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Grocery worker COVID-19 infections, deaths rise: UFCW report

Union applauds chains helping to drive vaccinations for frontline associates

Russell Redman

April 22, 2021

4 Min Read
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To encourage employees to get vaccinated, Target is offering hourly frontline workers up to four hours of pay to get a COVID-19 shot, including free Lyft rides to their appointments.Target

Grocery worker COVID-19 infections and deaths have surged in recent weeks despite steady gains in vaccinations nationwide, according to United Food and Commercial Workers International (UFCW).

Since March 1, the number of grocery workers infected or exposed to coronavirus has climbed 24%, while deaths from the virus have jumped 30%, UFCW reported Thursday. The union said the upsurge follows store outbreaks at Whole Foods Markets, Costco Wholesale, Trader Joe’s and other grocery retail chains across the country.

Among UFCW members nationwide, there have been a total of 456 deaths from COVID-19 and at least 91,400 infections or exposures to the virus among frontline workers. UFCW said its latest estimates include 178 deaths and at least 39,900 infections or exposures among grocery workers; 132 deaths and 22,200 infections or exposures among meatpacking workers; and 50 deaths and 11,700 infections or exposures among food processing workers.

Overall, UFCW represents 1.3 million workers in the grocery store, meatpacking, food processing, health care, retail sectors, among other industries.

“America’s frontline essential workers in grocery stores and meatpacking plants continue to face some of the highest risks of COVID exposure, and the need to strengthen vaccine access has never been more urgent,” UFCW International President Marc Perrone said in a statement. “But too many states are failing to ensure essential food workers have vaccine access, as they continue to face barriers with the vaccine eligibility pool expanding.”

Related:Target funnels $5 million toward COVID-19 vaccine access

With some states seeing a resurgence in COVID-19 cases over the past couple of months, grocery retailers have maintained existing protections and social distancing guidelines for employees and customers but have shifted their focus to making vaccines readily accessible to associates — and encouraging them to get vaccinated.

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President Biden applauded The Kroger Co.'s $100 incentive for workers to get a COVID shot, saying the program lifted employee vaccination rates from 50% to 75%.

A number of large chains are providing worker incentives to get a COVID shot, such as extra pay, bonuses, financial assistance, time off for the immunization, free rides to the vaccination site and/or other benefits. UFCW cited The Kroger Co., Aldi, Lidl, Publix Super Markets, Target and Trader Joe’s as some of the retailers incentivizing workers to go and get a COVID vaccine, while companies doing so in the meatpacking and food processing arenas include Chobani, Danone, JBS USA and Pilgrim’s Pride. 

UFCW added that it also has secured on-site vaccinations for frontline workers at Albertsons Cos. supermarkets, CVS Pharmacy stores, Tyson Foods, Cargill and National Beef, among other U.S. grocery retail and food industry employers.

Related:Walmart, CVS, Walgreens participate in COVID-19 vaccine PSAs

The union, too, welcomed President Joe Biden’s plan to offer small businesses tax incentives for providing employees paid time off to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Under the measure, companies with fewer than 500 employees would receive a paid-leave tax credit to offset the cost of providing workers full pay for time needed to get COVID shot and recover from vaccination side effects.

“President Biden’s vaccine tax credits for small businesses are a critical step to ensure more of America’s essential workers can get the vaccine without losing a paycheck,” according to Perrone.

“As the union for essential food workers across the country, UFCW is joining President Biden in calling on all CEOs to guarantee paid leave for their frontline employees to get the vaccine. To keep our food supply secure as the pandemic continues, we need action now from every frontline business to eliminate the hurdles these workers face to getting vaccinated,” he added.

UFCW’s announcement comes as the Biden administration expects to meet its target of 200 million COVID-19 shots administered in 100 days on April 22. The president reached his original goal of 100 million shots in 100 days by day 58 of his administration.

“As we move into the vaccination campaign focused on working-age adults, one concern I’ve heard from so many Americans is that they can’t afford to take the time off to get vaccinated or lose a day’s work because they are feeling slightly under the weather after their shot. So today, I’m announcing a program to address that issue nationwide.  I’m calling on every employer, large and small, in every state, to give employees the time off they need, with pay, to get vaccinated and any time they need, with pay, to recover if they are feeling under the weather after the shot,” Biden said in a press conference yesterday.

“No working American should lose a single dollar from their paycheck because they chose to fulfill their patriotic duty of getting vaccinated,” he noted. “We’re already seeing employers, large and small, stepping up to meet this historic moment. The grocery store Kroger offered employees $100 to get vaccinated. It helped push vaccination rates from 50% to 75% among their associates.”

Through the morning of April 21, 40.5% of the U.S. population had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, with 26.4% fully immunized, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data. Among adults, 51.5% had received at least one dose and 33.8% have been fully vaccinated. Overall, nearly 216 million of the 277.9 million vaccines delivered by manufacturers have been administered.

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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