Your union is deeply concerned about securing the health and economic welfare of our members, their families and their communities.
To this end, we are working with your employers to help ensure you can protect yourself and your customers during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Please see the image below for information from HMCHealthWorks.
Meanwhile, the UFCW International Union has called for immediate action by the White House and Congress to develop and implement policies to be sure that workers – salaried and hourly – do not have to choose between their health and making ends meet.
In a letter to elected leaders of both parties, UFCW International President Marc Perrone wrote:
“Nearly 80 million American workers – or 59 percent of the entire U.S. work force – are hourly employees who only get paid for the hours they work. As the financial impact of the coronavirus is felt across every community, these hardworking men and women are on the front lines.
“I am urging each of our nation’s elected leaders to develop immediate policies to ensure workers – salaried and hourly – do not have to choose between work and their health.
“These policies should not only protect workers against financial loss (from loss of hours or job loss), but should further ensure workers seek out immediate medical attention if they feel sick or believe they have been exposed to the coronavirus.
“Now, more than ever, it is time we all focus on what matters most – protecting our families, our communities and this nation.”
Top policy priorities for the UFCW include:
- At least two weeks of paid sick leave for all workers
- Extension of unemployment benefits for workers temporarily laid off or whose work hours have been disrupted
- Payroll tax cuts for all lower- and middle-income workers
- Protection against unfair termination or discrimination for those suspected of being exposed to the coronavirus.
Union advantages
This rapidly evolving public health crisis underscores the advantages to all communities when workers have a union contract guaranteeing union-negotiated sick leave and comprehensive health care. among other major benefits.
Please keep in touch with UFCW Local 99 for updates by visiting ufcw99.com, our Facebook page, reading our emails and all materials we send to you. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to contact your union representative.
In the meantime, please stay calm and take reasonable precautions to protect yourself and others in the community.
Three tips about the coronavirus
The coronavirus causes COVID-19, a respiratory illness that was first identified in China. It is highly contagious and includes symptoms like fever, cough and shortness of breath. The risk in the U.S. is currently low, but knowing how to protect yourself is key. Here are three tips:
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- Keep it clean. Clean your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds after touching surfaces in public areas, and especially if you are around someone who isn’t feeling well. Also, clean and disinfect frequently touched objects.
- Avoid contact with sick people. Avoid close contact with people who are sick and avoid traveling to locations where there are outbreaks of the coronavirus. And if you get sick, stay home to avoid spreading the virus to others.
- Contact your doctor or Teladoc. If you show early signs of illness — like a fever or a dry cough — you should contact your doctor’s office.Don’t necessarily head straight to the emergency room or urgent care, where you might infect others. There is no cure for coronavirus, but if you have symptoms of the virus, contact Teladoc and the doctors can evaluate your risk and help with next steps when necessary.
