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Whole Foods employees are staging a nationwide 'sick-out'

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Re: Whole Foods employees are staging a nationwide 'sick-out'

#11

Post by nn35 »

elicash wrote: post #3

Here's what they're asking for: https://www.coworker.org/petitions/global-retail-worker-sick... -Guaranteed paid leave for all workers who isolate or self-quarantine instead of coming to work. -Reinstatement of health care coverage for part-time and seasonal workers. -Increased FSA funds to cover coronavirus testing and treatment for all team members, including part-time and seasonal. -Guaranteed hazard pay in the fo…

-Immediate shutdown of any location where a worker tests positive for COVID-19.

This seems likely to shut down the majority of Whole Foods stores in short order. An unreasonable request, IMO. Grocery stores are genuinely essential to society and the death rate for I do think high-risk employees should basically be allowed to stay home, though.

Re: Whole Foods employees are staging a nationwide 'sick-out'

#12

Post by toomuchtodo »

whyenot wrote: post #9
tracker1 wrote: post #4

Wonder if grocery store workers will largely be forced to unionize and fall under similar terms as airline industry with regards to limitations on a strike. "Essential work"

Aren't many grocery chains already unionized? I believe Safeway, Raleys / Nob Hill, and Albertsons are, at least.

Yes. It would make sense for existing grocers unions to assist in the efforts of these Whole Foods workers, and eventually expand to Amazon Fulfillment workers (perhaps working with other unions under the AFL-CIO umbrella).

http://www.ufcw.org/grocery/

Re: Whole Foods employees are staging a nationwide 'sick-out'

#13

Post by ttul »

I'm sure that one of the long term outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic will be a (potentially short-lived) resurgence in unionization and a general leftward shift in global politics. This move to the left will coincide with governments continuing to exercise greater authority over the population and economy. Our reality after COVID-19 will look more like 1970s Britain.

Re: Whole Foods employees are staging a nationwide 'sick-out'

#14

Post by rocha »

nn35 wrote: post #11
elicash wrote: post #3

Here's what they're asking for: https://www.coworker.org/petitions/global-retail-worker-sick... -Guaranteed paid leave for all workers who isolate or self-quarantine instead of coming to work. -Reinstatement of health care coverage for part-time and seasonal workers. -Increased FSA funds to cover coronavirus testing and treatment for all team members, including part-time and seasonal. -Guaranteed hazard pay in the fo…

-Immediate shutdown of any location where a worker tests positive for COVID-19. This seems likely to shut down the majority of Whole Foods stores in short order. An unreasonable request, IMO. Grocery stores are genuinely essential to society and the death rate for I do think high-risk employees should basically be allowed to stay home, though.

Hospitalization rate is hovering between 10% and 20%

Edit: source https://covidtracking.com/data/

Re: Whole Foods employees are staging a nationwide 'sick-out'

#15

Post by toomuchtodo »

nn35 wrote: post #11
elicash wrote: post #3

Here's what they're asking for: https://www.coworker.org/petitions/global-retail-worker-sick... -Guaranteed paid leave for all workers who isolate or self-quarantine instead of coming to work. -Reinstatement of health care coverage for part-time and seasonal workers. -Increased FSA funds to cover coronavirus testing and treatment for all team members, including part-time and seasonal. -Guaranteed hazard pay in the fo…

-Immediate shutdown of any location where a worker tests positive for COVID-19. This seems likely to shut down the majority of Whole Foods stores in short order. An unreasonable request, IMO. Grocery stores are genuinely essential to society and the death rate for I do think high-risk employees should basically be allowed to stay home, though.

> I do think high-risk employees should basically be allowed to stay home, though.

Employees in states where a shelter in place order is in effect can stay home and collect unemployment backed by the federal government [1]. One might argue everyone is high risk, as you might have a risk factor you're not aware of, leading to an unexpected death. [2]

[1] https://www.nytimes.com/article/coronavirus-stimulus-package...

[2] https://www.insider.com/spanish-coach-francisco-garcia-21-di... (A 21-year-old Spanish soccer coach died from the coronavirus after finding out he had undiagnosed leukemia while he was in hospital)

Re: Whole Foods employees are staging a nationwide 'sick-out'

#16

Post by p1mrx »

rocha wrote: post #14
nn35 wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

-Immediate shutdown of any location where a worker tests positive for COVID-19. This seems likely to shut down the majority of Whole Foods stores in short order. An unreasonable request, IMO. Grocery stores are genuinely essential to society and the death rate for I do think high-risk employees should basically be allowed to stay home, though.

Hospitalization rate is hovering between 10% and 20% Edit: source https://covidtracking.com/data/

What's the hospitalization rate for starvation?

Re: Whole Foods employees are staging a nationwide 'sick-out'

#17

Post by zzzeek »

nn35 wrote: post #11
elicash wrote: post #3

Here's what they're asking for: https://www.coworker.org/petitions/global-retail-worker-sick... -Guaranteed paid leave for all workers who isolate or self-quarantine instead of coming to work. -Reinstatement of health care coverage for part-time and seasonal workers. -Increased FSA funds to cover coronavirus testing and treatment for all team members, including part-time and seasonal. -Guaranteed hazard pay in the fo…

-Immediate shutdown of any location where a worker tests positive for COVID-19. This seems likely to shut down the majority of Whole Foods stores in short order. An unreasonable request, IMO. Grocery stores are genuinely essential to society and the death rate for I do think high-risk employees should basically be allowed to stay home, though.

this fails to consider that if an employee of the store tests positive that has an implication for the store itself as well as all the food and products being sold to the public.

Re: Whole Foods employees are staging a nationwide 'sick-out'

#18

Post by txcwpalpha »

eropple wrote: post #7
amelius wrote: post #6

I sympathize but wouldn't a strike be illegal during a crisis?

No? They're not drafted , you can't compel grocery store workers to work. It just turns out that we rely more than people thought on some of the least protected of our citizens, and this is a pretty good chance to have their voices be heard.

Being drafted isn't relevant to the question. The NLRA does indeed specify that strikes can be illegal in certain situations, such as if doing so would cause a national emergency. I don't know if this particular strike falls under that or other criteria.

Re: Whole Foods employees are staging a nationwide 'sick-out'

#20

Post by gameswithgo »

elicash wrote: post #3

Here's what they're asking for: https://www.coworker.org/petitions/global-retail-worker-sick... -Guaranteed paid leave for all workers who isolate or self-quarantine instead of coming to work. -Reinstatement of health care coverage for part-time and seasonal workers. -Increased FSA funds to cover coronavirus testing and treatment for all team members, including part-time and seasonal. -Guaranteed hazard pay in the fo…

lots of room for reasonable compromise in there
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