'Essential' workers strike over safety, pay concerns
Workers at Amazon, Instacart and Whole Foods are striking for improved safety measures, medical coverage and hazard pay during the coronavirus crisis.'Sick out' planned for Tuesday, March 31, 2020Work strikes at Amazon, Instacart and Whole Foods show essential workers' safety concerns
Workers at Amazon, Instacart and Whole Foods are striking for improved safety measures, medical coverage and hazard pay during the coronavirus crisis.'Sick out' planned for Tuesday, March 31, 2020Work strikes at Amazon, Instacart and Whole Foods show essential workers' safety concerns
Instacart, Amazon employees to walk out for better coronavirus protection, pay
After a month of frenzied shopping, stay-at-home measures and the escalation of the coronavirus crisis, the pressure cooker of the workplace appears ready to boil over.
Workers at an Amazon warehouse on Staten Island, New York, walked out during lunch Monday, over concerns about safety at the job site. "How many cases we got? Ten!" went a call-and-response chant outside the fulfillment center that afternoon, in reference to workers who had tested positive there with COVID-19.
Co-workers there feared for their own health because workers weren't always physically distanced and the site was not closed to be sanitized. "We are working long, crowded shifts in the epicenter of a global pandemic, and Amazon has failed to provide us with the most basic safeguards to protect us, our families, and the public's health,” said Rina Cummings, a worker at the center, in a statement released by Athena, a coalition of groups that represent Amazon workers and others concerned about the company's influence.
“We are walking out to protest the impossible choice of coming to work at a toxic workplace and possibly spreading the virus or going unpaid during an economic crisis," she said.
Fears of contamination and risk also led to as many as 150,000 workers for grocery delivery service Instacart to execute a nationwide strike on Monday. Their action got wide support on Twitter from notables such as Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and concerned consumers such as Ifeanyi Ezeh, a computing engineer living near Columbia, Maryland.
"I support all workers who are risking their health to help save lives during this crisis," he tweeted with the hashtags #InstacartStrike and #AmazonStrike. "Thanks to these brave people, many families like mine are able to stay home safe with our families."
Amazon faces another potential workplace disruption Tuesday as some employees have planned a "sick out" over demands for better conditions including double pay because of the hazards of working during the pandemic.
Workers who would not give their names for fear of possibly being fired said they worried not only about getting the virus themselves from customers or co-workers as some staffers at stores had tested positive.
Christian Smalls, an organizer for the protest against Amazon, said he was fired Monday for violating "multiple safety issues." The company said it instructed Smalls to stay home with pay for 14 days due to being in close contact with an infected employee, but Smalls went to the warehouse Monday, CNET first reported.
"Amazon would rather fire workers than face up to its total failure to do what it should to keep us, our families, and our communities safe," Smalls said in an emailed statement to protest organizers.
"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," read a petition being spread on social media about the Whole Foods #GlobalSickOut #March31st.
Anxiety about potentially contracting the COVID-19 virus has intensified as the number of cases and deaths rises. Workers say they often don't have enough cleaning supplies, disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizers, and may not have gloves or masks – or may be asked not to wear them.
At the same time, business managers may be scrambling to provide protective measures at a time when supplies aren't always available and cash flow may be down as customers monitor their spending amid layoffs and furloughs.
It's a dynamic intensifying across the nation. "The ongoing pandemic has made working in the kitchen uncomfortable. Does my co-worker have it?" posed Brian Baer, a food and beverage director at a country club within a northern Virginia community for residents 55 and older.
"We use gloves and sanitizer but sometimes we can’t stay 6 feet apart," Baer said. "Employees share their concerns with me, and I forward them to upper management. I support all the employees that stand up for their right to proper training and equipment."
The actions by workers at Amazon, Instacart and Whole Foods got support from The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) International Union, which represents 1.3 million workers in grocery, retail and other industries.
“Amazon, Instacart and Whole Foods workers are sending a powerful message that it’s time to stop putting corporate profits ahead of the health and safety of the men and women who are critical to our food supply, and are on the frontlines of the coronavirus outbreak," said UFCW International President Marc Perrone in a statement.
