{"id":41331,"date":"2021-01-21T18:40:54","date_gmt":"2021-01-21T18:40:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ufcw.org\/?post_type=press_releases&p=41331"},"modified":"2021-01-21T21:32:29","modified_gmt":"2021-01-21T21:32:29","slug":"ufcw-instacart-firing-grocery-workers-is-ruthless-attempt-to-eliminate-jobs-of-essential-workers-on-frontlines-of-covid-19-protecting-food-access-in-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"press_releases","link":"https:\/\/www.ufcw.org\/press-releases\/ufcw-instacart-firing-grocery-workers-is-ruthless-attempt-to-eliminate-jobs-of-essential-workers-on-frontlines-of-covid-19-protecting-food-access-in-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"UFCW: Instacart Firing Grocery Workers is Ruthless Attempt to Eliminate Jobs of Essential Workers on Frontlines of COVID-19 Protecting Food Access in Pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Union for Instacart Workers Calls on Company to Halt Effort to Eliminate Jobs of Essential Workers, Respect Right to Unionize<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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WASHINGTON, D.C.<\/strong> — Today, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW)<\/strong><\/a>, which represents 1.3 million workers in grocery, meatpacking, and other frontline industries<\/strong>, condemned the news that Instacart is firing nearly 2,000 grocery workers<\/a> who have been vital to protecting food access for Americans during the pandemic. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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As part of this move, the company is firing the only unionized Instacart workers in the country<\/strong>, who joined UFCW Local 1546<\/a> in February 2020. UFCW Local 1546 demanded today that Instacart reconsider its decision to lay off any of the company\u2019s essential workers during the pandemic. Instacart workers are among those designated as essential workers<\/a> and successfully pressured the company to strengthen COVID-19 safety measures<\/a> to protect them on the job as virus cases have continued to rise across the country.<\/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 the country, Instacart grocery workers have been bravely serving on the frontlines since the pandemic began, putting their own health at risk to ensure Americans have the food they need during this crisis. Now, with COVID-19 outbreaks spiraling out of control, it is outrageous that Instacart 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, Instacart grocery workers have been a trusted and crucial lifeline, providing access to food for some of the most vulnerable Americans. Instacart firing the only unionized workers at the company and destroying the jobs of nearly 2,000 dedicated frontline workers in the middle of this public health crisis, is simply wrong.\u00a0<\/p>

“As the union for Instacart grocery workers in the Chicago area and grocery workers nationwide, UFCW is calling on Instacart 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<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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UFCW is the <\/strong>union for Instacart workers<\/strong><\/a> in the Chicago area and condemned the move by the company this week to fire unionized Instacart workers and hundreds more across the country. Instacart announced in a letter this week<\/a> that the company would be eliminating these jobs of essential workers. Instacart confirmed the following details:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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