Oregon grocery workers feel left behind when it comes to vaccination COVID-19

PORTLAND, Oregon. (KPTV) – Some essential workers, such as in their neighborhood grocery store, say they feel they are still being pushed back to get the vaccine, despite potential exposure to the virus every day.

United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) 555 represents 29,000 workers in Oregon and Southwest Washington; says that about 28,000 of them are essential. The union said it was disappointed with the vaccine’s launch in Oregon and wants the state to choose to prioritize essential workers according to CDC guidelines.

The union adds that many of its members work in grocery stores or food processing plants and that they fear going to work and contracting the virus and taking it to family members.

“Although they are forced to come face to face with this virus every day, they have not been moved to the front or near the front of the line when it comes to getting vaccines. So they take the risk, they keep working and coughing and have to deal with clients who don’t want to wear masks, but they haven’t been promoted to the appropriate level, ”said Dan Clay, the president of local UFCW 555.

Oregon Governor Kate Brown said she listens to the concerns of essential workers, but is asking them to be patient while educators are promoted as a priority. A date has not yet been set for essential workers to be vaccinated.

Clay says he was happy to see essential workers on a list of about 1.25 million people who will receive the vaccine after the elderly, but still thinks they should be given higher priority.