Each of the companies hit by worker actions has seen the need for more employees as demand has changed for each during the crisis. Instacart last week said it needed another 300,000 workers to meet demand.
The company said Monday's strike did not have a big effect on its business. It had 40% more shoppers working on the platform compared to a week ago and "over the last 72 hours, more groceries were sold on our platform than ever before," Instacart said in a statement sent to USA TODAY.
Two weeks ago, Amazon announced plans to hire 100,000 workers to assist with online deliveries during the pandemic. The company also said it is temporarily raising minimum pay to $17 an hour. Amazon is also seeking current warehouse workers who would want to work in its Amazon Fresh and Amazon Prime Now services, loading groceries at Whole Foods, Reuters has reported.
Amazon, which owns Whole Foods, has reportedly had coronavirus spread to at least 17 warehouses in the U.S., according to Reuters. The online retailer has 175 fulfillment centers globally and more than 150 fulfillment centers, sorting centers in the U.S., according to Amazon's website. Several workers tested positive at the Amazon fulfillment center on Staten Island; workers are striking until the building is sanitized, Chris Smalls, a manager assistant who helped coordinate Monday's walkout, told USA TODAY.
Amazon had not responded to a request for comment at publication time. But CEO and founder Jeff Bezos praised the Amazon workforce in a statement March 21 and noted that "much of the essential work we do cannot be done from home. We’ve implemented a series of preventative health measures for employees and contractors at our sites around the world – everything from increasing the frequency and intensity of cleaning to adjusting our practices in fulfillment centers to ensure the recommended social distancing guidelines. We are meeting every day, working to identify additional ways to improve on these measures."
Whole Foods has had several employees test positive for COVID-19 across the U.S., according to various news reports. "As we address unprecedented demand and fulfill a critical need in our communities, Whole Foods Market is committed to prioritizing our Team Members’ well-being, while recognizing their extraordinary dedication," Whole Foods said in a statement to USA TODAY.
The planned Whole Foods sick-out comes just days after 15 attorneys general sought improved protection for workers including paid sick leave in a letter to Bezos and Whole Foods CEO John Mackey.
"By limiting paid sick leave only to those who have been definitely diagnosed with COVID-19 or who have been placed into quarantine, Whole Foods and Amazon are placing their employees, customers and the public at large in significant risk of exposure," wrote the AGs from states including California, New York and Washington.
Those organizing the Whole Foods sick-out said the grocery chain, which Amazon acquired in June 2017 for $13.7 billion, has temporarily relaxed its strict attendance policy, "which means that team members can participate in this act of protest without reprisal," said the event's promotional flyer.
Demands by the Whole Foods sick-out organizers:
Guaranteed paid leave for all workers who isolate or self-quarantine instead of coming to work
Reinstatement of health care coverage for part-time and seasonal workers.
Increased FSA funds to cover coronavirus testing and treatment for all team members, including part-time and seasonal.
Guaranteed hazard pay in the form of double pay during scheduled hours.
Implementation of new policies that can facilitate social distancing between workers and customers.
Commitment to ensuring that all locations have adequate sanitation equipment and procedures in place.
Immediate shutdown of any location where a worker tests positive for COVID-19. In such an event, all workers should continue to receive full pay until the store can safely reopen.
Contributing: Dalvin Brown, Charisse Jones
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coronavirus safety drives strikes at Amazon, Instacart and Whole Foods
Amazon, Instacart workers protest over virus safety
AFP / Angela WeissAmazon workers at Amazon's Staten Island warehouse stage a walkout to demand that the facility be shut down and cleaned after one staffer tested positive for the coronavirus Amazon warehouse employees and Instacart delivery shoppers joined protests Monday to press safety demands, highlighting the risks for workers on the front lines of supplying Americans largely sheltering at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
An estimated 50 to 60 employees joined a walkout at an Amazon worker warehouse in the New York borough of Staten Island, demanding that the facility be shut down and cleaned after a worker tested positive for the coronavirus.
