July 13 Telephone Town Hall Calls

UFCW 21 Telephone Town Hall Monday, July 13 at 6:30 PM 
Call-in Phone Number:  888-652-0386 Meeting ID: 4947 

TO JOIN: This Monday, July 13, listen for a phone call from UFCW 21 between 6:30 and 6:40 pm. (Note that sometimes this call appears on phones as “potential spam.”) If you miss the call or don’t receive a call, just use the call-in number above to join the call at any time. 

Health Care UFCW 21 Telephone Town Hall Monday, July 13 at 7:30 PM 
Call-in Phone Number:  888-652-2664  Meeting ID: 4948 

TO JOIN THE CALL: This Monday, July 13, listen for a phone call from UFCW 21 between 7:30 and 7:40 pm. (Note that sometimes this call appears on phones as “potential spam.”) If you miss the call or don’t receive a call, just use the call-in number above to join the call at any time. 

Telephone Town Hall Monday June 15

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

Tell Kroger CEO Don't Cut Worker Pay

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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

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.

Reporting safety issues at businesses

Our state’s Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) has produced a document with their recommendations for grocery stores to ensure that stores comply with the state’s social distancing requirements. Find a printable PDF of this document on the L&I website here. 

If you think your store is not following social distancing protocols, there are lots of ways to report that, including via safety and health complaints or through the state’s COVID-19 social distancing report form, or by emailing UFCW 21 at safetyreport@ufcw21.org

May 11: COVID-19 Telephone Town Hall for UFCW 21 Members – Call-In Only!

Note: This week’s Telephone Town Hall meetings are call-in only, meaning you must call the number below to join in.

Join us for a town hall call to ask questions, share ideas, hear from your fellow members and union leadership, and work together to face the COVID-19 crisis and stand up for working people.

We are testing different methods to make these calls better for everyone, so this week’s is call-in only. You will not receive a call at the meeting time, so mark your calendar and call in at the number and time below:

Monday, May 11

6:30 pm

Phone number: 844-227-7553

Meeting ID: 4677

Health Care Members Call:

Monday, May 11

7:30 pm

Phone number: 844-227-7561

Meeting ID: 4678


COVID-19 Updates and Resources from the Sound Health and Wellness Trust

If you access health insurance through the Sound Health and Wellness Trust, there have been some important updates to our coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of us have bargained for this affordable family health insurance over the years, and our representatives at the Trust have advocated during this crisis for some expansions in our coverage. If you have any questions about this information or about your coverage, you should reach out directly to the Trust at soundhealthwellness.com or by calling (206) 282-4500 or (800) 225-7620 (Mon–Fri, 8am–5pm). 

 

Covering COVID-19 Testing 

Testing for COVID-19 is paid for 100% by the Trust. If you are covered by the Trust and had to pay for a COVID-19 test already, call them at (206) 282-4500 or (800) 225-7620 (Mon–Fri, 8am–5pm) and see if this can be resolved. 

 

Virtual Care Options 

In order to stay home during this outbreak and still consult a medical professional for advice as quickly as possible, many people are looking to phone or online medical services. Virtual care is fully paid for by the Trust. Here are the options for the two covered plans: 

PPO Plan Participants 

  • Doctor on Demand is a confidential virtual medical care service available 24/7 to treat non-emergency health conditions like colds, flu, migraines, urinary tract infections, and more. 

  • The Nurse Line is available 24/7 and gives you access to trained registered nurses who can help you find reliable information so you can make informed health care decisions. Call (877) 362-9969, option 1 to reach the Nurse Line. 

  • Virtual visits: Check with your primary care physician about phone or video visits 

Kaiser Permanente Plan Participants 

  • The Consulting Nurse Helpline is available 24/7 and gives you access to trained registered nurses who can help you find reliable information so you can make informed health care decisions. Call (800) 297-6877 or (206) 630-2244 (TTY 711)

  • Phone appointments, Care Chat, and e-visits are available at Kaiser Permanente. 

