Rosie’s Corner

Fall 2026

Reflections on Labor Day

Labor Day is more than an occasion for parades, picnics, backyard barbeques and a long weekend at the river. Its true purpose is to recognize and appreciate the people who make America work. These are the folks who sustain our communities, businesses and public services. They show up at their jobs week after week, month after month, year after year, to build better lives for themselves, their families and their communities.

Labor Day is especially significant for union members because it reflects the Labor Movement’s historic efforts to improve wages, working conditions and workers’ rights. Through collective action, labor unions have brought us shorter workdays, two-day weekends, safer workplaces, protections against child labor and much more.

Labor Day became a federal holiday in 1894, during a period of significant labor unrest. Establishing the holiday was one way the government could acknowledge the importance of workers and organized labor in the country’s development.

Today, Labor Day serves as a valuable reminder of what’s truly important in our national character. So, in celebration of the moment, here are some facts about Labor Day that you might not already know:

Origins

• Labor Day as we know it originated in Canada. In March 1872, Toronto’s Typographical Union went on strike for a 58-hour work week. George Brown, publisher of the Toronto Globe and also a member of Canada’s Parliament, used his influence to persuade the police to arrest 24 of the union’s leaders on “conspiracy” charges. To protest the arrests, a coalition of 27 labor unions called a mass demonstration on Sept. 3, and Parliament soon repealed the law under which the union leaders were arrested. Workers celebrated their victory by launching an annual festival.

• Peter J. McGuire, co-founder of the American Federation of Labor, was invited to address a labor festival in Toronto, Canada in the summer of 1882. Inspired by the solidarity of the city’s workers, he took the idea back to New York City, where he worked with the Knights of Labor to organize America’s first Labor Day parade on Sept. 5, 1882.

• By 1894, 30 states had established Labor Day as an official holiday. In that year, President Grover Cleveland threw his support behind making it a federal holiday as well. Cleveland was anxious to mend his relations with labor groups that were outraged by the killings of railway workers by soldiers and U.S. marshals during the Pullman Strike.

Significant achievements

When Labor Day rolls around, please stop for a moment to reflect on Labor Days of the past. Think about the many significant achievements of prior generations of working people, and contemplate what YOU can do to protect and build on those achievements future for future generations to enjoy.

Today’s reenergized spirit of activism show us that the nation’s mood is shifting once again toward empowering people to fight for a fair balance between corporate profits and workers’ welfare.

Since the time our country was founded, unions have made achieving the American dream a possibility for millions of hard-working people. On Labor Day, the nation joins us in celebrating the value of hard work and its fair rewards.

In closing, thank you for your hard work. We honor you this holiday.

Summer 2026

Juneteenth, feminism and the imperative for emancipation

Around the time this issue of Desert Edge goes to press, America will be observing Juneteenth, a holiday that celebrates a significant moment in American history.

On June 19, 1865, more than two months after the end of the Civil War, enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, finally heard word of their freedom. This news arrived three years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation decreed that slaves in states that were in rebellion against the United States were henceforth to be considered freed from bondage.

One might think Dec. 6 might be an even more significant date for a celebration of freedom, for it was on that date in 1865 that the 13th amendment to the United States Constitution outlawed slavery everywhere in the country. But African-Americans have celebrated Juneteenth for 161 years, so that tradition is justifiably recognized by all 50 states and the District of Columbia. California declared Juneteenth as a state holiday in 2003.
The impulse to celebrate the freedom of African-Americans also drives the struggle for the emancipation of women. In fact, the American feminist movement grew out of the anti-slavery movement in the mid-19th century.
Feminism, the movement promoting equality of the sexes in all aspects of society, gained traction in the United States in the mid-19th century under the leadership of Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony as an outgrowth of their campaigns for abolishing slavery.