"There are positive cases working in these buildings infecting thousands," warehouse worker Christian Smalls wrote on Twitter.
Amazon, responding to an AFP query, said Smalls made "misleading" statements about conditions and that he was supposed to be on quarantine.
"Like all businesses grappling with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, we are working hard to keep employees safe while serving communities and the most vulnerable," Amazon said in a statement.
"We have taken extreme measures to keep people safe."
Meanwhile a group calling itself the Gig Workers Collective said it was maintaining its call for Instacart's independent contractors to strike despite new safety measures announced late Sunday by the company.
"Workers aren't filling orders until our full demands are met," a spokesperson told AFP. "This isn't just about us, we want to also protect our customers."
It was not immediately clear how many of Instacart "shoppers" who are independent "gig" workers, were participating in the stoppage.
Instacart, which recently announced plans to hire some 300,000 people to help meet demand for grocery delivery, said in a statement it was "fully operational" and that the walkout caused "no impact."
AFP / Angela WeissAn estimated 50-60 Amazon workers walked out of a New York warehouse to demand that the facility be shut down and cleaned after one staffer tested positive for the coronavirus
"We're continuing to see the highest customer demand in Instacart history and have more active shoppers on our platform today than ever before picking and delivering groceries for millions of consumers," said the San Francisco company, which operates in some 5,500 cities in the US and Canada.
- More safety gear -
The firm said Sunday it would provide additional health and safety supplies to full-service "shoppers" and would set a "default" tip based on customers' prior orders.
The labor group, whose numbers were not known, called the Instacart moves "a sick joke.
"We're continuing to see the highest customer demand in Instacart history and have more active shoppers on our platform today than ever before picking and delivering groceries for millions of consumers," said the San Francisco company, which operates in some 5,500 cities in the US and Canada.
- More safety gear -
The firm said Sunday it would provide additional health and safety supplies to full-service "shoppers" and would set a "default" tip based on customers' prior orders.
The labor group, whose numbers were not known, called the Instacart moves "a sick joke.
AFP/File / Angela Weiss
Food delivery personnel for Instacart were among those joining US job actions to press for improved health and safety measures for key employees during the coronavirus lockdown We had been asking for hand sanitizer for many, many weeks. But apparently the company is capable of sourcing some with two days of work? Where was this before," the group said in a Medium post.
A separate group of workers at the Amazon-owned grocery chain Whole Foods meanwhile called for a one-day stoppage or "sickout" on Tuesday to press demands for improved health measures.
The group calling itself "Whole Worker" said it was seeking guaranteed paid leave for quarantined workers, among other things.
With much of the US population locked down, Americans are increasingly relying on delivery of food and other supplies from firms like Amazon.
A report by NBC News said Amazon workers at two Southern California warehouses had presented demands to shut down the facilities for two weeks for sterilization while employees are tested for the virus.
Amazon has announced plans to hire an additional 100,000 people in the US, while rival Walmart is seeking to expand its workforce by 150,000.
Instacart shoppers to strike for better protection against coronavirus
Shoppers wait in long lines as they purchase supplies in a grocery store in preparation of the Coronavirus outbreak, in Medina, Ohio March 15. Employees who shop for Instacart, the grocery delivery service that allows customers to order groceries for delivery through a smart phone app, have announced they plan to strike Monday to demand better protections amid the coronavirus pandemic. Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI | License Photo
March 28 (UPI) -- Employees who shop for Instacart, which allows customers to order groceries for delivery through a smart phone app, are planning to strike nationwide Monday to demand the company provide better protections amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In a blog post this week the Gig Workers Collective announced they would refuse to accept orders until the company provides hazard pay, safety gear including hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes and soap -- and expands paid sick leave to include workers with pre-existing conditions who cannot currently work.
The strike announcement comes amid increasing demand for delivery services as restaurants close, local governments issue stay-at-home orders and public health officials ask individuals to decrease the number of visits they make to public places.
Instacart employs about 200,000 shoppers and plans to add 300,000 over the next three months, but it isn't clear how many plan to participate in the action.
