Whole Foods will give shoppers masks as it announces new safety rules ahead of strike
Amazon-owned grocery chain Whole Foods will begin handing out free masks to customers and requesting that they wear them inside their stores, the company announced Thursday, as employees prepare to strike over working conditions.
“To help protect the safety and health of our Team Members and communities, we will be requesting customers wear masks in Whole Foods Market stores,” a statement from Amazon said, adding that “within a week” it will start giving free disposable masks to shoppers as they walk in.
The announcement comes on the eve of a planned day of strikes Friday, expected to include not only Amazon and Whole Foods employees, but also Walmart, Target, FedEx and Instacart workers, according to a flyer shared to social media by strike organizers.
While Amazon is reporting record profits during the coronavirus pandemic, some of those working in its stores and warehouses say their safety is sacrificed to make it happen, The Intercept reported.
“We are acting in conjunction with workers at Amazon, Target, Instacart and other companies for International Worker’s Day to show solidarity with other essential workers in our struggle for better protections and benefits in the pandemic,” Daniel Steinbrook, a Whole Foods employee and strike organizer told The Intercept earlier this week.
Many essential workers are expected to walk off the job, or call in sick, to send a message to their leadership. They are demanding sick leave and hazard pay for as long as the health crisis lasts, cleaning supplies and protective equipment, and corporate transparency regarding the number of COVID-19 cases among its workforce, according to The Intercept.
In a release obtained by TheHill, strike organizers say failed company policies have caused fatalities and they place the blame on corporate leadership.
“Because of the failings of our employers, many of our fellow employees have contracted this deadly virus and some have died,” the strike’s organizers wrote in a press release Wednesday. “Although there have been some changes in company policies, they are not enough to adequately protect us.”
Amazon doesn’t mention employee complaints in its news release, but does say it has taken measuresto protect workers.
The company said it expects to have spent $800 million “in the first half of the year on COVID-19 safety measures,” according to the news release.
“We will keep evaluating how to best support our teams and communities, and will continue rolling out measures to protect the health and safety of every person helping customers get what they need during this difficult time,” the release said. “Taking care of our employees as they step up for their communities will remain Amazon’s number-one priority.”
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Whole Foods will require customers to wear face masks. The company is strongly encouraging its customers to wear face masks.
