As the coronavirus continues to spread across the U.S., setting another daily record number of cases, a strike looms at one of the nation's biggest food distributors --- which threatens to disrupt supplies to major grocery stores across the tri-state area.
Warehouse employees and delivery workers at United Natural Foods say the company has been violating federal labor laws and not complying with COVID-19 safety guidelines. Over 120 of workers in New York's Hudson Valley have voted to strike, according to the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The union says UNFI has failed to provide workers with protective equipment and cleaning supplies.
“UNFI should be doing everything it can to keep families safe at Thanksgiving, but we’re worried that the company’s negligence could contribute to COVID-19 spikes, and UNFI workers are ready to do whatever it takes to protect our communities, especially as we enter the holiday season," President of Teamsters Local 445 Dan Maldonado said in a news release.
The union says the work stoppages "could start at any time."
If thousands of UNFI workers in seven states go on strike, it could lead to poorly stocked shelves at major food retailers in New York City and the greater tri-state area ahead of the usually busy holiday season.
Stores that receive merchandise from UNFI include Whole Foods, Ahold Delhaize’s Stop & Shop, Allegiance Retail Services’ Foodtown, Park Slope Food Co-Op, and hundreds of other grocery stores, the union said.
Service workers like those at UNFI have become frontline workers amid the pandemic. Back in May, thousands of workers at Amazon, Whole Foods, Target, Fedex and other companies walked off the job or call out sick in cities across the U.S. to demand unpaid time off work, hazard pay, sick leave, protective gear and cleaning supplies.
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