UFCW 21 Celebrates Today’s Supreme Court Ruling Affirming LGBTQ Workers’ Rights

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UFCW 21 Celebrates Today’s Supreme Court Ruling Affirming LGBTQ Workers’ Rights 

Today’s Supreme Court ruling confirms the legal precedent of what our union already knows: all working people deserve a workplace that is free from discrimination based on who we are. No one deserves to be fired or denied a job because of our gender identity or sexual orientation. That has now been upheld as federal law by the highest court in the country, offering millions of workers legal protection from discrimination at work. For this decision to be announced during Pride Month makes it extra joyous, and we lift up and join in UFCW OUTreach’s celebration of a meaningful victory and continued dedication to the work of building a more inclusive world. 

From today’s Supreme Court ruling: 

In Title VII, Congress adopted broad language making it illegal for an employer to rely on an employee’s sex when deciding to fire that employee. We do not hesitate to recognize today a necessary consequence of that legislative choice: An employer who fires an individual merely for being gay or transgender defies the law. 

While employment discrimination based on sexual orientation/gender identity is already prohibited here in Washington State where most of our members live, and we are proud of the organizing we have done in our home state to further the rights of LGBTQ workers, no one should lose their basic rights just because they crossed state lines. Our union stands in solidarity with all our LGBTQ members and LGBTQ workers across the country.

How to get involved in LGBTQ rights in the labor movement: 

  • UFCW OUTreach is a UFCW constituency group working to ensure full equality for LGBTQ+ workers on their jobs and in their unions. UFCW members can sign up for updates from UFCW OUTreach or join the group at ufcwoutreach.org/join-1 

  • Pride at Work is a UFCW 21 community partner organization dedicated to mutual support between the organized labor movement and the LGBTQ community to further social and economic justice. Learn more at prideatwork.org 

  • LGBTQ Allyship is a UFCW 21 community partner building power among LGBTQ communities and allies in Washington State to work towards economic, racial, and gender justice. Learn more at allyship.org

  • Ingersoll Gender Center is a UFCW 21 community partner and one of the oldest organizations by and for transgender and gender nonconforming communities in the United States. Learn more at ingersollgendercenter.org

  • Gender Justice League is a UFCW 21 community partner working to empower trans activists and our allies to fight oppression based on gender & sexuality in Washington State. Learn more at genderjusticeleague.org

More on this court ruling: 

Telephone Town Hall Monday June 15

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Special Opportunity for Telephone Town Hall Monday June 15 at 6:30 PM

Many workplaces are as stressful or even more stressful than they have ever been before. It can impact our health at work and at home. We want to hear about your concerns and help answer your questions.

As you are aware, we have been doing Telephone Town Halls for the past three months to keep members informed and answer questions. Next week, on Monday June 15th at 6:30 PM we are inviting all members to join our call with our special guests – expert professional nurses who can help us learn how to keep ourselves mentally and emotionally safe and sound during the ongoing crisis.

Please call in to the Town Hall, Monday at 6:30.

888-652-0380
Meeting ID: 4922

Over the coming days we would love to hear from you about questions you may have so we can prepare for the call. Reply to this email and let us know:

  • How have the stresses in your workplaces changed as a result of more workload and fewer staff or more pressures?

  • How are levels of anxiety about furloughs or reduced hours leading to less take home pay?

  • As the economy opens up and Stay at Home orders are relaxed, are you at all concerned about how this could increase your exposure to COVID 19? If yes, how does that make you feel and would you like to learn more about how to address that fear and anxiety?

  • Other concerns you have questions about that you would like to hear answers to?

On top of the COVID 19 pandemic, the recent killing of George Floyd has brought to the surface long-standing racial injustices that have been part of the United States since before we were a nation. We as a union have been and are continuing to work at becoming an anti-racist organization and are also working on creating systemic changes in our workplaces and society so all workers have equal opportunities for employment that is safe and has the benefits of a union.

On Monday we will be joined by two professional nurses to answer your questions live:

Stephen Mitchell, RN, BSN, MPA: Stephen was born and raised in the Seattle area and went to nursing school at Seattle University.  He has been a nurse for more than 10 years and most of that time he has worked in mental health nursing in a variety of settings and facilities around the Puget Sound. In his role as the mental health nurse for the Sound Trust Mobile Care Coordinator Program, Stephen supports members through the often complex world of mental health as well as members struggling with and recovering from drug and alcohol abuse.

Andy (Andrea) Votendahl, RN, BSN:  Andy is also a native Seattleite, having lived and worked here all her life.  She has been a nurse for more than 28 years in a variety of roles.  Immediately prior to joining the Mobile Care Coordinator team at Sound Trust, Andy worked as an organizer representing nurses and other healthcare workers at local area hospitals including Swedish Medical Center and Harborview, where she was the immigrant rights organizer. Andy has taken and led various trainings on structural racism and antiracism work, and focuses right now on coordinating care with members who have acute medical needs.