Stanton, Mott and Martha Coffin Wright were among the organizers of the Seneca Falls Convention, a gathering in Upstate New York that took place July 19-20, 1848. The convention was called “to discuss the social, civil, and religious condition and rights of woman” and included local Quaker women and other rights activists, including the great black anti-slavery activist Frederick Douglass. It concluded with a Declaration of Sentiments, which affirmed women’s rights to vote and hold elective office, own property, pursue education, hold jobs and speak publicly, all of which were commonly denied to women at the time.

The 1960s through the 1980s saw the rise of “Second Wave” feminism, which approached the struggles of women in the context of emerging movements for personal, racial and political liberation. This movement focused on legal and cultural changes in the cause of removing barriers to full equality of women, culminating in the (so-far) unsuccessful movement to ratify the proposed Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Some of the recognized leaders of Second Wave feminism in the United States included Eleanor Roosevelt, journalist and Ms. magazine publisher Gloria Steinem, social critic Betty Friedan, U.S. Reps. Bella Abzug (D-N.Y.) and Shirley Chisholm (D-N.Y.), civil rights activist Pauli Murray, and civil rights attorney (and later Supreme Court Justice) Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

The struggle for women’s equality is commemorated during Women’s History Month, observed throughout March across the United States. The occasion reminds us that the impulse for emancipation transcends race and gender. It is a cause for all humanity to embrace.

Spring 2026

Breast cancer no longer the death sentence it once was

Breast cancer is no longer necessarily terminal if it is caught early. Preventive procedures such as self-exams and mammograms are critical to catch and treat it early thereby making it no longer as deadly as it was a mere 20 years ago.

After skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. It is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, after lung cancer.
Twenty years ago, the American Cancer Society (ACIS) reported about 178,480 women in the United States would be diagnosed with an invasive breast cancer in 2007. About 40,500 women died from the disease the same year. As of early 2022, there were an estimated 3.97 million to 4.1 million women living with a history of breast cancer in the United States, a figure which includes those currently in treatment and those who have completed treatment.

According to the ACIS 2026 projections, approximately 321,910 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in the United States. During the same year, it is estimated that 42,140 women will die from the disease. Additionally, 60,730 new cases of ductal carcinoma in situ (DAIS) are expected to be diagnosed.
Although breast cancer death rates are going down, the chance of a woman having invasive breast cancer at some time during her life is about one in eight. Her chance of dying from breast cancer is now about one in 33 and in decline, likely the result of advances in prevention, treatment and earlier detection.

Early detection is still the key to fighting breast cancer. Annual mammograms continue to be strongly recommended for women 40 and older, while women between 20 and 30 are encouraged to have a clinical breast exam as part of their normal checkups every three years. In addition, all women older than 20 are strongly encouraged to perform breast self-exams and report abnormalities to their doctors immediately upon discovery.

Unfortunately, the causes of breast cancer are still unknown, but all women should recognize the risk factors which may predispose them to the disease. In addition to a family history of breast cancer, any women who smoke, experienced menstrual periods at an early age or are obese may be at increased risk.
Scientists continue to work hard to learn more about breast cancer through studying diet and exercise regimens, hormone replacement therapy and post-treatment procedures.

Fall 2025-2026

Sexual harassment at Cardenas

In the summer edition of the Desert Edge, we discussed sexual harassment, a stubborn problem that is old as humanity and continues to affect women, as well as men, in our times.

Despite an increase in public awareness and strengthened laws designed to protect them, workers continue to struggle with sexual harassment in their workplaces. Too often, they are fearful of reporting their experiences, fearing retaliation.
Unfortunately, this is allegedly the case for employees at Cardenas Markets.

The UFCW is organizing workers at Cardenas Markets, a grocery chain with 36 stores in the Inland Empire and 115 across the country, helping them understand the rights, wages and benefits that union members already enjoy through the collective bargaining process.

While Cardenas workers struggle to win the same rights and benefits as union members, we have learned about terrible allegations of Cardenas workers being subjected to sexual harassment.

