On Thursday, March 11, President Joe Biden signed the COVID relief bill into law. This will provide millions of workers and families with the urgent relief they need as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. 

“In grocery stores and meatpacking plants across the country, millions of essential workers are on the frontlines as they face the daily threat of COVID infection to protect our food supply during this crisis. With the American Rescue Plan, these brave frontline workers will receive the support they have earned as they continue to put their own health at risk so that our families can put food on the table.” -UFCW President Marc Perrone

What’s in the American Rescue Plan for UFCW Members:

• Relief Payments: Provides $1,400 in relief payments per person for individuals making less than $75,000 and married couples making less than $150,000. along with additional tax relief for working families with children. 

• Childcare: Includes $15 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant and allows those funds to be used by essential workers. 

• COVID Testing and Vaccine: Provides funding towards testing, contact tracing, PPE, and vaccine distribution.

• Health and safety: Provides $200 million for pandemic-related worker protection activities at the Labor Department, half of which would go to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to support OSHA enforcement and worker training in high-risk sectors such as meat processing, health care, correctional facilities and agriculture.

• Extends unemployment benefits: Extends pandemic-related unemployment assistance that was set to expire on March 14, including the current $300 supplement to unemployment benefits, for another six months through Sept. 6. Provides that the first $10,200 of unemployment benefits received by taxpayers making less than $150,000 will not be subject to federal taxation.

• Retirement Security: Strengthens the entire pension system by helping pension plans that are in danger of failing.