We look forward to hearing from you soon and your joining the call on Monday the 15th at 6:30 PM. Again, the call in number is:

888-652-0380
Meeting ID: 4922

Retirement Planning Webinar for Union Members

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Whether you're just starting your career or reaching that point where you’re ready to relax, planning for retirement can be a daunting process. UFCW 21 members have a great retirement resource in their Sound Retirement pension. Understanding your benefit and how to access it are the keys to successful retirement planning. Your union along with Zenith Administrators is committed to guiding you through your work life and into successful retirement. We will be offering free retirement planning webinar open to all UFCW 21 members who participate in the Sound Retirement pension. Please plan on joining us on one of the date/times. You can register for the webinar by clicking on the link.

Please call your Union Rep for information and to RSVP to a webinar.

Tuesday June 23, 5:00p
Wednesday June 24, 12:00n
Thursday June 25, 6:30P
 
We will be offering additional dates/times in the future for those unavailable at the dates/times listed above.

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.

Friends, family, customers, and community can contact Albertsons/Safeway’s corporate office and let corporate know how they feel by calling 877-276-9637 or 877-723-3929.

Important Note for UFCW 21 Members Regarding a Silent March and General Strike in Support of Black Lives

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UFCW 21 fully supports the mission of the BLM Silent March and General Strike. Please note that under most of our contracts striking is prohibited when the contract is in effect.

Please feel free to join the strike if you are not scheduled for work this Friday, June 12th. Members should not call in sick to attend the strike.

We hope this clarifies questions regarding attendance of the General Strike. Any questions, please call your Union Rep.

United Food and Commercial Workers Local 21 Joins Call for Resignation of Mayor Durkan

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 8, 2020

Press Contact:
Joe Mizrahi, jmizrahi@ufcw21.org,
(619) 955-2970

United Food and Commercial Workers Local 21 Joins Call for Resignation of Mayor Durkan

This weekend, Seattle residents once again experienced a massive deployment of chemical weapons from the Seattle Police Department, choking a city neighborhood during a respiratory virus pandemic.

“Many of our fellow UFCW 21 members who are essential workers have faced a choice between losing a paycheck or traveling to work during confusing curfews and consistent use of tear gas, pepper spray, and explosive devices in neighborhoods where we live and work,” said Seattle members of the UFCW 21 rank-and-file executive board Sam Dancy (QFC), Jeannette Randall (Safeway), Greg Brooks (PCC), and Amy Dayley Angell (QFC). “The distance between Mayor Durkan and the values of the membership of UFCW 21 is growing clearer each day.”

Unfortunately, it has become clear that Mayor Durkan is unable to enact the changes required to respond to community demands around the city’s budget and to protect working people from ongoing police violence. Our community’s constitutional rights and our safety is being compromised due to failed leadership.

A mayor who allows for the use of weapons of war against her own community cannot remain in office and cannot lead on the critical changes needed for public safety. We are joining the community call on Mayor Durkan to resign her position and allow the city to begin the meaningful process of seeking out community voices and listening to their calls for justice, without enacting added state violence. We need a mayor who can restore our right to peaceful assembly and free speech, which are bedrock values of the labor movement. The trust between our city and our mayor has been irrevocably broken.

We know that Mayor Durkan’s resignation will not solve the deep-seated systemic issues with policing in Seattle. As Seattle City Council member Teresa Mosqueda said earlier today, “a change in office without radical change in the institution that is policing is not transformational.” We will stand with our community and we will stand with Seattle City Council to demand this change.

UFCW 21 is working to build a powerful union that fights for economic, political and social justice in our workplaces and our communities. We represent over 46,000 workers in retail, grocery stores, health care, cannabis, and other industries in Washington State. More than 10,000 UFCW 21 members live or work in Seattle. Whenever workers are ready to form a union, give UFCW 21 a call.

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State of Race: Outrage, pain and tentative hope

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State of Race Outrage pain and tentative hope by Wil Peterson.jpg
UFCW 21 member Wil Peterson

UFCW 21 member Wil Peterson

Driving while Black. Walking while Black... 

In the wake of Minneapolis resident George Floyd’s tragic murder, a Rainbow Coalition of people are full of anguish, rage, despair, frustration and myriad other soul-wrenching emotions. Seemingly countless other African-Americans have perished at the hands of police officers and self-appointed community “enforcers” — Ahmaud Arbrey, Trayvon Martin, Eric Gardner, Breonna Taylor, Michael Brown, Charleena Lyles, Freddie Gray... and on... and on... — but something about Floyd’s death resonates on an arguably unprecedented level and has created an escalating outcry and numerous protests across the nation.  

Shopping while Black. Working while Black... 