Among them is Valeria Alvarez, who filed a complaint after her manager asked her to go to Las Vegas with him and be his girlfriend. She filed suit against Cardenas in 2024, alleging she experienced sexual harassment and retaliation for reporting sexual harassment, including her termination. In a message to investors at Apollo Global Management, which owns Cardenas, Alvarez declared she was denied her right to a safe workplace.1

Another worker, who has since left the company, told an investor that she ate lunch in her car for more than a year to avoid her manager who was harassing her. She never received a response to her complaint she submitted to Cardenas.2 Another worker, who was subsequently fired, reported that an HR director told him she wanted to have a baby with him because he has green eyes.3

According to court documents, there are eight outstanding lawsuits against Cardenas in California alleging sexual harassment and retaliation for reporting it. Of those eight, five were filed in 2025. These cases allege retaliation for after reporting sexual harassment to the company, including termination in some of the cases.4

Sexual harassment rarely happens in isolation. It often occurs alongside other workplaces problems such as wage and hour violations, unsafe working conditions and a violation of labor laws. Cardenas is a cautionary example. Two pending class-action lawsuits allege violations of the California Labor Code, including denials of meal breaks and failure to pay correct wages, which Cardenas denies.

On March 12, 2024, Cardenas Markets settled two class action lawsuits filed in Alameda County at a cost of $2,500,000 without admitting wrongdoing.5 The lawsuits alleged pay, rest break and overtime violations of the California Labor Code.6

In early 2025, workers at Cardena’s sister company in Chicago, Tony’s Fresh Markets filed for a union election. Tony’s responded with a widespread anti-union campaign filled with intimidation, exaggerated anti-union rhetoric, and fearmongering around immigration. Tony’s aggressive anti-union campaign made it impossible for workers to exercise their right to choose union representation free from coercion.
Locally, in recent weeks Cardenas has flooded its workers with anti-union postings, texts, website and department meetings.

These problems reflect deeper dysfunction within Cardenas that negatively impacts workers and the communities they serve. Addressing sexual harassment requires confronting a company culture that allows multiple forms of injustices to persist.

Local 1167 is committed to standing up for Cardenas workers in their fight for respect on the job and to form a union, just like it fights for members like you to have strong union contracts with grievance rights and the best wages and benefits.

The developments at Cardenas remind all of us how important it is for union members to report sexual harassment and other contract violations to their union representative.

If you know someone who works at Cardenas, please call the union office and ask to speak with an organizer.
If you are experiencing any form of sexual harassment or workplace issue at one of our unionized employers, please call the union office and ask to speak with the union representative on duty.

1 https://www.youtube.com/live/JczFzmIMaSk?t=22112s Alvarez comments starts: 6:08:32

2 Saydi Garcia, Colton store, comment begins at 35:27

https://www.youtube.com/live/EKjORPjZH_s?si=RX9UnC4jrjefcxDF&t=2125

3 Jose Oliveros from San Jacinto store starting at 33:09

https://www.youtube.com/live/sqArzrlni6c?si=Y94T2htqSj8fCVRN&t=1990

4 Previously approved cases

5 Superior Court of California, County of Alameda, CASE NO. 22CV005906, ORDER APPROVING SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT, filed 3/12/2024. Also includes Superior Court of California, County of Alameda, Case No 22CV010993 - Marleny Mejia Irias v. Cardenas Markets LLC et al

6 2021 settlement with similar allegations predating Apollo’s ownership: Superior Court of the State of California, County of San Bernadino, Case CIVDS1917380, ORDER GRANTING FINAL APPROVAL OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT AND FINAL JUDGMENT, p. 4

Summer 2025

Avoid sexual harassment in the workplace.

Sexual harassment in the workplace includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.

When this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual’s employment, unreasonably interferes with his or her work or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, it is considered sexual harassment.

The victim as well as the harasser may be a woman or a man. The victim does not have to be of the opposite sex. The harasser can be the victim’s supervisor, an agent of the employer, a supervisor in another area, a co-worker or a non-employee.

