12 grocery distribution center workers in Puyallup test positive for COVID-19
A grocery distribution center in Puyallup has reported an outbreak of COVID-19 among its workers.
The outbreak occurred at the Fred Meyer Distribution Center, 349 Valley Ave. NW.
In response to questions Friday morning from The News Tribune, Fred Meyer media representative Jeffery Temple responded via email:
“Currently, 12 associates out of the distribution center’s total 550 associates have tested positive for COVID-19, all have been self-quarantining due to exposure per the company’s Emergency Leave Guidelines.
“The facility coordinated recurring deep cleaning procedures by a professional third party, as well as sanitization of commonly touched surfaces around the clock as an added precaution.”
Temple added, “The distribution center has had communication with both the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries and the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department and affirmed that our processes continue to live up to our high safety standards in protecting all of our associates and the millions of customers that visit our stores each week.”
In an emailed statement, Teamsters Local 117 secretary-treasurer John Scearcy told The News Tribune:
“Our communities across Washington state cannot afford to have a grocery distribution center as important to the food supply chain as the Fred Meyer facility suffer a major disruption.
“Prior to any outbreak, we expressed our concerns related to the lack of safety protocols and made recommendations including screening all employees entering the facility and adjusting production standards to allow for social distancing inside the warehouse, but Kroger delayed implementation of those measures by over two weeks. If Kroger had acted more quickly, we believe this outbreak could have been avoided or more easily contained.”
Temple wrote that the site had implemented safety measures, including face coverings, which “are provided and mandatory for every associate, every shift.”
He said the facility also had implemented social distancing practices and made hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes available for quick access.
The site also has mandatory temperature and symptom checks before shifts, according to the statement from Temple.
The coronavirus outbreak comes amid another issue that has emerged between the retailer and its workers.
On Thursday, unions representing Kroger workers in Western states called on the retailer to not eliminate the $2-an-hour bonus “hero pay” it is currently offering workers.
Fred Meyer announced the extra pay March 31 as its grocery stores remained open amid state shutdowns of non-essential businesses. It applied to all hourly front-line grocery, supply chain, manufacturing, pharmacy and call center associates.
Kroger is the parent company of Fred Meyer and QFC. The union statement said Kroger was planning to end the hero pay program after May 16.
In a statement, the local UFCW chapters said: “In response to Kroger’s announcement, UFCW Local Unions are calling on the public to support these essential heroes in California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming asking Kroger to maintain Hero Pay and improve store safety practices and provide testing to all employees as COVID-19 continues to plague local communities, and the UFCW membership.”
Temple, in response, told The News Tribune on Thursday via email, “We recognize that each state has a unique plan to reopen for business, along with a unique timeline to do so. We will continue to monitor the situation in each state that we operate and review the plans for our associates respectively.”
The union statement also noted it had seen an uptick in cases of COVID-19 infection among its grocery worker members. No further details on the number of infected workers were available from local union officials.
Scearcy, in his statement, added, “At a time when Kroger is making millions of dollars and has seen an increasing number of employees test positive for COVID-19, they are announcing they will be ending the $2 per hour hazard pay for their employees as of May 16. This is not the time to cut the pay of essential workers who are risking their lives to keep our grocery shelves stocked with food and supplies.”
Kroger has recently introduced free testing of its front-line workers in some states.
“We are excited to be able to provide access to COVID-19 testing for our associates with symptoms based on CDC guidelines,” Temple told The News Tribune on Thursday via email. “We look forward to having more details about this benefit to our associates in the near future.”
This story was originally published May 8, 2020 at 11:30 AM.