Perhaps it was the widely circulated footage of his final moments on earth: handcuffed from behind and helplessly pinned down by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin’s unrelenting knee that forcefully applied pressure on his neck until he died while repeatedly whispering the heartbreaking words, “I can’t breathe” and, finally, “Mama.” Or was it the collective anger over the fact that Chauvin was quickly fired but initially wasn’t charged with anything? Or the forceful and tyrannical police and military actions that the current White House occupant ordered against protesters who stood in the way of his Bible-gripping photo-op this week? 

Regardless of the reason(s) for this widespread rebellion, a firestorm is raging, literally and figuratively. And while I’ve never experienced anything remotely close to the terrifying circumstances mentioned here, I’m all too familiar with daily concerns about what might happen during a routine traffic stop, a neighborhood walk or a work-related interaction. 

Existing while Black...   

As a North Carolina transplant who relocated here in 2003, I naively expected to leave all traces of racial conflict behind in the South. Back there, it wasn’t uncommon to casually be called the N-word, to be excluded from social gatherings or to be held to different standards at work. I grew up accustomed to that culture, even if it confused, saddened and angered me. As an adult, I rebelled against it by learning to speak up for myself and rising above uncomfortable, racially offensive situations. I was stronger, but I was also weary of having to constantly remain on guard and high alert.  

Moving to Washington offered me a fresh start and clean slate. I figured the prevailing mindset here would be infinitely better and different on the race-relations front. And, for the most part, it was. But there’ve been disturbing reminders that people are people, regardless of their geographical location. Not long after starting my job as a Fred Meyer clerk, I was: 

  • Called the N-word twice by a white woman who was suspected of shoplifting. Instead of being ordered to leave the store, she was allowed to make a purchase and leisurely stroll out the door. 

  • Told by a white customer I was assisting that he didn’t want to buy the wrong product and “N-word it up.” He actually looked confused when I immediately excused myself and angrily walked away. 

  • Forcefully ordered by another white woman to sell her an item at the price she wanted to pay, not what it actually cost. When I called my manager for a price check, she mistakenly and inexplicably assumed I was contacting the police. “If they come here, of course they will believe me over you,” she said.  

  • Blocked by a driver who was talking to a policeman in the store parking lot after my late-night shift ended. I thought about getting out of my car and politely asking him to move, but I didn’t want to risk possibly angering the officer, who — after all — had a gun. So I waited until their conversation ended and then drove off... frustrated and angry, but still alive. 

Even everyday activities that are taken for granted by most folks can suddenly become intimidating. Once, during an evening walk to the grocery store in my predominately white neighborhood, I saw two white police officers with a police dog far in the distance. As I slowly and cautiously approached them, I silently prayed that nothing would go sideways. When one of them ordered me to stop moving because the dog was searching for someone, I immediately complied. After what felt like an eternity, he allowed me to proceed. I did so, grateful that this trip would otherwise be uneventful. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder, what about the next one? 

Coping while Black... 

Incidents such as what I’ve described — while certainly nothing compared to the literal life-and-death situations that have claimed scores of precious and irreplaceable lives — are examples of what happens here on the West Coast, back on the East Coast and at all points in between. This undoubtedly is an uncomfortable topic for many of those who have never experienced, and hopefully never will experience, similar concerns and treatment. But for far too many of us, it’s a daily reality. 

Hoping while Black... 

Fortunately, the vast majority of my encounters with others — especially my treasured Fred Meyer coworkers and customers, as well as fellow UFCW 21 members, colleagues and friends — are positive, uplifting and rewarding. It’s this much-needed virtual safety net that offers a support network from which to draw strength. And this Union’s passionate commitment to achieving racial equity and empowerment to people of color, and fair treatment for everyone, provides a sense of hope that didn’t exist during my decades in North Carolina. 

But, despite all of that, I still can’t help but worry — if only a bit — just about each time I leave my home. Will this trip be uneventful? Will I make it back here alive? 

By UFCW 21 member Wil Peterson 

Read UFCW 21’s statement on the killing of George Floyd, our nation’s history of racism, and our union’s commitment to solidarity over white supremacy 

Speak up about how racism has affected you and how you want our union to work on racial equity going forward using the form below. You can also sign on to the statement at the link above and sign up to be part of our work on this issue going forward. 

Mental Health Resources

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Lots of people are in distress right now. If you, a family member, coworker, or friend is in need of emotional or mental health support, there are many places to reach out for help. Part of belonging to a union is being there for each other in difficult times, and we hope everyone can get help whenever they need it. 

If you are in crisis: Please reach out to the Suicide Lifeline: 800-273-8255 (800-799-4889 TTY) 

Other resources for people in a crisis: 

WASHINGTON STATE’S COVID-19 SUPPORT HOTLINE FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING STRESS:

  • Call “Washington Listens” at: 1-833-681-0211, available Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and weekends from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. TTY and language access services are available.

