Who Is Protecting Essential Workers?
An interview with Nicole who works in a grocery store.
The following is an interview I did with Nicole, a grocery store associate with 20 years experience who is working full time in a grocery store in Portland, Oregon.
“We are working long days, we’re working long weeks, and long hours. We want to be able to go home with our family and friends as well. But we’re putting our our health at risk away from our families instead of saying home because this is part of the job and this is what people need.”
Working in grocery store during the COVID-19 pandemic
It’s been extremely busy. Every time the doors open, people always head for the same thing. Toilet paper, hand sanitizer, rice, pasta, the basic necessities that everybody wants. It’s been very, very chaotic. Very busy. Every day, just having a smile on my face, knowing that I’m in the frontlines and knowing that I still have a job that people can come into.
I feel like an actor that is ready to sign autographs for people. But that doesn’t change my work ethic. That doesn’t change who I am, or the field that I know.
Working Conditions for Grocery Store Workers
Suzanne: I’ve heard some reports that in grocery stores, many people do not actually observe the recommended six feet of social distance, so its very hard for people working in those stores to be safe while also serving the public. Is that true?
Yes, it is true. I’ve noticed that in locations that I’ve been in, and other grocery stores that I have been in as well, that the stores are making it easier for people to notice the social distancing, such as having place markers on the floors to indicate please wait here.
I’ve also noticed to protect the employees or the cashiers, they have put screen dividers up — they’re like sneeze guards that block the cashiers from the customers. In every department that I go to, I see there’s cashiers wearing gloves. There’s photos people wearing gloves. Some employees are wearing masks.
You have people that work upstairs in the offices, they’re behind closed doors, they’re behind the pharmacy drive throughs. At the same time, everybody is so essential.
Everybody plays very important roles. No matter what your role is in the store, even grabbing shopping carts from the parking lot, you are still acting as an essential associate.
Wages and Health Insurance for Grocery Workers
Suzanne: Can you tell me about how much an average grocery store worker gets paid in the place where you work?
It depends on if you’re a journeyman employee or not. journeyman in the grocery areas of the store is about a little over $18 an hour. If you come in as a minimum wage Little over twelve dollars an hour.
Suzanne: Does that include benefits?
If you sustain 80 hours a month, then you’re eligible for health benefits, but you must be with the company for six months.
Suzanne: What percentage would you say of people that you work with, have health insurance or have that situation?
I would say about three quarters. As long as you have averaged eighty hours a month,which works it down to twenty hours a week, then you’re eligible, but that needs to be on a weekly consistent basis. So if somebody drops down to 15 hours a week, then they haven’t made their eighty hours for the month and then they lose their health insurance. for that month, I believe.
Working without Health Insurance
Suzanne: For the people who don’t have health insurance, what do they do?
I know some pay for health insurance out of pocket. I’ve heard others say that they don’t have insurance because they don’t have enough hours, because of their availability. Or they choose not to go to the doctor’s, when they’re sick, or when they’re hurt, because it costs money.
The store that I’m currently working at is a Union store. With the union, they now cannot offer anyone under 20 hours a week, unless, for example if they have a second job, or they only are there because of this big pandemic and you know, they need something temporarily. You know, they want to do something else on the side. I only want this many hours per week because I’d rather not put my health at risk being in the public, so much.
Valuing the Work that Essential Workers Do
Suzanne: Do you think that we need to change the pay structure or the health benefits or other things to really recognize and value the essential work that grocery workers do?
Yes, absolutely. Everybody’s health is very important. When you go to a grocery store every single day and you don’t follow the social distancing, you put not only the person that you are next to potentially at risk, but these workers may not have health care because of the fact that they might be older, or part time associates, or they may not be eligible for health care. I believe that, yes, we should all be getting healthcare.
During this time, the stores have been crazy busy. I know every store, every business that carries groceries has been extremely swamped. From the time that they open until they run out of product, which is every single day.
Yeah, they deserve more. Because we are working long days, we’re working long weeks, and long hours. We want to be able to go home with our family and friends as well. But we’re putting our our health at risk away from our families instead of saying home because this is part of the job and this is what people need.
Making Working Conditions Safer For Everyone
I just hope to see that whatever the governor decides for everybody that these stores, these businesses supply the workers with the stuff to stay healthy, such as masks such as gloves, such as the hand sanitizer, you know, each time that we change our gloves. Anything that will keep us healthy, too, to be able to help other people.
One Way of Supporting Essential Workers: Saying Thank You
Suzanne: Is there any way the public could be supportive of essential workers?
When you come in contract, or you see somebody, just give them a simple thank you. I had somebody told me one day thank you for being at the grocery store that day, thank you for working so hard. And he turned around after walking away and he said, Nicole, thank you for that smile on your face.
And just hearing that, thank you meant so much because I’m making a difference in somebody else’s day because I am keeping the grocery stores open. Because if it wasn’t for the grocery workers, people wouldn’t be able to get what they need.
Listen to the full interview here:
