United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1000

Here is a list of additional steps that Kroger is taking to enhance safety in the stores:

• Enhancing daily sanitation practices, including cleaning commonly used areas more often like cashier stations, self-checkouts, credit card terminals, food service counters and shelves. 
• Encouraging employees to closely monitor their health. If you exhibit flu-like symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue) at work, you should go home and contact your doctor. If you have flu-like symptoms at home, you should contact your manager and stay home from work. 
• Installing of protective plexiglass screens at check lanes, pharmacy and Starbucks registers across the company. All installations are expected to be complete within the next few days. 
• Adding floor decals to promote physical distancing at check lanes and other counters. 
• Following a change in CDC guidance, encouraging you to wear protective masks and gloves, and trying to secure these resources for you. 
• Messaging about healthy habits via in-store radio to encourage customers to practice good hygiene and social distancing. 
• Beginning Tuesday, April 7, Kroger stores will begin limiting the number of people to 50% of building code capacity to allow for proper physical distancing in a variety of formats. 
• Kroger will monitor the number of customers per square foot in stores using QueVision technology, which already provides an accurate count of the number of customers entering and exiting stores. 
• Kroger following local ordinances in cities that mandate employee temperature checks. 
• Installing signage at entrances reminding customers to stay home if sick. 
• Testing one-way aisles in select markets to determine its effectiveness as a measure to further support physical distancing. 
• Kroger continues to advocate to government officials at all levels for help securing a priority place in line for all grocery workers - after health care workers - to have access to protective masks and gloves. 
• Pharmacies are temporarily waiving fees for prescription delivery via mail or courier. 
• Expanded the Emergency Leave Guidelines, allowing paid time off if you’re diagnosed with COVID-19 or placed under mandatory quarantine and paid time off for self-isolation and symptoms as verified by an accredited health care professional. All eligible associates will receive their standard pay for up to two weeks (14 days). 

Hundreds of thousands of Kroger workers like you, across America, have made their voices heard! Kroger has agreed to two dollars an hour of additional pay starting March 29th until April 19th. The extra pay will appear as separate line items on subsequent pay periods beginning on April 10th and will apply to overtime hours as well. Kroger will reevaluate at the end of the three weeks whether the extra pay will continue.

You deserve the extra pay because you are putting your life on the line to do your job, and we thank you.

Thank you for what you are doing UFCW family. We have been advocating on your behalf every day of this crisis and we're proud to tell you that HAC has

agreed to a $100 per week "Hero Pay" to all hourly store employee beginning the week ending April 4 through May 9th.

.
You are putting your life on the line and we appreciate you. You've earned this extra pay.

As a reminder, here are other benefits and protections we've been able to secure:

• A new sick leave policy will be in effect for hourly employees hired prior to March 15, 2020. For all employees who are paid hourly, HAC will provide special paid time off for up to ten working days:

1. 1. If you are diagnosed with COVID-19 by your medical provider or by a health authority.
   2. If you are placed under a mandatory quarantine by your medical provider or by a public health authority due to COVID-19.
   3. If you need time off to provide primary care for a loved one who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 or is under quarantine

• Though the policy does not outline this, if you have symptoms of a fever, dry cough, etc, you should immediately seek medical attention and alert your supervisor and store management. Any other special considerations or questions should also be brought to store management AND your union representative.

• HAC has committed to the availability of hand sanitizer throughout the stores, will provide gloves for all employees' use, authorizing the use of masks, added safe social distance signage on the floors near many of the front ends and service departments, etc.

• HAC has relaxed their general attendance policies, and request you talk directly with your supervisor for unique or special situations.  

• HAC will continue to roll out plexiglass barriers for more safety in the checkstands. 

• Care-1000, your health insurance plan, will pay for coronavirus testing without copays. 

Call us at 817-421-1003 or email usat grievances@ufcw1000.org with any issues. The hero bonus payments will be paper checks arriving weekly (regular taxes will be taken out).