Thread: While UFCW 655 is out here (rightfully) urging the governor to classify grocery employees as first responders, they are failing to put pressure on Schnucks & Dierbergs to give employees hazard pay & to extend health insurance to ALL its employees. Thd fact is there 1)

are hundreds of employees who are working on the front lines risking their lives who have NO health insurance. The contract the union negotiated does not extend health insurance for a FULL YEAR to most all employees. Therefore hundreds are working right now with no protection. 2)

Not to mention the pay is below $10 hr for the first year, which is essentially min wage. Why @UFCW655 remains silent about these dynamics amidst a pandemic is completely unacceptable. Instead, the union makes sure to give praise to these companies in numerous tweets. If there 3)

is one thing that has become abundantly clear to everyone during pandemic it’s that so many of the those we are depending on right now to live, to get us through this, are grossly underpaid & not protected. What’s clear is that folks like grocery workers, gig workers deserve 4)

our praise & gratitude all the time, not just during this time of a pandemic. Don’t know about anyone else but it seems to be indisputable that there is something inherently wrong that grocery workers in STL whom are represented by a union are being paid close to min wage with 5)

no health insurance or other benefits/protections. There is something inherently wrong with the picture when it takes a YEAR to obtain health insurance as a union member. There is something wrong with the picture when you are being paid as a union worker less than Wal Mart. 6)

There is something wrong with the picture when a union consistently chooses to shower companies with praise while their members are working on the front lines for those same companies with no damn health insurance during a pandemic, during a time of record profits. Hopefully 7)

folks are able to see through the trees here. Hopefully folks understand that while the UFCW rightfully continues to put pressure on Governor to classify grocery as first responders that the union also negotiated a shitty contract for its members. Hopefully folks 8)

understand that these workers deserve dignity & respect within their jobs ALL THE TIME. Hopefully folks understand that these workers deserve better pay, healthcare immediately. They deserve to be protected. They deserve a union that is fighting for these things RIGHT NOW. 9)

I think folks do understand this. They support this fight. Unfortunately, it appears that their union does not. And that’s a damn shame, especially in this moment in time when all of this is coming into sharper focus for all to see. This union is failing its members.