Month: March 2020

BREAKING NEWS: Today, the provincial government announced a new service to match essential workers, including grocery workers, industrial food processors, and home care workers with child care accommodations during the COVID-19 crisis. While the first available spots will go to health care workers, any remaining space will be available to other essential service workers.

This announcement comes after UFCW 1518 members and hundreds of people from the community spoke out about the need for child care for critical grocery workers. UFCW 1518 members have gone above and beyond the call to help flatten the curve on the COVID-19 pandemic, and called out for fair treatment in recognition of their roles as critical front-line workers.

The matching service will be available for parents with children up to 5 years of age. Essential workers can access the service by filling out a new “parent” form by calling 1-888-338-6622 or online at www.gov.bc.ca/essential-service-child-care

The service will direct requests to one of 38 community referral centres who will reach out to those that filled out the form and connect them with a licensed childcare service. Families accessing care from the service may be eligible for the Affordable Child Care Benefit.

When filling out the form, it is important to note:

• Which category of essential worker you are. Grocery workers, pharmacy technicians and assistants, industrial food processors, and home care workers are defined as essential service workers.
• Your child’s age; and
• Which community you will need child care in

You can find more information on childcare in relation to COVID-19 here. If you have any specific childcare-related questions, please feel free to contact us at [email protected]. For general COVID-19 information, please go to our COVID-19 Resource Page.

The government of British Columbia has announced new guidelines for retailers to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Here is what the government is asking stores to do:

• enhance the premise’s sanitation plan and schedule, and ensure staff are practising proper hygiene. This includes frequent hand washing, only coughing or sneezing into an elbow, and avoiding touching one’s face;
• place hand sanitizer with a minimum of 60% ethyl alcohol in dispensers near doors, pay stations and other high-touch locations for customer and staff use;
• ensure washrooms are always well stocked with liquid soap and paper towels, and that warm running water is available;
• provide clean carry-out bags for purchased food and grocery products; customers should not use their own containers, reusable bags or boxes;
• post signs at each check-out indicating that no customer packaging is to be used or placed on check-out counters;
• ensure cones or tape markers are in place every two metres to provide customers with visible queues that support physical distancing;
• use physical queue-line controls, such as crowd control cordons at entrances and in check-out lines outside the stores;
• do not sell bulk items, except via gravity feed bins or where staff dispense the bulk items; and
• anyone with COVID-19-like symptoms, such as sore throat, fever, sneezing or coughing, must self-isolate at home for 14 days.

Check out the complete list of guidelines here

For more COVID-19 related information for UFCW 1518 members, go to our COVID-19 Resource Page.

UFCW 1518 fights for fairness for our members. Click here for information about joining a union, or you can connect with an organizer to learn more.

 

WorkSafe BC has compiled recommendations for retailers to protect workers and the public during the COVID-19 crisis. The recommendations provide clarity on what the employer can do to promote disinfection and physical distancing in their stores.

The recommendations are detailed and comprehensive. Here are some of the highlights for UFCW 1518 members:

Controlling the risk of COVID-19 exposure

• Employers must take all necessary precautions to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission and illness to themselves, workers, and others at the workplace.
• Employers should follow the rules and recommendations set out by the BC Centre for Disease Control for food businesses.

Resolving concerns about unsafe work

• Workers have the right to refuse work if they believe it presents an undue hazard.
• Click here for information on how to refuse unsafe work.

Check out the rest of the recommendations here.

For more COVID-19 related information for UFCW 1518 members, go to our COVID-19 Resource Page.

UFCW 1518 fights for fairness for our members. Click here for information about joining a union, or you can connect with an organizer to learn more.

 

The exceptional circumstances of the COVID-19 outbreak have been creating many childcare difficulties for UFCW 1518 members. As March break comes to an end and as daycares close, some members may not be able to work, or may need to restrict their work hours to stay home with children. Here are some important facts and resources on how to manage childcare-related issues during this challenging time:

I still need to go to work during COVID-19, but my school-aged child needs care now that schools have suspended operations, what should I do?

Request a family status accommodation. If you know the specific hours you will be available for work, give that schedule to your manager. If your manager will not schedule you within that availability, contact your shop steward. If the shop steward cannot resolve this, have them contact your union representative.

