WNYLaborToday.com Editor’s Note: Pictured above, Grocery Store Workers employed at Tops Friendly Markets and represented by United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) District Union Local One rallied late last week outside a Tops Supermarket in North Buffalo in order to call public attention for a safer workplace, a ban on customers who do not wear a mask inside their stores and to criticize Tops for ending its so-called Heroes Pay for its Essential Workers who continue to work through the Coronavirus Pandemic.  (WNYLaborToday.com Photo)

(BUFFALO, NEW YORK) - Dave and Becky Valvo thought it was important enough last week that they decided to get into their car and make the long and winding 90-minute drive from their home in Jamestown in the Southern Tier up to Buffalo to take part in a rally that was held in support of Front Line Workers employed at Tops Friendly Markets, Grocery Workers who are being praised as Heroes, but who aren’t exactly being treated that way by their employer.

The rally, which also drew the support of the Western New York AFL-CIO Area Labor Federation (WNYALF) and the Buffalo AFL-CIO Central Labor Council, was held outside a Tops Supermarket on Elmwood Avenue in North Buffalo (Pictured Above/WNYLaborToday.com Photo), where Statewide United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) District Union Local One President Frank DeRiso called on the company to reinstitute its Essential Worker/Hero-Hazard Pay and ensure the safety of their Workers within their stores in this continuing age of the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Speaking to Your On-Line Labor Newspaper while holding signs that read: "Hero Pay - Not Zero Pay” & “No Shirt, No Shoes, No Mask - NO SERVICE!,” Becky Valvo (Pictured Below, With Her Husband, Dave/WNYLaborToday.com Photo) has worked for Tops for the past 26 years in Jamestown. 

In fact that’s where she met her husband, Dave, who’s worked at the same Tops for 23 years.

“(Safety for Workers at Tops) ‘is not as good as it should be,’” she said.  “Masks ‘need to be required for all’ (Workers and Customers), ‘as well as social distancing inside the stores.’”

Dave Valvo, a UFCW Union Steward, agreed with his wife: “That’s ‘why we’re out here.’  ‘We need everyone’s support.’  ‘We work at their stores and we are Essential’ Workers.”

The couple told WNYLaborToday.com that they were also disappointed over the fact that Tops has ended its so-called Heroes/Hazard Pay, which not only showed the company’s appreciation for its Essential Workers like the Valvos, but put some extra money in their pockets to help pay their monthly bills.

“I’m ‘asking, why?’  Their sales ‘are still way up and they're still making a profit,’” Becky said.

“(The Heroes Pay) ‘helped us a lot,’” Dave said.

UFCW District Union Local One President DeRiso told WNYLaborToday.com his Union has filed a grievance against Tops for “unilaterally terminating” the Hero/Hazard Pay without negotiation with the Union and with COVID-19 continuing to be a threat to Tops Workers:

Local One is filing a Class Action Grievance on behalf of all of our Members covered by each Collective Bargaining Agreement in effect with Tops Friendly Markets.  The basis for the grievance includes, but is not limited to, the fact that Tops has unilaterally terminated Hero/Hazard Pay in a manner that is discriminatory to our Members, is in violation of the established practice requiring the continuation of Hero/Hazard payments to our Members and without negotiating the continuation and/or termination of such payments with Local One.  It is Local One’s position that Tops continue payment of Hero/Hazard payments to all our Members and to make each Member whole for any and all Hero/Hazard payments that have been terminated.  (For More, Go To: http://ufcwone.org/sites/ufcwone.org/files/topscag.png).

“This pandemic ‘is not over and hopefully there won’t be a second wave, but (Tops isn’t) making sure their customers are wearing a mask when they shop at their stores.’  Sure, (a lot of customers do wear masks), ‘but their managers aren’t making sure all don’t.’  Being Essential Workers, our Members ‘are putting their lives at risk.’  (The UFCW’s) position is: ‘No mask, no service.’  ‘That’s not hard to do.’  ‘(Tops) has the power to save lives.’  ‘It’s not good to have our Members working around three to four people who are not wearing masks, but the company isn’t telling (their customers to put on a mask when they are shopping inside their stores),’” DeRiso said.

Nationwide, there had been 238 UFCW-represented Workers - as of the end of June - who have lost their lives due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. 

Even though there has been a relatively low number of UFCW-represented Tops Employees having tested positive for the Coronavirus (DeRiso said it was under 50), the Union represents 10,000 Tops Employees at its stores across the Northeast. 

Overall, UFCW Local One represents 17,000 Food and Drug Retail Members, Food Processing, Nursing Home, Hospital and Transportation Workers.

“(The UFCW) ‘was forceful in making sure the company installed Plexiglas shields to protect our represented Cashiers (at Tops) and we’re pushing the envelope, calling for one-way aisles.’  I’m ‘very proud’ of our Members ‘and the work they do’ (under the circumstances),” he said.

Meanwhile, DeRiso was extremely upset over the fact that Tops has ended its Heroes/Hazard Pay for its Essential Workers, which was $2-an-hour for Full-Time Workers and $1.50 for its Part-Time Workers - which amounts to about $2 million a month, DeRiso said.

“(Tops) has taken away (its Hero/Hazard Pay) ‘even though (its Employees) are still getting sick.’  ‘Meanwhile, their prices are still high and their profits are up.’  ‘What did they do with that money?’  ‘That put it into the pockets of their stockholders.’  ‘We wanted to sit down and talk to them about this, to ask them to not to pull the plug on it’ (but the company has yet to talk to the Union).  ‘At least let’s sit down and talk.’  ‘So that’s we’re asking the general public for their help and asking them to call Tops and ask why? (Tops Phone Number is 716-635-5000),’” he said.

DeRiso (Pictured Below/WNYLaborToday.com) told those at the rally: “We want to let consumers know that our Members at Tops ‘are not being treated fairly.’  Tops ‘took away their Heroes Pay – that’s ($2 million a month) and putting it back into their pockets.’  We’re going to keep on doing this (rallies) once every ten days (to keep the pressure on Tops) – not only here (in Buffalo) but in other cities like Rochester and Syracuse.”

WNYALF President Richard Lipsitz (Pictured Below/WNYLaborToday.com Photo) also spoke, saying: “We ‘need to insist that everyone wears a mask and that we pass the HEROES (Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions) Act in Washington, D.C., and work together to defeat (Republican President) Donald Trump in the November Election.”

Buffalo AFL-CIO President Denise Abbott (Pictured Below with UFCW District Union Local One President DeRiso) told WNYLaborToday.com: “These Workers ‘are risking their lives (doing their jobs) - every day.’  ‘They should not have to be in this position’ (of calling for more stringent workplace safety protections and the need to pay our Essential Workers).  ‘That’s not their job.’  COVID ‘is real and we all need to be safe.’”