A victim does not have to be the person who is harassed but could be anyone affected by the offensive conduct. Harassment can be verbal, visual or physical.

Prevention is the best tool to eliminate sexual harassment in the workplace.

Calling someone “doll,” “honey,” “babe” or “hunk” are examples of conduct that can be construed as sexual harassment. So are whistling, cat calls, sexual comments about a person’s body, other sexual comments or innuendos, sexual jokes or stories, or even turning a work discussion to a sexual topic.

Making repeated requests for social contact or a date is also something that, if unwelcome, is considered sexual harassment. So are sexual comments about a person’s clothing, anatomy or looks.

Even facial expressions or excessive staring and glaring can be construed as sexual harassment.

One has to be especially careful about touching others. Even a “friendly” back rub can get someone in trouble if the recipient signals you in any way that he or she is not receptive or if the person is just “going along to get along.”

A good exercise is to ask yourself if you would behave the same way if your spouse, parent or child were standing next to you. Would you want someone else to act this way toward your spouse, parent or child?

If you are a victim of sexual harassment, do not “let it slide.” Tell your supervisor. State and federal laws prohibit retaliation against anyone who makes a good-faith complaint, participates in an investigation or exercises any right under anti-discrimination laws.

You can help protect yourself from unwarranted charges by avoiding a reputation for telling off-color jokes or touching or flirting. Never use vulgar or foul language at work. Don’t shout, belittle or browbeat anyone at work and DO take “no” for an answer.

Spring 2025

Celebrating Women’s History Month

March marks Women’s History Month and gives us an opportunity to pay tribute to women who have fought for social and economic justice in the workplace, leaving behind a long-lasting impact on the Labor Movement.
Women’s History Month also provides us with an opportunity to examine the social and economic issues that affect women in the workplace, including pay equity, discrimination, harassment, fair housing, and the need for affordable, high quality child care and paid maternity and sick leave.
Women make up more than 50 percent of the UFCW’s membership and are a powerful force in our fight for closing the wage gap in workplaces across the nation.
Here’s a look back at a couple of women trailblazers who not only fought for labor and civil rights, but also shaped history and opened doors for generations to come.

Dolores Huerta

Before becoming a labor organizer, Dolores Huerta was a grammar school teacher, but soon quit after becoming distraught at the sight of children coming to school hungry or without proper clothing. In 1955, Huerta launched her career in labor organizing by helping Fred Ross train organizers in Stockton, California, and five years later, founded the Agricultural Workers Association before organizing the United Farm Workers with Cesar Chavez in 1962. Some of her early victories included lobbying for voting rights for Mexican Americans as well as for the right of every American to take the written driver’s test in their native language. A champion of labor rights, women’s rights, racial equality and other civil rights causes, Huerta remains an unrelenting figure in the farm workers’ movement.

Mother Jones

Marry Harris “Mother” Jones made it her mission to stand up for the rights of the children who worked in factories and mills under horrible conditions in the early 1900’s. On July 7, 1903, Jones began the “March of the Mill Children” from Philadelphia to President Theodore Roosevelt’s Long Island summer home in Oyster Bay, NY, to publicize the harsh conditions of child labor and to demand a 55-hour work-week. During this march she delivered her famed “The Wail of the Children” speech, even though Roosevelt refused to see them.

Agnes Nestor

Nestor was applauded about the oppressive conditions of her glove factory and pushed her to take a leading role in a successful strike of female glove workers in 1898. Soon she became president of her glove workers local and later a leader of the International Glove Workers Union. She also took a leading role in the Women’s Trade Union League, serving as president of the Chicago branch from 1913 to 1948.

Frances Perkins

On March 4, 1933, Frances Perkins became the first woman-appointed U.S. Secretary of Labor (1933-1945). Having personally witnessed workers jump to their death during the Triangle Shirtwaist fire, Perkins promoted and helped pass strong labor laws to try to prevent such atrocities from ever occurring again.

Winter 2024/2025

Check your pay stubs!

