{"id":41071,"date":"2021-01-05T15:10:57","date_gmt":"2021-01-05T15:10:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ufcw.org\/?post_type=press_releases&p=41071"},"modified":"2021-01-05T15:10:58","modified_gmt":"2021-01-05T15:10:58","slug":"ufcw-calls-on-albertsons-to-halt-effort-to-eliminate-jobs-of-essential-grocery-workers-vital-to-food-access-for-millions-amid-covid-surge","status":"publish","type":"press_releases","link":"https:\/\/www.ufcw.org\/press-releases\/ufcw-calls-on-albertsons-to-halt-effort-to-eliminate-jobs-of-essential-grocery-workers-vital-to-food-access-for-millions-amid-covid-surge\/","title":{"rendered":"UFCW Calls on Albertsons to Halt Effort to Eliminate Jobs of Essential Grocery Workers Vital to Food Access for Millions Amid COVID Surge"},"content":{"rendered":"
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WASHINGTON, D.C.<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 Today, the\u00a0United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW)<\/strong><\/a>, which\u00a0represents 1.3 million frontline workers\u00a0\u2014\u00a0including\u00a0over 141,000 California workers\u00a0\u2014\u00a0condemned\u00a0<\/strong>a new report<\/a>\u00a0that Albertsons plans to fire grocery delivery drivers at its Vons and Pavilions stores in California. The news comes as California confronts rapidly spiraling COVID-19 outbreaks across the state with\u00a0hospitals overwhelmed by virus infections<\/a>\u00a0and millions of families relying on these essential grocery drivers to protect access to the food they need during this crisis.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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UFCW International President Marc Perrone released the following statement<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\u201cAll across California, Vons and Pavilions grocery workers have been bravely serving on the frontlines since the pandemic began, putting their own health at risk to ensure Californians have the food they need during this crisis. Now, with COVID-19 outbreaks spiraling out of control and overwhelming hospitals across California, it is stunning that Albertsons would fire these courageous and hard-working men and women keeping our food supply secure.\u00a0<\/p>

\u201cFor seniors, high-risk individuals, and countless more who are quarantining, Vons and Pavilions grocery delivery drivers have been a trusted and crucial lifeline, providing access to food for some of the most vulnerable Californians. Exploiting the passage of Prop. 22 to destroy the good-paying jobs of these dedicated frontline workers, in the middle of this public health crisis, is simply wrong.\u00a0<\/p>

“As the union for grocery workers across California, UFCW is calling on Albertsons to immediately halt these plans and to put the health of their customers first by protecting the jobs of these brave essential workers at a time when our communities need them most.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n

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BACKGROUND:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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UFCW has been a leading voice for essential workers<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0during the pandemic, including\u00a0nearly 1 million grocery workers across the country and over 141,000 California frontline workers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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New COVID Numbers:<\/strong> Today, UFCW confirmed the rapidly growing impact of the pandemic on its frontline food workers, announcing that among the union\u2019s members across the country there have already been at least:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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