{"id":2328,"date":"2021-07-28T14:20:54","date_gmt":"2021-07-28T19:20:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ufcw663.org\/blog\/?p=2328"},"modified":"2021-07-28T14:20:57","modified_gmt":"2021-07-28T19:20:57","slug":"minnesota-gov-walz-250-million-covid-hazard-pay-working-group-urged-by-frontline-workers-to-expedite-aid-as-delta-surge-heightens-workplace-risks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ufcw663.org\/blog\/2021\/07\/28\/minnesota-gov-walz-250-million-covid-hazard-pay-working-group-urged-by-frontline-workers-to-expedite-aid-as-delta-surge-heightens-workplace-risks\/","title":{"rendered":"Minnesota Gov. Walz $250 Million COVID Hazard Pay Working Group Urged by Frontline Workers to Expedite Aid as Delta Surge Heightens Workplace Risks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

July 28, 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CONTACT<\/strong>: Jessica Hayssen, jessicah@ufcw663.org<\/a>, 651.261.8559<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BROOKLYN CENTER, MN<\/strong>\u202f\u2013 Today, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 663<\/strong><\/a>, the union for<\/strong>  over 13,200 Minnesota essential workers<\/strong> in food, retail and healthcare, testified at the first state public hearing on the $250 million Frontline Worker Pay Working Group, which was created by Governor Tim Walz<\/strong> and Minnesota state legislators<\/strong> earlier this month as part of the state\u2019s COVID-19 pandemic response and assistance for essential workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UFCW Local 663<\/strong> and UFCW Local 9<\/strong>, the union for 3,100 Minnesota essential workers<\/strong> in the Austin area<\/strong> have been working together to advocate for frontline worker pay at the state capital to include food, retail and healthcare workers as well as meatpacking workers safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The following are excerpts of remarks by Minnesota meatpacking worker<\/strong> member Antonio Jimenez, a UFCW Local 663 member at the JBS pork processing plant in Worthington<\/strong>:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn the spring of 2020, a COVID outbreak tore through my plant and I was one of the workers who got sick. I was out sick for weeks. I worried the whole time about passing the infection on to my children, family, and friends. My union provided me with information and resources so I could go on short-term disability. Most people I know have at least a couple friends who got COVID. In my plant, more than 50 percent of the workers got COVID. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhile things have improved, COVID is still here in our community, and it\u2019s still here for me, personally. I still struggle with the after-effects \u2013 lingering symptoms and fatigue. I support frontline worker pay for meatpacking workers because we have worked to keep this state fed and exposed ourselves and our families to extreme risk in doing so.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minnesota grocery worker Paul Swanson, a UFCW Local 663 member at Lunds & Byerlys<\/strong> grocery store Wayzata, also testified, saying:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe initial impact of COVID-19 for myself and my co-workers was the rush of customers during the hoarding phase. We went from doing regular business to three times the business overnight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A big impact was COVID protocols at work–if anyone had a covid exposure, you had to quarantine for 14 days without pay. This meant my coworkers who are part timers had no vacation and lost income. Those of us with vacation would have to choose to use vacation to be able to get a paycheck. COVID definitely created financial hardships for grocery store workers. Please include grocery workers as an eligible industry for frontline worker pay.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UFCW Local 663 President Matt Utecht released the following statement:<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMinnesota\u2019s grocery, meatpacking and healthcare workers did not sign-up to risk their lives, but they have been coming to work throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and serving their communities. Our members, and all frontline workers deserve to be compensated for the extreme risk that they and their families face every day. Minnesota should use some of the federal COVID-19 funds to provide premium pay for essential frontline workers this year.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BACKGROUND<\/strong>:<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n