"While Instacart's corporate employees are working from home, Instacart's [gig workers] are working on the frontlines in the capacity of first responders," Vanessa Bain, a lead organizer of the upcoming Instacart walkout, and an Instacart gig worker in Menlo Park, California, told Vice, which first reported on the strike.
Instacart's shoppers are independent contractors who set their own schedules and pick up groceries at retailers that partner with the app.
Shoppers' earnings can vary depending on how many batches they choose to shop. The company told the New York Times it was "committed to an earnings structure that offered upfront pay and guaranteed minimums, which can vary from $7 to $10 per batch, depending on the market."
RELATED Retail flour supplies run low as consumers turn to home baking
Shoppers are asking for hazard pay of an additional $5 per order, and they want the company to change the default tip amount in the app to at least 10% of the order total.
The company, along with Lyft, Uber, and a variety of other companies that hire independent contractors to provide services through an app, has offered up to two weeks of paid sick leave to its shoppers but only if they test positive for Covid-19, and the offer only lasts until April 8.
"The health and safety of our entire community - shoppers, customers and employees - is our first priority," a company spokeswoman said. "We want to underscore that we absolutely respect the rights of shoppers to provide us feedback and voice their concerns."
RELATED Retail meat sales up 77 percent amid coronavirus pandemic
Instacart workers seek strike as jobs get busier, riskier
By ALEXANDRA OLSON AND CURT ANDERSON March 29, 2020
FILE - In this June 15, 2017, file photo, bagged purchases from the Kroger grocery store in Flowood, Miss., sit inside this shopping cart. A group of Instacart workers are organizing a strike across the U.S. starting Monday, March 30, 2020, to demand more pay and protection as they struggle to meet a surge in demand for grocery deliveries during the coronavirus pandemic. It was unclear how many of Instacart's shoppers - most of whom work as independent contractors - would join the strike. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
NEW YORK (AP) — A possible strike by Instacart workers highlights the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the grocery delivery business, where workers are worried about their safety as they try to meet a surge in demand for online groceries.
A group called the Gig Workers Collective is calling for a nationwide walk-out Monday. They’ve been asking Instacart to provide workers with hazard pay and protective gear, among other demands. Instacart said Sunday it would soon provide workers with a new hand sanitizer upon request and outlined changes to its tip system. The group said the measures were too little too late.
While some workers say they intend to join the strike for at least a day — or have stopped filling orders already for fear of getting the virus — other, newer workers are content to have a paying job at a time of mass layoffs in other industries.
The San Francisco-based delivery app is trying to hire 300,000 more workers — more than doubling its workforce —to fulfill orders it says have surged by 150% year-over year in the past weeks. The company said 50,000 new shoppers joined its platform in just the past week. Some customers are waiting days to receive orders.]
Instacart currently has a workforce of more than 200,000 contracted workers who make multiple trips a day to various grocery stores to fulfill and deliver orders that customers make through the app. It also directly employs about 20,000 part-time workers who are assigned to a single store, collecting groceries that are subsequently delivered to clients by a contracted Instacart worker.
Chloe Grozdina, a part-time Instacart in-store shopper assigned to a Mariano’s grocery store in the Chicago area, says workers are seeing “a lot of apocalypse orders” from customers hunkered down in their homes. Panic shopping has cleared out the shelves, meaning she often has to replace a customer’s orders with a lesser item or notify them that it’s not available.
Grozdina, who makes $13 an hour and doesn’t get tips, said the crowds of fellow Instacart shoppers have made it tough to keep a safe distance while racing to fulfill orders. Grozdina said she wears a mask to work that she bought herself and immediately showers when she gets home.
A separate group of workers at the Amazon-owned grocery chain Whole Foods meanwhile called for a one-day stoppage or "sickout" on Tuesday to press demands for improved health measures.
The group calling itself "Whole Worker" said it was seeking guaranteed paid leave for quarantined workers, among other things.
With much of the US population locked down, Americans are increasingly relying on delivery of food and other supplies from firms like Amazon.
