(March 21, 1969 – March 19, 2020)

The officers and staff of UFCW Local 99 join family members and co-workers in mourning the loss of Joseph Morton, a beloved union steward and food clerk at Safeway 249 in Page, Ariz. Joe passed away at the age of 50 due to complications from COVID-19. He was a loyal and active union member since 1993. As a Local 99 steward, he assisted in recruiting members for the Union. Joe recognized the power the Union could provide for workers and their families.

Outside of work, he loved to travel and attend baseball games. “Joe was a good man, he rarely missed a meeting, even driving from Page to Phoenix and back home in the same day just so he could go to work, to make sure he was fighting for his Union,” President Jim McLaughlin said. “His loss points to the tragic costs of the COVID-19 pandemic and strengthens our resolve to protect other workers from the same fate.”