Thread by @ufcw401

COVID-19 means we have to stick together. Whether you work at a grocery store, food processing facility, nursing home, hospital, or school, you still have rights.

Here's our statement on COVID-19...

gounion.ca/news/standing-… #canlab #UFCW #401solidarity

The World Health Organization has declared COVID-19, or coronavirus, a pandemic. Certain reports in the press and on social media have given rise to considerable panic among the public, including the hoarding of basic foodstuffs and household supplies.

Those images of busy aisles, lineups, and retail chaos are our workplaces.

These circumstances directly affect our members in their workplaces. In grocery stores, food processing plants, nursing homes, and schools, we provide key services to communities and interact with the public every day.

WE WORK ON THE FRONT LINES!

While the risk of catching COVID-19 remains low in Canada, we must not underestimate the pandemic’s many impacts. Those impacts are health-related, of course, but they also relate to workplace health and safety and the economic security of working people.

When decisions are being made about how to deal with the pandemic, the voices and interests of working people must be heard loud and clear.

So we're pushing for some things from employers and governments. The list is getting longer...

From governments and agencies, we need immediate changes: legislated paid sick days for all workers; extension of EI benefits to all who aren't able to work; increases to the EI maximums; and WCB policies that consider grocery store workers as high-risk occupations!

From employers, we need these immediate changes: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for all employees; the waiving of waiting periods for STD benefits; a moratorium on sick note requests; suspension of grievance time limits; and
affirmation of the right to refuse unsafe work.

Right now, our communities need us, but we continue to call on employers and policymakers to work with us to ensure the health, safety, and economic security of working Albertans.

Working people are doing their part. Companies and governments must step up NOW!

The pandemic response is everyone’s responsibility, and we all have important roles to play.