Workers at a Smart & Final in Southern California did not have adequate protections against COVID-19. They were not given face masks, hand sanitizer, or cleaning supplies. There was no protocol for cleaning the store, no time for handwashing, no limit on the number of customers in the store, no markers on the floor for distancing, and no plexiglass barriers. The supervisor told workers not to wear masks because customers would be offended. Cashiers were pressured to keep calling customers quickly, which made it difficult for them to maintain distance from each other. Several workers became infected early on and managers did not notify workers about any cases or whether they had been exposed. Workers only found out about cases and exposure by word of mouth.
The Retail and Grocery Campaign/ Fair Workweek LA at LAANE (Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy) has organized retail workers at Target, Smart & Final, and Staples to improve working conditions. During the pandemic, LAANE pivoted to support essential workers facing inadequate health and safety protections. LAANE trained workers on their rights, helped them prepare to talk to their employers, and involved them in supporting workers at other stores and in campaigns to advocate for policy change.
Learn more about the campaign and specific strategies below.
Click here for a video of the full story.
Denise knows about LAANE from past campaigns. She consults with the lead organizer she knows about what she can do. LAANE explains the worker rights and employer responsibilities that apply. They help her prepare to talk to the employer by sharing tips such as stating demands clearly and respectfully, having a witness if possible, and documenting what is happening. They also review what the employer’s responses may be and how to deal with them.
Denise and LAANE staff /volunteers talk to other workers about health risks from COVID-19 and what they can do. Workers are informed that if they are retaliated against, LAANE will support them by doing a delegation to the employer or using other strategies.
Denise and other workers talk to the store manager to express their concerns and request more protections. As a result, workers are allowed to wear masks and are provided masks free of charge. The manager places markers on the floor for distancing, installs barriers, and stops telling workers to rush customers so they can maintain their distance. The employer also starts notifying workers of exposures.
Workers are concerned about the store not following or enforcing COVID-19 protocols. Co-workers ask Denise what they could do, because they know she is involved with LAANE. She advises workers of their rights, and that they could talk to management together or that she could go with them as back up. She also encourages them to sign up for the California Workers First app so that LAANE can answer their questions directly.
They also do not have access to drinking water. Denise encourages them to bring it up with the manager and advises them on how to ask for change.
Key Outcomes:
- Better COVID-19 protections at the store, including distancing, barriers, time for handwashing, supplies for disinfecting, and notification of possible exposure.
- Denise and others gave testimony to the L.A. Public Health Department, advocating for a resolution to set up workplace public health councils. The ordinance passed and retail/grocery was chosen as one of the focus industries.
- Denise and other workers are involved in broader efforts to advocate for changes to ensure better protections for essential workers, including:
- Talking to the Chief and other senior staff of Cal/OSHA
- Speaking directly to the Governor’s Office and writing letters to policy makers
- Raising the visibility of COVID-19 deaths during Workers’ Memorial Day
The Full Story:
Related Resources:
— LAANE
— Fair Workweek LA website – http://fairworkweekla.org/
— UCLA Labor Center scheduling study – Hour Crisis: Unstable Schedules in the Los Angeles Retail Sector
See: Resources for Taking Action
Return to: Taking Action for Safety and Health