The BC Government has created a matching program that will place the children of essential workers with community child care. Grocery workers, pharmacy workers, industrial food processors, and home care workers qualify for this program, but priority will go to health care workers. Children can be up to five years old. You may be eligible for the Affordable Child Care Benefit. To apply for the child care matching program, go to the online portal. For more information about available child care in Vancouver, Click here.

If you are taking a leave of absence to care for your child, you are entitled to income supports.

The Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) is available for working parents who must stay home without pay to care for sick children, sick elderly people, or children who are at home due to school closures.

• The amount will be up to $2,000/month for 4 months
• There will be an online application portal that will be available by April 6
• The money should be available approximately 10 days after the application is filed
• If you have already applied for EI but have not yet received funds, your application will automatically be transferred to a CERB application. You do not need to reapply
• Click here for more information

The BC Emergency Benefit for Workers is a one-time $1,000 payment to people who have lost income because of COVID-19. Anyone eligible for federal EI or CERB will qualify. For more information, click here.

Other financial benefits available for families:

• The Canada Childcare Benefit (CCB) will be going up by $300 per child. You do not need to reapply if you have applied in the past, but you must have filed a tax return for 2018.
• If you have not applied for the CCB before, you can apply here

If you are taking a leave of absence to care for your child, your job will be protected.

The provincial government has amended the Employment Standards Act, ensuring that workers can take unpaid, job-protected leave if they need to provide care to their minor child, a dependent adult who is their child, or a former foster child for reasons related to COVID-19. This includes school and daycare closures because of COVID-19. You can read more about the new job-protected leave here.

Take Action

We are pressuring the government to grant critical grocery workers, pharmacy assistants and technicians, industrial food processors, and home care workers the same childcare supports that essential workers receive. Join us by sending a letter to the government.

Stay Posted

We have reached out to major employers to request more information on any accommodations for members who may not be able to work due to the lack of childcare. We will keep you up-to-date as we know more.

If you have specific childcare-related questions, please reach out to us at [email protected]

UFCW 1518 fights for fairness for our members. Click here for information about joining a union, or you can connect with an organizer to learn more.

Grocery workers, Pharmacy Assistants and Technicians, Industrial Food Producers, and Home Care workers scrambling to find childcare

United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1518 is calling on the Provincial Government to offer special childcare supports to their membership in light of the COVID-19 crisis.

The BC Ministry of Education and the Ministry of State for Child Care announced earlier this month that essential workers fighting COVID-19 will receive childcare and special in-school accommodation for their children. They have not offered the same supports to grocery workers, pharmacy assistants and technicians, industrial food producers, or home care assistants, all critical workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“With March break ending, many of our members are scrambling to find childcare for Monday morning when they are scheduled to work,” said UFCW 1518 President Kim Novak. “The country has called on these critical workers during its time of need and they’ve answered that call. They deserve the same supports that have been offered to other professionals flattening the curve on COVID-19.”

You can read the letter here.

UFCW 1518 is asking the public to help get these necessary supports for workers by sending a letter to the provincial government. This letter-writing campaign comes in the wake of a historic campaign demanding extra protections for grocery workers that saw thousands of people send letters to Health Minister Adrian Dix and Labour Minister Harry Bains.

UFCW 1518 fights for fairness for our members. Click here for information about joining a union, or you can connect with an organizer to learn more.

As the COVID-19 situation unfolds, we are committed to keeping you up-to-date with important information for UFCW 1518 members. Check back here regularly for the latest announcements from Federal, Provincial, and Municipal governments and for information on how to stay safe at work.

Last update: 1:30 pm, PST 2020-04-22. This page will be edited frequently as the situation develops. For urgent concerns, please contact your union representative.