A report by NBC News said Amazon workers at two Southern California warehouses had presented demands to shut down the facilities for two weeks for sterilization while employees are tested for the virus.
Amazon has announced plans to hire an additional 100,000 people in the US, while rival Walmart is seeking to expand its workforce by 150,000.
Instacart shoppers to strike for better protection against coronavirus
Shoppers wait in long lines as they purchase supplies in a grocery store in preparation of the Coronavirus outbreak, in Medina, Ohio March 15. Employees who shop for Instacart, the grocery delivery service that allows customers to order groceries for delivery through a smart phone app, have announced they plan to strike Monday to demand better protections amid the coronavirus pandemic. Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI | License Photo
March 28 (UPI) -- Employees who shop for Instacart, which allows customers to order groceries for delivery through a smart phone app, are planning to strike nationwide Monday to demand the company provide better protections amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In a blog post this week the Gig Workers Collective announced they would refuse to accept orders until the company provides hazard pay, safety gear including hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes and soap -- and expands paid sick leave to include workers with pre-existing conditions who cannot currently work.
The strike announcement comes amid increasing demand for delivery services as restaurants close, local governments issue stay-at-home orders and public health officials ask individuals to decrease the number of visits they make to public places.
Instacart employs about 200,000 shoppers and plans to add 300,000 over the next three months, but it isn't clear how many plan to participate in the action.
"While Instacart's corporate employees are working from home, Instacart's [gig workers] are working on the frontlines in the capacity of first responders," Vanessa Bain, a lead organizer of the upcoming Instacart walkout, and an Instacart gig worker in Menlo Park, California, told Vice, which first reported on the strike.
Instacart's shoppers are independent contractors who set their own schedules and pick up groceries at retailers that partner with the app.
Shoppers' earnings can vary depending on how many batches they choose to shop. The company told the New York Times it was "committed to an earnings structure that offered upfront pay and guaranteed minimums, which can vary from $7 to $10 per batch, depending on the market."
RELATED Retail flour supplies run low as consumers turn to home baking
Shoppers are asking for hazard pay of an additional $5 per order, and they want the company to change the default tip amount in the app to at least 10% of the order total.
The company, along with Lyft, Uber, and a variety of other companies that hire independent contractors to provide services through an app, has offered up to two weeks of paid sick leave to its shoppers but only if they test positive for Covid-19, and the offer only lasts until April 8.
"The health and safety of our entire community - shoppers, customers and employees - is our first priority," a company spokeswoman said. "We want to underscore that we absolutely respect the rights of shoppers to provide us feedback and voice their concerns."
RELATED Retail meat sales up 77 percent amid coronavirus pandemic
Instacart workers seek strike as jobs get busier, riskier
By ALEXANDRA OLSON AND CURT ANDERSON March 29, 2020
FILE - In this June 15, 2017, file photo, bagged purchases from the Kroger grocery store in Flowood, Miss., sit inside this shopping cart. A group of Instacart workers are organizing a strike across the U.S. starting Monday, March 30, 2020, to demand more pay and protection as they struggle to meet a surge in demand for grocery deliveries during the coronavirus pandemic. It was unclear how many of Instacart's shoppers - most of whom work as independent contractors - would join the strike. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
NEW YORK (AP) — A possible strike by Instacart workers highlights the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the grocery delivery business, where workers are worried about their safety as they try to meet a surge in demand for online groceries.
A group called the Gig Workers Collective is calling for a nationwide walk-out Monday. They’ve been asking Instacart to provide workers with hazard pay and protective gear, among other demands. Instacart said Sunday it would soon provide workers with a new hand sanitizer upon request and outlined changes to its tip system. The group said the measures were too little too late.
While some workers say they intend to join the strike for at least a day — or have stopped filling orders already for fear of getting the virus — other, newer workers are content to have a paying job at a time of mass layoffs in other industries.
The San Francisco-based delivery app is trying to hire 300,000 more workers — more than doubling its workforce —to fulfill orders it says have surged by 150% year-over year in the past weeks. The company said 50,000 new shoppers joined its platform in just the past week. Some customers are waiting days to receive orders.]
