Union for 1.3 Million Workers Calls on President-Elect Biden to Pressure CEOs to Strengthen Safeguards, Enforce Masks in Stores, Reinstate Hazard Pay as Pandemic Worsens
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), the union for 1.3 million food and retail workers, joined President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris for a national roundtable on the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to protect frontline workers. In addition to UFCW, the roundtable also featured labor leaders from AFL-CIO, SEIU, AFSCME, and UAW.
UFCW represents essential workers in grocery stores, meatpacking plants, and other businesses on the frontlines of the pandemic and has already confirmed 275 food worker deaths and more than 42,200 food workers infected or exposed to COVID-19.
UFCW International President Marc Perrone released the following statement:
“America’s frontline workers deserve a president who fights for them and that’s exactly what Joe Biden is doing today. Bringing together union and business leaders, it’s clear that President-elect Biden is ready to unite our country and take the bold action needed to protect essential workers.
“In grocery stores and meatpacking plants, UFCW members are bravely putting themselves in harm’s way and stepping up to keep our country fed during this crisis. Our country’s leaders must ensure that these frontline workers receive the hazard pay they have earned for facing these risks and strengthen safety measures across the country to protect them on the job.
“With COVID-19 cases skyrocketing nationwide, the danger these courageous frontline workers face grows every day. American lives are on the line and we are counting on President-elect Biden to bring our country together to ensure we take control of this pandemic.”
Background:
UFCW has been a leading voice in the push to protect frontline workers in grocery stores, meatpacking plants, and other essential businesses. UFCW recently confirmed that frontline workers continue to be at risk as COVID-19 cases increase nationwide. Among the frontline workers represented by the union in states across the country, there have already been at least 108 grocery worker deaths and over 16,300 grocery workers infected or exposed.
UFCW applauded President-elect Biden’s call for a national mask mandate in September 2020, as well as Biden’s plan for essential workers that calls for hazard pay for those on the frontlines.
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UFCW is the largest private sector union in the United States, representing 1.3 million professionals and their families in healthcare, grocery stores, meatpacking, food processing, retail and other industries. Our members serve our communities in all 50 states, Canada and Puerto Rico. Learn more at www.ufcw.org.
