During the COVID-19 crisis, grocery store workers have become essential to our functioning society. Every day, Price Chopper workers interact with members of the public who enter the store with no gloves, no masks, and no idea if they are carrying the virus. While Price Chopper has increased sanitary measures and workers are given gloves, they are not provided with masks, nor have "sneeze guards" been put in place to protect cashiers from customers who are standing less than six feet away. Every day workers risk contracting the virus and bringing it home to their families. Already, workers in 28 Shop Rite stores in NJ have come down with the virus. Don't let that happen here.
In New York, Price Chopper has increased the salaries of all employees by $1 an hour. That pay increase is scheduled to expire soon. Most workers receive no health insurance nor paid leave. In this petition, we are asking Price Chopper Headquarters in Schenectady to immediately:
* Provide workers with masks.
* Install shields in checkout lanes
* Pay workers hazard pay while they are risking their health to serve the public.
* Hire someone to sanitize carts as they come into the store.
* Extend fully paid medical leave to anyone who contracts the virus.