Summary of today’s government announcements:

Federal:

• Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a $9 billion financial aid package for students. Students will be eligible for $1,250 a month from May through August and can receive up to $1,750 if they care for a dependent or have a disability. The benefit will also be available to students who have jobs but are making less than $1,000 a month.
• International students have been made temporarily eligible to work more than 20 hours per week if they are a study permit holder in an academic session; eligible to work off-campus; and providing an essential service.
• $350 million dollars will go to Canadian charities that have seen drops in donations during COVID-19.
• Online applications for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) are now open. The CERB is a $2000/month payment available to Canadians who have lost their employment, become sick, are quarantined or must stay home to care for children because of school closures. You can apply for the CERB here.
• $100 million dollars has been allocated in relief for food banks and local food organizations to help them deliver food to vulnerable populations across Canada.
• The federal government announced updates to the wage subsidy program to small businesses, large businesses, non-profits and charities. These will all be eligible for a 75 percent subsidy to help them keep employees on the payroll.
• The house of commons passed an $82 billion aid package that includes $27 billion in direct supports and another $55 billion to help businesses.
• The Canada Child Benefit will increase by $300 per child.
• Student loan repayments have been paused.

Provincial:

• Applications for the BC Emergency Benefit for Workers, a tax-free, one time $1,000 payment for B.C. residents whose ability to work has been affected due to COVID-19, will open on May 1. Click here for more information.
• Provincial emergency COVID-19 funding will be distributed through Community Living BC (CLBC) to ensure people with developmental disabilities stay supported and safe during the pandemic. Click here for more information.
• Families of children with special needs will be able to access an emergency fund of $225 per month until June 30, 2020. Families must qualify, and the funds are distributed on a needs basis. Click here for more information.
• A $1.5 million boost has been created to the Indigenous Emergency Assistance Fund. This fund helps Indigenous post-secondary students facing financial hardship that affects their ability to finish their studies.
• Social Development and Poverty Reduction Minister Shane Simpson announced a $300 crisis supplement for British Columbians living on income and disability assistance, including low-income seniors who receive the B.C. Senior’s Supplement and recipients of income assistance or disability assistance who reside in special care facilities. BC Bus Pass Program users who receive income assistance will also be provided with the $52 of a transit card while transit fees have been suspended.
• BC Hydro will be offering a 3-month credit for people who have lost income because of COVID-19.
• Premier John Horgan announced an extension of the provincial state of emergency until April 28.
• The BC Centre for Disease Control released guidelines to retailers to prevent transmission of COVID-19. These guidelines allow retailers to have more than 50 customers in store, but only if they can ensure physical distancing of at least two metres. Read the guidelines here.
• Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth announced that people who resell essential goods, like medical gear and cleaning equipment, can now be fined up to $10,000.
• The province has announced a renters rebate of up to $500 to help renters during the COVID-19 pandemic. The province also declared a moratorium on evictions and a freeze on rental increases during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The provincial government announced a $2.8 billion package to help people pay their bills and support the health care system. The stimulus package includes $1,000 one-time, tax-free payment to people whose ability to work has been affected by the outbreak. This will be over and on top of EI payments and includes the self-employed.
• The BC CDC has issued the following guidelines for grocery stores to enforce social distancing:
  • At grocery stores: Premises must limit the number of customers entering the store and advise customers in line to maintain social distancing. When customers are waiting in line at the check-out they must stay 2 metres away from each other. In a practical sense, this would mean an equivalent of two arm’s length or one large shopping cart.
  • Enhance your premise’s sanitation plan and schedule, and ensure staff are practicing proper hygiene (e.g., frequent hand washing, as well as coughing or sneezing into your elbow rather than hands).

• Minister Dix and Dr. Henry applauded the essential grocery store and pharmacy workers who are helping to flatten the curve on the COVID-19 pandemic. They are instructing the public to maintain social distancing while in stores and calling on them to protect the health and safety of grocery store staff.
• The provincial government announced protections for workers who need to take leave for a COVID-19 related issue. Workers will be able to take unpaid protected leave for an unlimited amount of time without having to put their jobs at risk. This leave will be retroactive to January 27, 2020.

Municipal

• Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart announced that the City of Vancouver will provide regular cleaning and meal delivery to residents at 21 single-room occupancy hotels on the Downtown Eastside.
• Vancouver city council announced fines of up to $50,000 for businesses and $1,000 for individuals breaking public health rules. This includes restaurants that do not enforce social distancing.

UFCW 1518 fights for fairness for our members. Click here for information about joining a union, or you can connect with an organizer to learn more.

