Standing up to management is nothing new for UFCW 21 member and Bainbridge Island Safeway cashier Sue Wilmot. But the stakes—and potential health risks—are higher than ever during the novel coronavirus pandemic. So when a manager ordered her to open all eight of the store's self-checkout (SCO) stations, despite overcrowded conditions, she respectfully declined because of concerns about maintaining social distancing.
“I feel that I can refuse to do something that I feel is unsafe, and it’s not safe for the customers, either,” Sue said. “It seems like a constant fricking battle to make it safe there. It’s just constantly running in circles... a constant battle. They know what’s right, but they’re more worried about getting the customers through.”
The temporary standoff happened in late March, just after the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) had issued recommendations that include maintaining a distance of at least six feet between workers and customers. Since compliance would have been impossible that day, Sue’s survival instinct kicked in. After a bit of initial pushback from the manager, he allowed her to keep four SCO stations closed but said she would have to open the others if necessary.
Sue stood her ground for the remainder of the shift. The next day, she opened the four outside stations but left the others closed. The store manager ordered her to open each station. Once again, Sue politely refused to comply, citing safety concerns. She was removed from SCO to cashier elsewhere.
A precedent was set, however. During her subsequent SCO shifts, Sue was allowed to open only four stations. But other cashiers were still required to operate at least six of the stations. “They say they don’t feel they can stand up to them,” she said.
That's never been a problem for Sue. During her 39 years at the store, she has circulated petitions and initiated actions, which included organizing an employee walkout during a historic strike in 1989. She recalls being the first employee to wear a protective face mask before management granted permission. As a UFCW 21 Executive Board member, she helped bargain last year’s retail and grocery store worker's contract.
Fortunately, enforcing customer compliance with state face-masking mandates isn't one of Sue's recent responsibilities. “It’s Bainbridge Island,” she said, referring to the residents’ generally cooperative behavior. “Plus, we just give them to the few who don’t have one. Or when they’re told they need one, they go out and get it.”
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