21 Employees positive for Coronavirus at Rock ‘N Roll Ralph’s in Hollywood

[klkla]

More here:

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/worker ... ronavirus/

[storewanderer]

About how many employees does this store have? If it has 300 employees this is less than 10% of the employees.

Also it isn't clear if this is a cluster of employees throughout the store or if it is just one or two departments, etc.

This looks like a high volume, crowded store. Between close working quarters, tight restrooms, tight break rooms, and all of the customer interactions it is fortunate there have not been more outbreaks like this in other retail locations that are open.

And there is no good way to know how many customers may have picked the thing up here too.

[veteran+]

Oh NOOOOOO!

I just shopped there yesterday!

I'll have to switch to Pavilions !

I have noticed that customers seem to get too close (many aisles are not wide enough) which forces me to turn my face in the other direction (with mask on of course).

I have had to gently say 6 FOOT please and turn away. Our species never stops surprising me on our self destructive behaviors and the indifference of taking everyone with you.

I'm so done with us all.............

[CalItalian]

Two Ralphs employees from Culver City and Sherman Oaks have died. Both Fresh Fare locations. https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/loca ... s/2362895/

[storewanderer]

"The news was tragic but not surprising to workers at the 45 local Ralphs stores where workers have tested positive."

Awful lot of stores with positive cases (assuming multiple cases at some stores).

And Kroger is wanting to stop the $2/hr "Hero Pay" for the employees.

[klkla]

Two Ralphs employees from Culver City and Sherman Oaks have died. Both Fresh Fare locations. https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/loca ... s/2362895/

From that article, "So far, chains like Ralphs are only offering testing only to workers who are symptomatic."

So in other words they're doing almost nothing to contain the spread of the virus until it's too late.
Sad.

[klkla]

The UFCW says 65 grocery workers have died from Covid-19

https://www.supermarketnews.com/issues- ... -pay-plans

[storewanderer]

Someone being symptomatic is too late. But I thought LA County is testing everyone with symptoms or not. So maybe it is a matter of people seeking out the tests on their own. Not saying that is how it should be- but at least testing is available to people if they want to get it on their own (no help from their employer) in LA County.

As long as masks are required and there are plastic shields up this pandemic is still happening and I find it tough to justify ending the extra pay other than sheer cheapness. I do suspect expenses have spiraled out of control at the grocers and this is one of the factors they can control. Any of us who have been around grocery know the first thing to get cut when the numbers don't look good is labor. I don't think this is the right thing to do in this scenario but it is consistent with past behavior.

[Alpha8472]

The store must be doing something wrong. Do the employees all use one time clock to clock in. Are employees stuffed into a crowded break room where they are unmasked while eating? They need to space people out in the break room or allow them to eat at an outdoor area with tables.

Is the time clock not cleaned? Is the restroom out of soap? I once went to a Safeway where the single use restroom had no ventilation. The air conditioning seemed to be broken for that little room. If someone were to cough, the room would be contaminated for the next person. It also looked like a homeless person used it as a bathing area.

Were the employees or customers wearing masks with the valves? Those nozzle like valves release unfiltered air and it just spews out contaminated air.

The worst thing is when employees wear gloves and never clean them. They use their dirty gloves to handle change and then they touch food. There is major contamination. Gloves won't protect you if you don't use hand sanitizer.

[reymann]

the union should consider making a complaint to the health department so they can order the store to close for sanitization.