Protect NJ Food, Retail Workers In Coronavirus, Advocates Demand

NEWARK, NJ — New Jersey’s food, retail, delivery and warehouse workers are more than just essential during the coronavirus crisis — they’re “first responders,” a coalition of advocacy groups says.

According to Fair Workweek New Jersey, almost 1 million people have been risking their lives in grocery stores, warehouses, restaurants and other indispensable workplaces across the state since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

READ MORE: NJ Coronavirus Updates (Here's What You Need To Know)

On Tuesday, members of the coalition sent a letter to Gov. Phil Murphy and state legislators urging them to take immediate action to safeguard retail, grocery, warehouse, food production and food delivery workers during — and beyond — the coronavirus crisis.

Acting on the recommendations of workers, the coalition offered eight ways that state officials can give them a sense of stability and predictability during this chaotic time in their lives.

CALL THEM “FIRST RESPONDERS” — “Designate grocery, retail, warehouse, food production and food delivery workers as ‘first responders.’”

MORE PAID SICK TIME — “Mandate employers provide an expanded set of paid sick time (a minimum of 15 days) during public health emergencies.”

MORE SHUTDOWNS — “Mandate a temporary partial or complete shutdown of warehouses, restaurants, and grocery stores where workers have been tested positive for COVID-19, with compensation for the workers.”

RIGHT TO DECLINE WORK — “Empower these workers with the legal right to decline unsafe work shifts if they in good faith feel that they will be exposed to COVID-19 because their employer did not provide appropriate protective equipment and workplace safety measures.”

HAZARD PAY — “Revise the wage order to provide for ‘hazard pay’ for warehouse, grocery store, retail, food production and food delivery workers.”

SOCIAL DISTANCING — “Provide the Department of Health and Department of Labor the authority to jointly enforce the state’s enhanced social distancing guidelines.”

RAPID RESPONSE — “Create and institute emergency rapid response mechanisms to ensure workers on the front lines can identify hazards as they arise and ensure their co-workers and the public are kept safe from exposure to COVID19, and establish strong anti-retaliation measures for workers who publicly express concern with unsafe working conditions.”

SCHEDULE “STABILITY” — “Institute measures to ensure front-line workers have predictability and stability in their schedules.”

Groups that signed on to Tuesday’s letter included Make the Road New Jersey, the Hudson County Central Labor Council, IFPTE Local 194, United for Respect, RWDSU Local 262, New Jersey Citizen Action, New Jersey Time to Care Coalition, NJ Work Environment Council, New Jersey Working Families Alliance, New Jersey Policy Perspective, the Laundry, Distribution and Food Service Joint Board/Workers United/SEIU, the Ironbound Community Corporation, and the Newark Water Coalition.

• See related article: Essential Workers At 5 NJ Buildings Strike: 'Can't Make A Living'

Yarrow Willman-Cole of the Newark-based New Jersey Citizen Action said workers need more paid sick days.

“Many workers in warehouses, grocery store chains, delivery services and big box retail stores were completely cut out of the federal emergency paid sick days response,” Willman-Cole said. “This is unacceptable, as they risk their lives daily to perform their jobs and keep our economy running. We must strengthen our state Earned Sick Leave law to ensure these workers can afford to stay home without fear of retaliation, so that they can protect their and their families' health and prevent the further spread of infection.”

• See related article: 10 Things NJ Employees Should Know About Coronavirus Benefits

Roberto Sanchez, a food delivery worker and member of Make the Road New Jersey, said that since the outbreak, many people working in restaurants have become sick with COVID-19.

“We aren’t being given paid sick days when we’re forced to quarantine,” Sanchez said. “Many of us don’t qualify for unemployment insurance or temporary disability insurance, and many of us are afraid to speak up because we believe employers will fire us if we report hazards.”

“Workers deserve the respect of hazard pay, assistance with paying for child care and elders, and expanded paid sick time so they can afford to quarantine,” Sanchez said.

• See related article: 2 Ocean City Wawa Employees Test Positive For Coronavirus

“Since this pandemic started, grocery store and frozen food warehouse workers across New Jersey are working increasingly erratic schedules, and they’re getting sick on the job,” said Tom Walsh, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (Local 262).

“If they’re lucky enough to have a union, they have health care, but most can’t afford to lose their job and to not work for two weeks,” Walsh said. “We’re proposing commonsense solutions that can empower front-line workers that are keeping all of us fed right now. These workers deserve the right to not work with pay if basic sanitary and social distancing measures are not maintained in their workplace. We’re trying to keep the workers and all of our consumers, who are increasingly shopping for more than just one family at a time, safe from COVID-19.”

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Imani Oakley of the New Jersey Working Families Alliance said there’s currently an unprecedented demand for essential services due to the COVID-19 crisis.

“As consumer demands among household, food delivery, and dry food retailers reach all-time highs, it’s absolutely critical that we protect essential workers from exploitation,” Oakley said.

• See related article: Nutley Supermarket 'Cleaned Out' As Coronavirus Hits NJ

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