Last week, we were pleased to see Sobeys decision to provide employees with top-ups on EI claims relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, Sobeys has made another important move in the right direction by announcing their ‘Hero Pay Program.’ This program will provide our Safeway members with one of the strongest premium pay packages in the province, retroactive to March 8, 2020.

“We’re happy to see the vital role of our grocery store and pharmacy workers be recognized during this crisis,” says UFCW 1518 President Kim Novak. “It is important that in addition to access to paid leave, Sobeys is providing additional compensation to our members for the hard work they are doing on the front lines of this pandemic to keep our communities supplied.”

UFCW 1518 continues advocate for our members and encourages all retailers in British Columbia to continue making improvements for workers and to recognize the hard work of their staff on front lines.

The premium pay program in BC will apply to both store and pharmacy employees in all Safeway and Safeway Extra stores. In addition, franchisees like FreshCo have been strongly encouraged to adopt the program. UFCW 1518 will be following up with franchise units on this matter.

Here’s a breakdown of what the program looks like:

Store & Pharmacy Employees

Non-Management Premium Amounts

• $50 per week premium, in addition to any hours worked during a week
• Additional $2.00 per hour, for hours worked above 20 hours a week

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to speak to a union representative at [email protected] or 1.800.661.3708.

Great news: we are happy to announce that Safeway and Sobey’s employees will be receiving top-ups on EI claims relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The EI top-ups will be available for members who have been placed in mandatory and self-imposed 14-day quarantine. The top-ups will also be available to members who need time off to care for children or other dependents.

Here are some details on the top-ups:

• Employees who are in mandatory self-quarantine after traveling outside of Canada after March 13 will receive a company-paid top-up to 95% of their annual base salary while receiving Employment Insurance.
• Employees who self-quarantine because they have come into contact with someone diagnosed with the COVID-19 contagion will receive a company-paid top-up of up to 70% of their annual base salary while receiving EI.
• Those with household members who have returned from a country that had been identified as a health risk Level 3 or 4 prior to March 13, or if the member of the employee’s household has returned from a cruise, or a member of the employee’s household has a confirmed of presumptive case of COVID-19, will also receive a company-paid top-up of up to 70% of their annual base salary while receiving EI.

We are also announcing that, due to the unprecedented and highly unusual circumstances arising from the high demand and high volume at Safeway stores across BC, UFCW 1518 and UFCW 247 have been working together to find ways for members to continue to access hours and manage temporary changes to the stores’ operation.

UFCW 1518 and 247 have agreed to several conditions that will allow members of both bargaining units to work in each other’s departments. The following has been temporarily agreed to:

1. All UFCW 1518 are to be fully maximized in their regular classification; however, due to the high volume of work, General Clerks or Cashiers may work between classifications.
2. Once all UFCW 1518 members have their hours maximized, any UFCW 247 members who see a reduction in hours (due to the service counters changing in operation) OR in the event there is a need for more assistance outside of their regular department, may perform work in the Cashier and/or General Clerk classification.
3. Similarly, once UFCW 247 members have their hours maximized in their home department, and there is need for more assistance in the department, UFCW 1518 members may perform work in the department in need should there be a shortage of people.
4. Any employee working outside their regular classification or department must be properly trained by the Employer.
5. No employee will be forced to work outside their regular department and/or classification.
6. Any UFCW 1518 or UFCW 247 member in any store, who would like to draw down their ATO or Vacation Banks may do so upon request.
7. Any new hire who will work primarily in the Cashier or General Clerk classification shall be hired as a UFCW 1518 member and similarly, a member hired for Deli, Meats, etc. will be a UFCW 247 member.
8. Regardless of the work being performed, members will continue to pay Union dues to their home local union and be covered by the terms of their current collective agreement.

We know that UFCW 1518 members are on the front lines of this crisis and are proud of the work they are doing to help flatten the curve of the pandemic. We will continue to advocate for enhanced safety precautions for all grocery and pharmacy workers. We are meeting regularly with the employer and are in contact with government authorities about enacting the measures that our members have been asking for in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

You can help bring these and other additional protections to more grocery stores by writing a letter to government officials through our letter writing campaign here.

UFCW 1518 fights for fairness for our members. Click here for information about joining a union, or you can connect with an organizer to learn more.