Tele-Health Mental Health Options from the Sound Health and Wellness Trust:

  • If you are on the PPO Plan: You can access Doctor on Demand’s team of licensed psychiatrists and psychologists for emotional support over the phone, fully paid for by the Trust. Click here to sign up for Doctor on Demand. 

  • If you are on the Kaiser Permanente Plan: You can call the Mental Health Access Center at 1-888-287-2680 to schedule a phone or video visit, and a trained clinician will help match you with a counselor or other specialist. 

Other Resources for You and Your Family’s Well-Being 

Read Washington State’s New Reopening Guidelines and Learn the Requirements for Employers and How to Enforce Them at Your Workplace

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Washington State has now released guidelines and requirements for a county-by-county reopening of our state. Each county in the state is expected to move through these phases as they meet the requirements for moving to the next phase, based on an assessment of COVID-19 disease activity, health care system readiness, testing capacity, the ability to investigate and trace cases, and the ability to protect high-risk people. 

Read the state’s guidelines and the four phases of reopening here 

Importantly, there are requirements for employers during all four phases designed to keep people safe at work. No matter what phase your county is in, your employer is required to: 

  • Maintain six-foot physical distancing requirements for employees and patrons 

  • Adopt other prevention measures such as barriers to block sneezes and coughs when physical distancing is not possible for a particular job task 

  • Provide you with and require you to wear cloth facial coverings (unless your exposure dictates an even higher level of protection, or you work alone without interacting with people, or you are or must communicate with someone deaf or hard of hearing who relies on visual language cues) – This requirement begins on June 8 

  • Allow you to wear your own facial coverings at work as long as it meets the minimum requirements 

  • Identify and provide you with adequate personal protective equipment in accordance with Labor & Industries requirements and specific COVID-19 standards 

  • Limit close interactions with patrons while providing services 

  • Provide adequate sanitation and personal hygiene for workers, vendors, and patrons 

  • Ensure you have access to hand washing facilities so you can wash your hands frequently with soap and running water 

  • Ensure frequent cleaning and disinfection of the business, particularly of high-touch surfaces 

  • Follow Governor Inslee’s proclamation protecting high-risk workers – Find a link to that proclamation here (Note: This proclamation is set to expire on June 12, but we expect it will be extended by the governor) 

  • Educate workers about COVID-19 in a language you best understand 

  • Have a plan for dealing with workers who are sick, including requiring COVID-19 positive employees to stay home and potentially restricting employees who were directly exposed to that employee 

  • Follow CDC cleaning guidelines to deep clean after reports of an employee with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 illness – this may involve the closure of a business until it can be properly disinfected 

  • Implement other practices appropriate for specific types of businesses on a case-by-case basis, as directed by federal, state and local public health and workplace safety officials, such as screening of employees for illness and exposures upon work entry, requiring non-cash transactions, etc. 

  • Implement any health and safety requirements developed specifically for your industry, comply with COVID-19 worksite-specific safety practices, and keep a safe and healthy facility in accordance with state and federal law 

 

If your employer does not follow all of these regulations all the time, you can report them for not keeping you, your coworkers, and your community safe. You can file a safety report with the union by emailing your name, work location, and safety issue to safetyreport@ufcw21.org. You can also contact the state’s Department of Safety and Health call center at 1-800-423-7233 or via e-mail to adag235@lni.wa.gov, and you can report a lack of social distancing via online form here. 

Our state also reminds everyone that it is against the law for any employer to take any adverse action such as firing, demotion, or otherwise retaliate against a worker they suspect of exercising safety and health rights such as raising safety and health concerns to their employer, participating in union activities concerning safety and health matters, filing a safety and health complaint or participating in a DOSH investigation. Workers have 30 days to file a complaint with L&I DOSH and/or with Federal OSHA.  

A message from UFCW 21 President Faye Guenther and other UFCW 21 leaders on the killing of George Floyd, our nation’s history of racism, and our union’s commitment to solidarity over white supremacy

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A message from UFCW 21 President Faye Guenther and other UFCW 21 leaders on the killing of George Floyd, our nation’s history of racism, and our union’s commitment to solidarity over white supremacy  

“Please, I can’t breathe.” George Floyd, seconds before his murder  

“As the tears run down my face, as I watched this man die, I ask myself, when will this end?” Eleanor Knight, UFCW 21 Executive Vice President and Shop Steward  

 “Such a shame. Hundreds of years of dehumanizing black people. I have not been this upset in about 20 years. Every time I see this on TV raw emotions overcome me, and nothing but tears continually roll down my face.” Sam Dancy, UFCW 21 Executive Vice President and Shop Steward 

“As a mother of biracial children, I sobbed. I could not even stop crying when I saw what the police did to this man. I fear for the safety of my own biracial children.”  Carrie Ann Perry, UFCW 21 Member 

We are filled with grief as we cope with two epidemics and a failed state response to both. One is a global pandemic that has killed over 100,000 of our brothers, sisters, and siblings here in the US. COVID-19, a disease that could have been minimized, but instead was allowed to devastate our nation, is highlighting the cracks in our foundation and illustrating the gross racial and economic inequalities that plague us. The second epidemic is the deep stain of racism rooted in the founding of our country and built into the fabric of our institutions.  

