Ten employees at the Fred Meyer store in Burien have tested positive for COVID-19 and their co-workers and union are demanding management take more stringent measures to protect them.

The company said that they have had several professional deep cleaning sanitation sessions, and have worked to ensure employees and customers stay safe including by providing plexiglass shields, face masks and limiting store capacity.

Last spring Fred Meyer did raise worker's wages by $2 per hour but then later ended that benefit.

Increased staff was scheduled to handle the additional work of sanitization, cleaning carts, wiping down check-out stands as well as to allow for workers to rest, take more frequent breaks and wash hands more often. 

UFCW21 which represents retail and grocery workers noted that: 

       -    workers reported fewer staff to cover shifts

       -    mask requirement orders were not strictly enforced by management

       -    lax enforcement of standards to limit the number of shoppers in the store is resulting in crowded stores and insufficient social distancing

       -    reduced cleaning and other practices that would help clean and disinfect stores

       -    recently, the problems have only gotten worse.