Instacart currently has a workforce of more than 200,000 contracted workers who make multiple trips a day to various grocery stores to fulfill and deliver orders that customers make through the app. It also directly employs about 20,000 part-time workers who are assigned to a single store, collecting groceries that are subsequently delivered to clients by a contracted Instacart worker.
Chloe Grozdina, a part-time Instacart in-store shopper assigned to a Mariano’s grocery store in the Chicago area, says workers are seeing “a lot of apocalypse orders” from customers hunkered down in their homes. Panic shopping has cleared out the shelves, meaning she often has to replace a customer’s orders with a lesser item or notify them that it’s not available.
Grozdina, who makes $13 an hour and doesn’t get tips, said the crowds of fellow Instacart shoppers have made it tough to keep a safe distance while racing to fulfill orders. Grozdina said she wears a mask to work that she bought herself and immediately showers when she gets home.
Instacart gig worker Summer Cooper, 39, delivers groceries, Saturday, March 28, 2020, in Belleair Beach, Fla. Cooper, 39, started working as an Instacart shopper in the Tampa Bay area in Florida recently after losing her position as a server at a hotel restaurant. (AP Photo/Curt Anderson)
Among their demands, the strike organizers want hazard pay of $5 an order and supplies of hand sanitizer, wipes and cleaning supplies free of charge. On Sunday, the company said it had contracted with a third-party manufacturer to make a hand sanitizer spray that workers can request at no cost via a website starting Monday, with shipments starting in a few days.
Data show online grocery orders jumping even before some cities and states imposed “stay at home” orders. During the week of March 2, Instacart, Amazon, and Walmart grocery delivery services each saw at least a 65 percent sales increase compared to the same time last year, according to estimates from Earnest Research.
Instacart has started offering bonuses of between $25 and $200 for its hourly employees dependent on hours worked until April 15.
Instacart also announced a month-long extension of a temporary policy giving 14 days of paid leave to workers who are diagnosed with coronavirus, or have been ordered to isolate themselves. The strike organizers that policy extended to workers with a doctor’s note verifying a pre-existing condition that could make them more vulnerable to the virus.
They also demanded that Intacart raise the tip default in its app to 10% from the current 5%. Instead, Instacart announced Sunday it would change the default to the amount the customer last tipped, saying tips have increased considerably during the virus crisis.
Instacart said previously that it has added more “promotions” — or extra pay for contracted full-service shoppers to accept certain orders.
That was not enough to lure back Shanna Foster, a single mother who stopped working her Instacart gig two weeks ago out of fear of contracting the virus.
“They need to give us hazard pay right now and it should be guaranteed,” said Foster, of Simi Valley, California.
Other companies such as Amazon and Walmart have also announced hiring sprees to meet a surge for both deliveries and in-store essentials. Amazon has increased pay for its workers, including those at its Whole Foods Grocery stores.
While such low-wage jobs put people on the front lines of the pandemic, many people are applying as layoffs surge in retail, restaurant, hospitality and other industries.
Summer Cooper, 39, started working as an Instacart shopper in the Tampa Bay area recently after losing her position as a server at a hotel restaurant. She was unaware of the possible strike.
“I’m grateful to have some way to make money,” Cooper said.
Darrin Burdette, an Instacart shopper in Colorado Springs, said joining a strike would “not help me in any way.”
An Uber driver, Burdette said he relies entirely on his Instacart gig since demand for ride-hailing services plunged. He said he is earning about $30 an hour as Instacart orders rise. On his app, he can see that many orders have come from people using the service for the first time.
Michelle Ellwood, 43, began using the app shortly after her family returned from a trip abroad and decided to self-isolate for two weeks. She said Instacart shoppers have gone out of their way to fulfill orders. One, she said, returned with a chicken after previously being unable to find meat at local stores.
“It’s amazing that they are doing this. I’m grateful. I’m hopeful they are able to take care of their families through this,” said Ellwood of Canandaigua, New York.
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