The widespread and institutional racism and violence against Black people in this nation goes back over 400 years. It is present and on the rise now, in 2020. This is outrageous. The list is long: police brutality, voter disenfranchisement, racism in hiring, health care, education. We stand for justice for Black people who have been murdered as a result of racist policies, practices, and actors. We lift up our collective voice and say their names: Emmett Till. Philando Castile. Sandra Bland. Michael Brown. Tamir Rice. Breonna Taylor. Ahmaud Arbery. George Floyd. The list could fill a book. We stand for justice for all Black people in this country. 

When communities of color are being repeatedly traumatized, when we see racist acts of hate and violence on full display played out online and splashed across televisions and newspapers, we remember that labor’s power comes from our ability to act collectively. Fear undermines our collective power. Racism undermines our collective power. Racism is the enemy of the working class. Racism is the enemy of organized labor. In acts of solidarity, we can gain hope, even where we may disagree. Martin Luther King said, “There comes a time when silence is betrayal.” For working people, there is no more time to remain silent. 

Please join with us in a movement for justice that we of United Food & Commercial Workers Local 21 are committed to help to build. We need your voices, your stories about the injustices that you have experienced and resisted, and we need your engagement in the continuing struggle. 

“I see you, I hear you, I mourn with you. Black Lives Matter.” Jeannette Randall, UFCW 21 Executive Vice President   


Share your voice:

Faye Guenther, UFCW 21 President 

Joe Mizrahi, UFCW 21 Secretary-Treasurer 

Fredel Albritton, UFCW 21 Executive Vice President

Kyong Barry, UFCW 21 Executive Vice President

Gregg Barney, UFCW 21 Executive Vice President

Maggie Breshears, UFCW 21 Executive Vice President

Greg Brooks, UFCW 21 Executive Vice President

Patricia Brown, UFCW 21 Executive Vice President

Christy Cyr, UFCW 21 Member

Sam Dancy, UFCW 21 Executive Vice President

Amy Dayley Angell, UFCW 21 Executive Vice President

Robin Grier, UFCW 21 Member

Tashia Hicks-Templeton, UFCW 21 Member

Eleanor Knight, UFCW 21 Executive Vice President

Atsuko Koseki, UFCW 21 Executive Vice President 

Mohamed N Muhidin, UFCW 21 Executive Vice President

Carrie Anne Perry, UFCW 21 Member

Jennifer Parker, UFCW 21 Member

Wil Peterson, UFCW 21 Executive Vice President

Cliff Powers, UFCW 21 Executive Vice President

Jeannette Randall, UFCW 21 Executive Vice President

Rob Shauger, UFCW 21 Executive Vice President

Scott Shiflett, UFCW 21 Executive Vice President

Chuck Svac, UFCW 21 Member

Richard Waits, UFCW 21 Executive Vice President

Sue Wilmot, UFCW 21 Executive Vice President

Zion, UFCW 21 Member

June 1: Telephone Town Hall Calls

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Join fellow union members for this week’s 

UFCW 21 Live Telephone Town Halls

Monday, June 1 

6:30pm 

Call-in number: 888-652-2664 

Meeting ID: 4865 

These meetings are an opportunity to come together to discuss workplace safety, ongoing campaigns for hazard pay, questions about things like childcare, unemployment, or mental health, and anything else going on in your workplace or community as we respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Join us by picking up the phone when we call you between 6:30 and 6:40pm on Monday, or you can call in yourself with the call-in information above. 

And we will be joined again by our partners at Teamsters 38. 

SUBJ: You’re invited: Mon. 6/1 at 5:30pm Union Tele-Town Hall Meeting 

 

Special Public Sector Telephone Town Hall Call 

Monday, June 1 

5:30pm 

Call-in number: 888-652-0386 

Meeting ID: 4864 

These meetings are an opportunity to come together to discuss workplace safety, ongoing campaigns for hazard pay, questions about things like childcare, unemployment, or mental health, and anything else going on in your workplace or community as we respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Join us by picking up the phone when we call you between 5:30 and 5:40pm on Monday, or you can call in yourself with the call-in information above. 

We will also be joined by workplace leaders from the Washington Public Employees Association UFCW 135. 

