By rdnewsNOW staff

Protecting Food Workers

Union leader calls on Kenney to ‘fight for food workers’

Apr 24, 2020 | 4:22 PM

Western Canada’s largest private sector union is calling on Alberta’s premier to implement immediate measures to protect frontline food workers in the province’s food processing facilities and grocery stores.

In a letter dated Apr. 23, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 401 President, Thomas Hesse, outlines to Jason Kenney that a number of Alberta grocery stores have been closed because of COVID-19, with authorities reporting 604 cases directly linked to Cargill and JBS food-packing plants, representing 16 per cent of Alberta’s total confirmed cases.

The letter also notes there have been confirmed COVID-19-related deaths of food workers in each of the Cargill and JBS facilities.

“The outbreaks in High River and in Brooks are demonstrating that Alberta’s food workers will be disproportionately represented in the infected population,” Hesse writes. “We must act decisively now.”

Officials with UFCW Local 401 are calling on the Alberta government to immediately establish an enforceable, all-encompassing, and worker-centred regulatory regime to protect frontline workers in all Alberta food processing facilities and grocery stores, whether they are unionized or not.

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“Leaving the private sector to regulate itself is like asking the fox to protect the hen house,” Hesse writes. “That is why we again request a meeting with public health officials and legislators with appropriate and competent authority to quickly establish clear, enforceable regulations to ensure the health, safety, and financial security of Alberta’s workers.”

“This should involve a worker-centred approach that emphasizes the experiences of workers in the food processing industry. It should also be comprised of individuals far removed from political and employer agendas.”

Union officials say the letter outlines several key measures to protect food workers during COVID-19, including:

• Immediate closure of workplaces where outbreaks have occurred, time off with pay for employees while COVID-19 testing and contact tracing takes place, and assurances that inspections include the participation and endorsement of the workers’ union.
• Statutory COVID-19 hazard pay of 1.5x regular the hourly rate of employees for all hours worked during the pandemic.
• Presumptive status for COVID-19 related Workers’ Compensation Board claims for all food workers.
• Active enforcement by government officials of social distancing and health and safety protocols in all grocery stores and food production facilities.
• Provisions to ensure that no worker loses their job for being too afraid to attend work due to COVID-19.

Union officials say grocery stores and food processing facilities are currently some of the only places in Alberta where mass gatherings of people in close proximity are allowed to occur.

Considered essential by policy makers and employers, union officials say Alberta’s food workers are unable to follow recommendations to stay home.

“Your government acted quickly to amend the Employment Standards Code to provide more ‘flexibility’ to employers,” writes Hesse. “We are asking for your government to now immediately enact regulations to protect workers.

“It’s time to fight for food workers.”