Make sure you are being paid correctly with so much automation in our industry, we tend to get complacent. Thinking that everything will be taken care of because it’s “automatic.”

In some stores and with some locations, your employer knows you’re there by tracking your phone. And with people using their phones to “clock in,” it’s easy to miss something.

Some find themselves saying, “What happened to my Sunday pay the other day?”

We’re happy to help with these questions and make sure you were paid correctly for the work performed. Usually, we can clear up any problems quickly.

It’s a problem, however, when we hear from members who hadn’t been paid correctly for a few years. We can only go back six months in reviewing and correcting past paychecks. These members could lose out on thousands of dollars that should have been paid.

Don’t assume your company will pay you correctly. And don’t rely on automation! Just because you clocked in and worked a certain amount of hours in a week, it doesn’t necessarily mean you will be paid for those hours.

Nothing is certain or perfect in our world. A technical glitch or other mistake could affect how you are paid.

The smart policy is to check your pay stub every week to ensure you are paid for all of the hours you worked. Did you get your night premium? Overtime Premium? Is it all being applied correctly? Is the information correct for your tax forms?

Most companies have gone to paperless pay records, but you still can get a weekly copy for yourself. If you have opted out of receiving your pay stub, speak with your manager or bookkeeper and let him or her know you want to begin receiving your pay stubs again.

Filing away your pay stubs might seem meaningless if you receive your pay through direct deposit or you’ve already deposited your check at your bank, but those little pieces of paper can be critical if you ever have to file a grievance.

Keep track of all of the hours you worked and check your pay stubs on every payday. If you see any discrepancies that you can’t easily correct, contact your union representative right away.

Fall 2024

Protect yourself!
Ask for union representation by asserting your Weingarten Rights

According to a recent survey, about 42% of women said they’ve encountered gender-biased or inappropriate questions during a job interview, and 41% said they’ve felt discriminated against during a job interview due to gender. This percentage may be higher when it comes to interviews by store security or management.

Did you know you have the right to assistance from union representatives if you are being questioned by company management or security and you believe such questioning could lead to discipline? Everyone in this union has this protection! This is a most valuable benefit of union membership.
Too many times we have seen cases where members talk to company representatives without a union representative present, leading to tragic results.
It is important for you to understand your basic rights — called Weingarten Rights — when being questioned in an investigatory interview.
“Investigatory” means that you are under an investigation that might lead to discipline.

What is an investigatory interview?
An investigatory interview occurs when:
1. Management questions an employee to obtain information; and
2. The employee has a reasonable belief that discipline, or other negative consequences might result from what he or she says.
Investigatory interviews may relate to such subjects as absenteeism, accidents, compliance with work rules, damage to company property, drinking, drugs, falsification of records, fighting, insubordination, tardiness, poor attitude, poor work performance, theft, violation of safety rules and sexual harassment, just to name a few.

How your Weingarten Rights work
You must make a clear request for union representation before or during an interview. You cannot legally be punished for such a request.

If you request representation, your employer must choose from three options: grant the request and delay questioning until the union representative arrives and has a chance to consult privately with you; deny the request and end the interview immediately; or give you a choice of having the interview without representation or ending the interview.

If your request for union representation is denied by the employer and the employer continues to question you, you have a right to refuse to answer the questions. You may not be disciplined for such a refusal. However, that is not to say you won’t be disciplined after invoking your Weingarten Rights, it only means that the employer must prove it has other grounds to justify the discipline.

If you continue to participate in the meeting and answer questions, you have waived your right.

If you do not invoke your Weingarten Rights or if you waive those rights during an investigatory interview, you give up your legal protections under the law and your union has no basis to challenge the investigatory interview with your employer.
Remember, you have the right to invoke your Weingarten Rights at any time during an investigatory interview if you have a reasonable belief that discipline, or other negative consequences, might result from what you say.

If and when you feel that your job is in jeopardy, stop the meeting and ask to have a union representative be with you and advise you. Don’t feel guilty for doing so, it’s your right!