Health Care 

Monday, June 1 

7:30pm 

Call-in number: 888-544-2310 

Meeting ID: 4866 

These meetings are an opportunity to come together to discuss workplace safety, ongoing campaigns for hazard pay, questions about things like childcare, unemployment, or mental health, and anything else going on in your workplace or community as we respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Join us by picking up the phone when we call you between 7:30 and 7:40pm on Monday, or you can call in yourself with the call-in information above.

OTHER UPDATES: 

Washington State Reopening Non-emergency and Elective Medical/Dental Procedures 

As of May 17, health care and dental facilities are able to offer non-emergency and elective procedures only if they are able to meet the state’s safety criteria, including providing appropriate protective equipment for workers and patients and having a formal employee feedback process. Please review the information in this order and if you have new ideas about how we can help all members understand and enforce these safety guidelines, be in touch. 

WA State Reopening Non-emergency and Elective Medical/Dental Procedures

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Today Governor Inslee announced that Washington State will be allowing nonemergency medical and dental procedures to begin, provided that the facilities performing these procedures meet certain criteria. If facilities cannot meet all the criteria “in good faith and with reasonable clinical judgment,” they cannot perform non-urgent care. The proclamation is retroactive to midnight, May 17, 2020, meaning this care can begin immediately if facilities are able to meet the state’s safety criteria. 

Facilities and practices must assess the COVID-19 status in their communities in collaboration with local health jurisdictions, and have a plan to expand or contract care to accommodate COVID-19 surges and to meet all the requisite criteria for a safe expansion of care. The criteria for expanding non-urgent procedures include: 

  • Following the Department of Health’s personal protective equipment (PPE) conservation guidance, which will be regularly reviewed and updated by the DOH, as published on the DOH website 

  • Having a formal employee feedback process for direct input regarding care delivery processes, PPE, and technology 

  • Implementing policies for non-punitive sick leave that adhere to CDC’s return-to-work guidance 

  • Maintaining strict social distancing in patient scheduling, check-in process, positioning, and movements within a facility 

  • Using on-site fever screening and self-reporting of COVID-19 symptom screening for all patients, visitors, and staff 

  • Continuously monitoring capacity in the system to ensure there are resources to address potential surges of COVID-19  

There is lots of additional criteria for reopening, but we want to reiterate what the governor made very clear: Facilities must have appropriate personal protective equipment for their workers and patients. If they aren’t able to procure enough PPE, they cannot open. 

Read the full document and familiarize yourself with all the guidelines here. 

We know many health care and dental workers are facing furloughs or lost hours, and many people in our community have put off getting medical and dental care during this pandemic, so we are glad to see the state looking at a safe reopening of health care facilities and expansion of procedures. But we join with other health care unions in strongly emphasizing the importance of adequate PPE and other worker and patient safety protocols. If health care workers are not safe, the health care system cannot function. 

In the coming days we will be creating resources for health care and dental workers to use when assessing their workplace’s compliance with the governor’s newest order. If you suspect your workplace is not complying with the state’s orders, you are asked to do something you feel is unsafe, or you have questions or concerns about your or your coworkers’ safety: please contact your Shop Steward or Union Rep as soon as you can, or email safetyreport@ufcw21.org with your name, workplace, safety concern, and contact info. 

May 18: Telephone Town Hall Calls Call-in Information

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UFCW 21 Telephone Town Hall 

Monday, May 18 at 6:30 PM 

Call-in Phone Number: 888-652-5403 

Meeting ID: 4787 

Call in at 6:30 pm to join fellow UFCW 21 members in asking questions, sharing ideas, and hearing directly from one another on what we’re all doing to face the COVID-19 crisis, get the support we need, and stand up for working people. 

Health Care UFCW 21 Telephone Town Hall 

Monday, May 18 at 7:30 PM 

Call-in Phone Number: 866-304-0621 

Meeting ID: 4788 

Call in at 7:30 pm to join fellow UFCW 21 members in asking questions, sharing ideas, and hearing directly from one another on what we’re all doing to face the COVID-19 crisis, get the support we need, and stand up for working people. 

Under Pressure, Kroger Offers New One-Time Bonuses, We Continue to Stand Up for Our $2/hour Hero Pay

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Since Kroger (parent company of Fred Meyer and QFC) told us they plan to eliminate our $2/hour hero bonus on May 17, workers have been stepping up to take action, alongside workers at other UFCW locals around the country. Hundreds of UFCW 21 members spoke up to share what it’s really like to work in grocery stores during a pandemic, and we got our customers and allies to contact the corporate office and demand they make our stores safer and don’t cut our pay.  

