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UFCW’s Marc Perrone, Sen. Kamala Harris urge grocery chains to restart hazard pay

‘This pandemic is far from over,’ Harris and Perrone said today in CNN editorial

Russell Redman

August 7, 2020

3 Min Read
Kroger grocery stock clerk-coronavirus copy.jpg
Kroger paid $130 million in "thank you pay" to frontline workers in addition to "appreciation pay" wage increases and "hero bonuses" during the COVID-19 pandemic.The Kroger Co.

In an op-ed today for CNN, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) International President Marc Perrone and U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., called on large grocery retailers to reinstate hazard pay for frontline workers as cases of COVID-19 mount nationwide.

Perrone and Harris said in the Aug. 7 CNN opinion piece, headlined “Why Grocery Store Workers Deserve Hazard Pay,” that the coronavirus threat for grocery workers hasn’t abated, since they remain exposed to the disease in performing their daily tasks and interacting with fellow employees and shoppers.

However, they noted in the article, large food retailers such as Kroger, Albertsons, Whole Foods Market (owned by Amazon) and others have phased out temporary pay raises or bonuses — dubbed “hero pay” or “appreciation pay” — even as more areas of the country are grappling with a higher incidence of the virus.

Kamala Harris.jpgSen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif.

"Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of America’s grocery workers have continued to report to work and serve their communities, despite the ongoing hazards and danger of being exposed to the novel coronavirus,” Harris and Perrone wrote. “The brave, dedicated workers who put themselves at risk when they enter their workplaces don’t make headlines, but each of us should value their quiet courage and sacrifice every time we visit our neighborhood grocery store. We cannot take their work or safety for granted — and their employers shouldn’t either.”

Related:UFCW, Democratic senators call on retailers to reinstate hazard pay for grocery workers

Grocery store workers are taking safety precautions for themselves, colleagues and customers by wearing masks, social distancing and constant cleaning of cash registers, food conveyor belts, shopping carts and other equipment and facilities, Harris and Perrone explained in the op-ed. At the same time, store associates have been continually restocking food, household goods, cleaning supplies, health products and other essential items throughout the COVID-19 crisis, they said.

“Grocery workers are essential workers — without them, families across the country would not have access to the food they need during this pandemic,” Harris and Perrone said. “Given the increasing dangers as COVID-19 continues to spread, the time is now to reinstate hazard pay for all of America's grocery workers.”

Since the coronavirus pandemic was declared a national emergency in mid-March, many grocery retailers have implemented emergency pay for frontline workers in stores, distribution centers and/or other facilities.

Marc Perrone-UFCW International President copy 2.jpgUFCW President Marc Perrone (Photo courtesy of UFCW)

Related:Walmart plans third cash bonus for U.S. hourly workers

Most programs entailed a temporary $2-per-hour or percentage wage increase for hourly workers and/or one-time bonuses. Some companies extended the hourly wage increases and bonuses more than once, including Kroger, Albertsons, Amazon/Whole Foods, Walmart and other chains. Retailers like Kroger, too, have invested millions of dollars in COVID-19 protection, health benefits and emergency sick-leave benefits for workers.

A number of chains, however, have ended the extra pay as the time periods for the programs have expired and states and municipalities nationwide have reopened businesses and public spaces shut during the pandemic.

But with coronavirus cases topping 4.9 million in the United States, and deaths now exceeding 160,000, Harris and Perrone noted that grocery workers are “continuing to put themselves in harm’s way.” As of Aug. 7, among UFCW members nationwide, there have been at least 97 grocery worker deaths, 7,188 grocery workers infected and 6,122 grocery workers exposed to the virus, the union reported.

Others voicing support for continuing grocery worker hazard pay include former Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.; Sherrod Brown, D-Mass.; Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill.; and Mitt Romney, R-Utah, according to UFCW.

“As we all know, this pandemic is far from over,” Harris and Perrone wrote in the CNN op-ed, “and the health threats that grocery workers face are just as real now as they were when this crisis began.”

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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