America’s largest union for food-processing workers is taking credit for negotiating extra pay for employees of more than a dozen major food companies as a result of the coronavirus crisis.
The United Food and Commercial Workers Union, which claims to represent a quarter-million workers in meatpacking and other food manufacturing, announced March 26 that workers are getting either one-time bonuses ranging up to $1,500 (from J.M. Smucker Co.) or hourly raises of $2 (Campbell Soup Co., National Beef and others). Other companies are also increasing paid sick leave, subsidizing child care and waiving copays for coronavirus testing.
“What these companies did shows real leadership. They worked together with our union family and they recognized the incredible hard work and sacrifices that our members and all meatpacking and food processing workers are making every single day,” UFCW president Marc Perrone said in a statement.