On Friday we held rallies with community allies outside two Fred Meyer stores in North Bellingham and Burien calling on Kroger not to cut hero pay, and other UFCW locals held actions as well. After these actions, Kroger announced they will be paying out a $400 bonus to full-time workers/$200 bonus to part-time workers. We will keep up the pressure on Kroger, as they have a lot more work to do to show essential workers that we are valued and safe at work. But this decision shows we can have an impact when we take action together. Eli from North Bellingham Fred Meyer, says: “The fight isn’t over by a long shot, but today’s victory feels very good!” 

We continue to fight for hazard pay for all workers during this public health crisis, and for safe workplaces for everyone. 

TAKE ACTION: 

MEDIA COVERAGE: 

Update on 2020 Election of UFCW Local 21 Officers

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Dear UFCW 21 Members,

The UFCW 21 Officer Elections Nomination and Petition Notice stated a schedule that had both telephonic/virtual Zoom and in-person nominations meetings. In order to comply with the update to the Governors Stay Home Stay Healthy Order, which included Phases to reopening, I am cancelling all the in-person nomination meetings on June 2, 2020 at 3 pm. Per the notice, this meeting is now going to be held through a telephonic/virtual Zoom meeting at 3 pm in lieu of the in-person meetings being held at UFCW 21 offices in Mount Vernon, Seattle, Silverdale, and Spokane.

Call-In information for this call is listed on the UFCW 21 Notice of Nominations & Elections for the 2020 Election of UFCW Local 21 Officers mailer.

If you have any questions in regards to this update or any other questions about the Officer Elections please call me directly at (206) 436-6571.

Thank you,

Maria Milliron
UFCW 21 Election Chairperson


Masks for UFCW 21 Members

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Our member-led executive board knows firsthand how hard it is for working people during this COVID-19 pandemic, and we are so proud of UFCW 21 members everywhere for serving our communities, stepping up to help each other and keep each other safe, and caring for our families and loved ones during a public health crisis. 

When the CDC released recommendations that we should all be wearing cloth masks in public to help slow the spread of COVID-19, the board moved to purchase cloth barrier masks for our fellow UFCW 21 members. We contracted with a local union company to produce these masks. 

Masks are now arriving, and Shop Stewards are distributing them to coworkers. We will continue to distribute masks as more of them arrive. As we have throughout this pandemic, we are still fighting for everyone’s employer to provide them adequate protective equipment at work, the hazard pay we deserve for the work we are doing, and support for everyone facing the economic impacts of the pandemic. 

Thank you to every UFCW 21 member. We are union strong! 

Members take action, Governor responds with mandated customer limits and other protections

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Grocery employers’ failure to enforce social distancing requirements in their workplaces has led to member actions across the state. UFCW 21 has been advocating for stricter limits on customer counts backed by members’ dramatic stories, testimonials, and petitions. Fred Meyer workers have been especially concerned about the issue of customer counts because they say the company’s self-imposed limit of 50% was inadequate to begin with and rarely enforced. 

“We have one of the busiest stores and no one is seeing the customer numbers drop. I make homemade masks for free for my co-workers because I want us safer. The top treats us like numbers instead of people.  We have names, we are important, treat us like we are your family and respect us."  -S., Fred Meyer 

“There needs to be a limit on the customers allowed in the store at a time, masks and gloves should be required, and social distancing enforced.”  -Bella, Fred Meyer 

Governor Jay Inslee has responded to frontline grocery workers’ safety concerns by requiring retail stores to limit customer counts to 30% of maximum occupancy during Phase 2 of the State’s Covid-19 response plan. 

Thanks to workers speaking up, the state’s new rules include: 

  • Limiting store occupancy to 30% of maximum building occupancy or lower.

  • Distance markers to help maintain 6-foot social distancing in lines both inside and outside the store.

  • Conspicuous signage at entrances and throughout the store alerting staff and customers to the required occupancy limits, six-foot physical distancing guidance, and policy on face coverings.

  • Sneeze guards or other barriers wherever there’s potential interaction between employees that could be less than 6 feet.

  • Frequently cleaning and sanitizing, especially high-touch areas.

  • Maintaining minimum six-foot separation between all employees and customers in all interactions at all times.

  • When that’s not feasible, they must use other prevention measures such as barriers or staggered breaks and shifts.

  • Providing personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, goggles, face shields and face masks as appropriate or required to employees for the activity being performed. 

  • Ensuring frequent and adequate hand washing with adequate maintenance of supplies. 

Read the state’s full guidance here.

If your employer is not following these guidelines, you can report them directly to the State of Washington for violating the governor’s order. 

 

UFCW 21 Political Director Samantha Grad said the voice of frontline workers was essential in moving the Governor to action: “It only happened because UFCW 21 members were sharing what it’s like in their stores and why it’s dangerous for workers and customers. We are grateful to Governor Inslee for listening to workers and taking action to protect our communities.” 

