Coronavirus Latest: Whole Foods Workers Planning Sickout, Demanding Hazard Pay During COVID-19 Crisis
PHILADELPHIA (CBS/CNN) - Some Whole Foods workers are planning a "sickout" strike Tuesday to demand better conditions during the coronavirus crisis. Their demands include getting double pay for the hazards of working during the outbreak.
They also want sick pay for workers who choose to self-quarantine or isolate instead of coming in to work.
They're asking for the immediate shutdown of any store where a worker tests positive for the virus.
A social media post promoting the walk-out says, "COVID-19 is a very real threat to the safety of our workforce and our customers. We cannot wait for politicians, institutions, or our own management to step in to protect us."
Whole Foods released the following statement:
"As we address unprecedented demand and fulfill a critical need in our communities, Whole Foods Market is committed to prioritizing our Team Members' wellbeing, while recognizing their extraordinary dedication. We have taken extensive measures to keep people safe, and in addition to social distancing, enhanced deep cleaning and crowd control measures, we continue rolling out new safety protocols in our stores to protect our Team Members who are on the front lines serving our customers. Team Members in our stores and facilities also have access to up to two weeks of paid time off if they test positive for COVID or are quarantined, an additional $2 per hour on top of hourly base pay, and increased overtime pay. Whole Foods Market's longstanding open door policy encourages direct dialogue between Team Members and leadership, feedback which continues to shape the decisions we are making every day."
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