over to Silverdale, where we did the same thing at Harrison Medical Center there.
We wrapped up the action with a reminder for everyone to sign on to the petition which health care members will be delivering at the end of July. Please sign and share, so that CHI has no doubt that the Kitsap Community is horrified about what is happening to our health care workers and expects CHI to do the right thing!
Hear what UFCW 21 members had to say that day:
“My kids were born at Harrison. Health care means a lot. As a CNA, I’m one of the lowest-paid people in the hospital, and I do most of the patient care. I’ve been on the bargaining team ever since I started, 21 years ago. I fight for the little guy. We have over 200 people that are CNAs in the hospital, we’re the biggest group out of the Pro-Tech group, and I fight for them tooth and nail every single day because that’s how I care about the CNAs, that’s how I care about the workers, that’s how I care about Pro-Tech.”
“We as health care workers are the ones that really have the knowledge, not the administration. The biggest thing in this pandemic that’s been really scary, as a health care worker, is that we’re now carrying around our PPE, which most of us have had to go out and purchase ourselves. We’re in the ER and we’re wearing these masks for more than 3 weeks, masks that were originally meant to be to be one-time use per patient. Six months ago, we were changing out our gowns, goggles, masks, between every patient and now we’re using it for weeks on end. I’m just asking for the community to support us on this. In order for us to take care of you, we need your support to take care of ourselves, too.”
“We are also bargaining for a fair contract right now. The Doctor’s Clinic is owned by CHI, so we’re all in this together, and they’re doing the same things to us. They said we don’t deserve hazard pay because this is the job we signed up for. Let me tell you—this is not the job we signed up for! I’ve been here for Ebola, I was there for H1N1, this is a whole new world for everyone. This beautiful garbage bag I’m wearing today? I’ve been making these myself, for our own protective equipment. We didn’t get the kind of protective gowns we were supposed to have, so I took some garbage bags and figure out how to iron them together. I’m very proud of this, but I’m also extremely angry. I did it to protect myself and my coworkers, but I should not have had to do this. I bought the garbage bags myself. If we go down, we can’t protect the community, so we need to be protected.”
Monique Pyles
“We really have each other’s back here in Kitsap!”
-Naomi Oligario, Port Orchard Safeway, UFCW 21 member & event emcee
“I’ve been in the grocery industry for a long time; this is a tough time for essential workers. We’re keeping our communities fed, supplied, healthy, and cared for in the middle of a global emergency, and we’re proud to do it. But we also need to be kept safe at our jobs. As a patient of this Kitsap health care system, I know the safety of these health care workers affects my safety. If me and my coworkers get sick, our community food supply chain gets messed up. I know if health care workers get sick and can’t work, our access to good quality health care is affected. Essential workers in this stand together, stand for each other, and stand for the community.”
Our community car caravan passes Harrison Medical Center to let them know Kitsap stands with health care workers!
Albertsons, Safeway, Haggen Announce End to Hazard Pay – Let’s Take Action
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Albertsons, Safeway, and Haggen just announced they plan to eliminate our hazard pay tomorrow (Sat 6/13/20). While we appreciate that corporate plans to acknowledge our hard work with one last additional bonus, cutting hourly pay during a pandemic is an unacceptable way to treat workers on the front lines and at risk every day. We have been helping our communities and our company through this crisis for months, and we continue to do so.
TAKE ACTION: If you work at Safeway, Albertsons, or Haggen, take a moment to speak up about what you’ve been through, how your job has changed, and what you think management should do to compensate you and keep you safe.