Tell Kroger CEO Don't Cut Worker Pay

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Don’t cut essential pay 4.jpg

New company filing today: Kroger (parent of QFC and Fred Meyer) paid CEO Rodney McMullen $21.1 million last year – 789 times more than the median employee and a 75% increase over the year before.*

Now McMullen says the company will cut workers’ pay on May 17th -- eliminating the $2/hour “Hero Pay” bonus it coughed up beginning in April. 

Tell Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen: Don’t cut grocery worker pay during a pandemic! 

*Source: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/56873/000114036120011379/nc10008523x1_def14a.htm

Median worker pay in 2019: $26,790 

We wanted to let our customers and community know: As grocery store workers, we are proud of the work we do every day to get people the food and supplies they need. But our jobs have become more demanding, dangerous, and stressful during the COVID-19 pandemic.

SEND A MESSAGE TO KROGER THAT YOU STAND WITH FRED MEYER AND QFC WORKERS FOR SAFE STORES AND AGAINST PAY CUTS!

We're exposed to hundreds or thousands of people each week, which means an elevated risk of bringing COVID-19 home to our loved ones. We need the executives at Fred Meyer and QFC to keep workers and customers safe. We need meaningful limits on the number of shoppers entering stores. And now their parent company Kroger says it will take away our $2/hour “Hero Pay” on May 17th – even though the added burdens and risks of working through COVID-19 remain.

National Leader to Testify At Senate Hearing On Coronavirus Deaths and Infections Among Food Workers

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 12, 2020

**TODAY, May 12 at 2:30PM ET**

National Leader to Testify At Senate Hearing On Coronavirus Deaths and Infections Among Food Workers

Marc Perrone, International President of Largest U.S. Food Retail and Meatpacking Union, to Testify on Growing Threat To American Workers and Food Supply, Urge Congress to Put Worker Safety First

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, May 12 at 2:30PM ET, the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) International Union, which represents 1.3 million workers in food and retail, will testify in a U.S. Senate hearing on the growing number of deaths across the food industry from COVID-19 and the threat to America’s food supply. The U.S. Senate hearing will highlight the push to exempt businesses from liability for ensuring the safety of their employees during the ongoing pandemic.

The following are excerpts from prepared remarks UFCW International President Marc Perrone will deliver today at 2:30pm in front of the U.S. Senate hearing on employer liability: 

“UFCW supports measures to make workers safer and rejects calls for employer immunity, which would only exacerbate the current crisis. It is not just wrong for workers; it will endanger the very food supply we must all strive to protect. The best way to keep our essential businesses up and running, and to reopen additional businesses, is to ensure that workers have essential protections they need.

“This virus does not care whether you are Republican or Democrat, and when it comes to such a national crisis, neither should we. Without standardized and uniform protections, and when no one at the federal level is holding these companies responsible, I can promise you that these workers will continue to get sick and die.”

“Protecting these workers is not about dollars and cents, it is about life and death. It is about this simple fact – we can’t protect America’s food supply unless – and until – we protect America’s food workers.”

**Livestream: Click here to watch today’s 2:30pm U.S. Senate hearing on employer liability**

Background:

During the testimony, President Marc Perrone will discuss the conditions grocery workers and meatpacking workers face on the frontlines of the outbreak, share best practices and safety standards that must be followed, and talk about how to protect America’s food supply. 

Since the beginning of this pandemic UFCW has been proactive in advocating for the best and necessary safety standards to protect America’s food supply, grocery workers and meatpacking workers. The below is a summary of measures UFCW has urged employers and elected leaders to immediately implement:

  • Prioritize Essential Workers for Testing: To protect grocery and meatpacking workers and the food supply, these essential workers must be prioritized for testing.

  • Immediate Access to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): All grocery, meatpacking and food processing workers must have priority access to the critical personal protection equipment necessary to do their job and reduce the risk of exposure. 

  • Immediate Halt On Line Speed Waivers: USDA’s recent approval of 11 regulatory waivers for poultry plants to increase line speeds shows a reckless disregard for worker safety during this pandemic. The USDA must immediately cease granting any new waivers and suspend all existing waivers that allow plants to operate at faster speeds.

  • Mandate Social Distancing Where Possible: Companies must enforce and practice six-foot social and physical distancing to the greatest extent possible, even if it slows production. When not possible, companies should use plexiglass barriers and/or ensure all workers have masks that can safely be used. 

  • Isolate Workers Who Show Symptoms or Test Positive for COVID-19: It is critical to identify and isolate workers who test positive or exhibit COVID-19 symptoms. These workers must be allowed to quarantine at home, with pay, per CDC recommendations. 

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 The UFCW is the largest private sector union in the United States, representing 1.3 million professionals and their families in grocery stores, meatpacking, food processing, retail shops and other industries.

Our members help put food on our nation’s tables and serve customers in all 50 states, Canada and Puerto Rico. Learn more about the UFCW at www.ufcw.org.