 

Expanded Behavioral Health Coverage 

With the recent COVID-19 outbreak, the Trust is offering virtual care with licensed mental health providers for both PPO and Kaiser Permanente Plan participants.  

PPO Plan Participants: 

  • Doctor On Demand’s diverse team of licensed psychiatrists and psychologists can provide the emotional support you need from the privacy and comfort of home. This program is available for the next six months and is fully paid for by the Trust.  

Kaiser Permanente Plan Participants 

  • Call the KPWA Mental Health Access Center at 1-888-287-2680 or (206) 901-6300 to schedule a phone or video visit. A trained clinician will ask a few questions, and help match you with a counselor or other specialist. 

 

Waivers During COVID-19 Shutdowns 

The Board of Trustees of Sound Health & Wellness Trust has adopted certain temporary benefit changes to help participants who may be impacted by COVID-19 keep health coverage during this time. If you stopped working or worked reduced hours in March or April 2020 due to a COVID-19-related reason, contact the Trust at (206) 282-4500 or (800) 225-7620 to see if your coverage can continue. 

Will you STAND WITH US for Safety and Fair Pay?

Fred Meyer & QFC Customers: Tell Corporate to Support Their Workers

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.

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#EssentialHeroes

Messages from your community Grocery Store Workers

I value my relationships and friendships with customers. But right now I’m worried about my mental health and fatigue. Kroger management: Come visit our stores, and see what it's like, witness what we’re going through until this is over. Come and help us! 

-Tanya, Fred Meyer

We are tired, scared and tired! We are a BIG PART of what people are calling the “front line.” We deserve hazard pay for putting our lives on the line. We are a very important part of why your store is open during this hard time. 

-Sherrie, Fred Meyer

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. Do better by us workers. 

-Sheryl, Fred Meyer

We deserved higher pay even BEFORE the COVID crisis. Grocery workers work incredibly hard, and making near minimum wage is insulting. 

-John, QFC 

It's far more difficult than it's ever been, and management is giving the impression that their money is worth more than our lives. 

-Jacob, Fred Meyer

It's a nightmare. I'm being run ragged getting carts, cleaning what I have to clean, and keeping up with the people wanting help to their cars, while trying to accommodate the new measures that Kroger is implementing that affect my position. We deserve more than an extra $2 an hour. I’m scared of coming into contact with someone or something with COVID-19 and bringing it home to my family, who is at risk.  

-Isobel, Fred Meyer

I'm worried about workers not being protected enough during this pandemic. We can allow 900 customers into our store and there is no way we can socially distance with even a fraction of that amount of customers in our store. It's not fair that the company gets to act like they're doing something when in reality it doesn't do anything substantial to protect their workers. I love the team I'm on and the people I work with. But I'd say that most of Kroger management doesn't have to be in a store that allows thousands of people in every single day. It's easy for them to make these decisions, but they're not the ones who have to actually work through this pandemic day in and day out. We deserve better protection. 

-Cody, Fred Meyer

Conditions are more stressful and anxiety inducing than ever before. The extra labor involved in constantly sanitizing the store is intense and deserves at least the $2-an-hour hazard pay. It feels like expectations from management, although for a good cause, are unrealistic given the amount of staff and business my store does on most days. We should be compensated for the extra labor we do on a daily basis to keep ourselves and our customers safe. 

-Anna, QFC

Every single day is like Christmas and Black Friday are happening. We’ve been so busy, and now they’re cutting our hours.  

-Bob, Fred Meyer 

I am worried about getting sick and taking it home to my family. I can't stay home and get paid—unlike like the higher-up corporate people that aren't out here on the front line risking their lives and the well-being of their families. They are paid much more than those of us here working our behinds off. And they can’t pay us more? I’d tell them to do our job for an entire week and see how they are when it’s over. 

-Sonja, Fred Meyer