A Letter from UFCW Local 328 President Timothy Melia to Our Elected Officials

PHYSICAL DISTANCING AT SUPERMARKETS

March 31, 2020

Dear Elected Official:

Grocery workers need your additional help and support. They are nervous about becoming infected and scared that they will bring it home to their families. Grocery stores remain open, and remain a lifeline for your constituents, helping to feed their families as they continue to quarantine. While supermarket management has instituted a number of safety precautions such as plexiglass at the cash registers and signage instructing shoppers to maintain social distancing, a numbers of shoppers continue to ignore these warnings, getting very close to our workers as they are trying to safely perform their jobs.

All of us need to do what we can to keep supermarket employees healthy. Stores need to remain fully staffed and operative. You are in a position where this message can be broadened. So please, when addressing your constituents at press events, statements and on social media, stress to shoppers the importance of taking these precautionary measures to ensure the safety of supermarket workers and of course their own:

PHYSICALLY DISTANCING – MORE THAN SIX FEET FROM SUPERMARKET EMPLOYEES AND FROM FELLOW SHOPPERS. GIVE THEM ROOM TO GET THE PRODUCT ON THE SHELVES AND WHILE YOU ARE CHECKING OUT.
Whenever possible send only one family member to the store at a time.
Use credit cards instead of cash whenever possible and wipe down your card and phone before and after your shopping trip.
Limit contact – Do your best not to touch any surfaces, and bring your own disinfecting wipes to disinfect touch points.
If you choose to wear gloves, be sure to dispose of them in a trash receptacle upon leaving the store.

Thank you so much for helping us get this very important message out to shoppers. Together, it is my hope that we can keep as many people safe and healthy as possible.

If you have any questions or concerns on any related matter, feel free to reach out to this office.

Timothy M. Melia

President

UFCW Local 328

278 Silver Spring St

Providence, RI

401-861-0300