Food workers: The unseen heroes of the COVID-19 crisis

Vaughan, Ont. – June 16, 2020 – When her province went into lockdown to address the COVID-19 pandemic, UFCW 1006A member Maria Cabral was among the thousands of workers in the meat processing sector who had to continue going to work every day.

“You wake up and go in with fear – everyone is scared,” says Cabral. Even with many co-workers choosing to stay home, Cabral kept going in, wanting to do her part to keep the workplace safe and feed families across the country.

She is among the invisible heroes of the COVID-19 crisis, working to protect and maintain Canada’s food supply throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

Since the crisis began, those working in food processing, warehousing, and distribution have been on the job, helping to get Canadian families through an unprecedented period in our country’s history.

While the work they perform may be invisible to the public, their roles are vital to Canada’s food industry and to Canadian families.

UFCW Local 1006A recently spoke with members working in the food processing, warehousing, and distribution industries across Ontario, asking them about workloads, recognition, and their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the difference their union membership has made in helping them weather the crisis. To read the full interviews with members, click here. 

UFCW 1006A represents 36,000 members working in a wide range of sectors across Ontario, including the grocery retail, food processing, hospitality, laundry, warehousing, transportation, and eye care industries. To learn more about UFCW 1006A and its outstanding work, visit the Local Union’s website.