You Bring Food From Instacart Into Your Home; Union Says Workers Lack Virus Protection
BY BUDDY NEVINS
If you are considering ordering from Instacart because you don’t want to go into a grocery with strangers who may have Coronavirus, you will want to read the news release below.
The AFGSCME Florida Council 79 is accusing the delivery firm of not providing its workers with hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes or spray and soap.
Folks, you bring the food that these Shoppers have handled into your house!
The firm delivers for Publix, Aldis, Fresh Market, Total Wine and other stores in South Florida.
The union has called for the Instacart Shoppers to walk off the job tomorrow if the company doesn’t take their accusations seriously and change its policy.
It will be interesting to see what happens:
Contact: Kelly Benjamin
For the past several weeks, Instacart Shoppers and Gig Workers Collective have been urging Instacart to take proper safety precautions. We have been ignored.
Instead, Instacart has turned this pandemic into a PR campaign, portraying itself the hero of families that are sheltered-in-place, isolated, or quarantined. Instacart has still not provided essential protections to Shoppers on the front lines that could prevent them from becoming carriers, falling ill themselves, or worse. Instacart’s promise to pay Shoppers up to 14 days of pay if diagnosed or placed in mandatory quarantine not only falls short, but isn’t even being honored. Instacart knows it’s virtually impossible to meet their qualifications and is ignoring Shoppers’ pleas for more substantial and preventative help. Additionally, as per their release, this policy is set to expire April 8th — likely before any Shopper will even qualify for this payment.
On Monday, March 30, Shoppers will walk off of their jobs, and will not return to work until demands are met. Workers demand that Instacart meet the following conditions:
- Safety precautions at no cost to workers — PPE (at minimum hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes/sprays and soap).
- Hazard pay — an extra $5 per order and defaulting the in-app tip amount to at least 10% of the order total.
- An extension and expansion of pay for workers impacted by COVID-19 — anyone who has a doctor’s note for either a preexisting condition that’s a known risk factor or requiring a self-quarantine.
- The deadline to qualify for these benefits must be extended beyond April 8th.
This is an extraordinary time in history, and as Shoppers, those of us who are able — and have the means to protect ourselves — do want to help those in our community by delivering groceries and supplies. But with Instacart neglecting the basic wellbeing of its 150,000+ drivers, we believe there is no choice but to not only walk off, but to raise awareness to the company’s practices. They are putting us directly in harm’s way while profiting greatly. We cannot let this be considered normal.
Instacart has a well established history of exploiting its Shoppers, one that extends years back before our current crisis. Now, its treatment of Shoppers has stooped to an all-time low. They are profiting astronomically off of us literally risking our lives, all while refusing to provide us with effective protection, meaningful pay, and meaningful benefits.
Shoppers have had enough. Instacart has refused to act proactively in the interests of its Shoppers, customers, and public health, so we are forced to take matters into our own hands. We will not continue to work under these conditions. We will not risk our safety, our health, or our lives for a company that fails to adequately protect us, fails to adequately pay us, and fails to provide us with accessible benefits should we become sick.
March 29th, 2020 at 7:20 pm
What is the meaning of this.Its w/out saying they should be supplying Lysol, disinfectant wipes, gloves etc.I am sick of hearing these companies this one mentioned putting profits,money ahead of workers( theirs) welfare.Shame on them.Greedy Bastards..
March 29th, 2020 at 9:18 pm
I know I can change the tip amount but I don’t need anyone telling me how much to tip ESPECIALLY before any service is even rendered.
March 29th, 2020 at 10:24 pm
I am not a gambler. I have no luck with numbers. Now I am living with everyone else in a world of percentages of risks. I have always cooked most of my household’s meals, but I also enjoy eating at restaurants.
What are the odds of contracting the virus when shopping at Publix, my favorite grocery store? What are the odds of contracting the virus from a driver who delivers food to my door? What are the odds of contracting the virus by picking up food at a restaurant? Who knows??
One thing is certain. If I do not eat, I die. Advice to self: Use your own judgement to obtain your food source and remain calm. Keep the path from food source to table as uncomplicated as possible by limiting the number of people between food source and table.
April 1st, 2020 at 4:58 pm
I am 74 n dont drive. So far besides a rare walk 2 or 3 miles to Publix 8 friends or neoghbors have delivered or help me get food for my 15 cats n 4 visiting homeless cats with social distanting. Two neighbors REFUSED MONEY for cat food. I think people in So fla are doing the best to help each other.
April 7th, 2020 at 12:31 pm
Why the censorship?
Because this is off topic.