Summer 2024

A woman’s place is in the union!

Women comprise the majority of members in the United Food and Commercial Workers, where a new generation of leaders is reflecting the significant changes at American workplaces over the past several decades.

Through such groups as the UFCW Women’s Network, our union’s female members are raising their profile and placing their issues at the forefront of our agenda. Among these issues are equal opportunity, equal pay, affordable health care, flexible work schedules, family leave, safeguards against workplace harassment and more.

Whether it’s on a picket line or on the job, the UFCW provides opportunities for women of all ages, colors and preferences to advocate for a better world for our daughters and sons to inherit. Take advantage!

The face of our local union is the face of our membership, so please do your part to make us all stronger — male and female, young and old. Contact your union representative to learn about ways to get involved. PAYROLL DEDUCTION

Payroll deductions are a useful means of ensuring that you’re never late in paying your union dues, health care premiums and other commitments. This is especially true for those of us who are employed at places like CVS stores and cannabis shops, where such deductions aren’t automatic.

Be proactive! Check your pay stubs, and if you see something wrong, say something to your HR department as well as your union representative.

9-8-8 connects to phone hotline for people in crisis

Reports show many more people die annually from suicide than homicide.

Responding to this alarming trend, 9-8-8 has been designated as a new three-digit dialing code that will route callers nationwide to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, now known as the 9-8-8 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

When people call, text or chat 9-8-8, they will be con- nected to counselors who are part of the existing Lifeline network. These counselors are trained to listen to people’s problems, provide immediate support and connect them to resources. 9-8-8 is there for people who need help dealing with life issues such as grief, depression, guilt and anxiety,just to name a few.

Spring 2024

Celebrating ‘one of our own,’ Addie Wyatt

With February and March being Black History and Women’s History months, we feel this is a good time to share the story of Addie Wyatt (1924-2012).
Wyatt was a founding member of the Coalition of Labor Union Women and the first woman international vice president of the Amalgamated Meat Cutters Union. After her union merged with the Retail Clerks Union to form the United Food and Commercial Workers in 1979, she became the first woman of color to serve on the new union’s board.
She also was a recipient of the UFCW’s Women’s Network’s Trailblazer Lifetime Achievement Award.

In 1941, when she went to work at the Armour meat processing plant in Chicago, Wyatt applied for a job as a typist. But Armour didn’t hire African Americans to work in its front offices at the time. Instead, she was assigned to the canning department, putting lids on cans of Army stew.
Thanks to the union contract between Armour and United Packinghouse Workers, however, she was able to earn more working on the packinghouse floor in three days than she would have made in a week working in the front office as a secretary. So she decided to accept the job and subsequently became an active member of the UPW.

In the early 1950s, Wyatt was elected as vice president of her local union, UPW Local P-56, and was soon elected president. The next year, she left her job at the packinghouse to work full time for the union, fighting against discrimination for both women and people of color.
Wyatt said she often found herself fighting on three fronts. “I was fighting on behalf of workers, fighting as a black person and fighting as a female,” she said.
Because of its large, activist membership, the UPW was able to wield real power at the bargaining table, and it was able to use this power to benefit society at large. The UPW was deeply involved in Chicago’s community-based struggle for racial equality.

In many ways, the UPW was a union ahead of its time when it came to equal rights for black workers and women. It was the policy of the UPW to try to eliminate unfair practices like discrimination against African Americans and women in hiring and wages.
Wyatt and her fellow union negotiators were able to get “equal pay for equal work” written into many UPW contracts well before the Equal Pay Act was passed in 1963.
Wyatt became deeply involved with the ministry and civil rights campaign of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and became labor adviser to King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
She was a leading civil rights campaigner in Chicago during the 1960s, serving on the Action Committee of the Chicago Freedom Movement and organizing protests.
Wyatt and her husband also worked with the Rev. Jesse Jackson in helping to found Operation Breadbasket, which distributed food to underprivileged people in 12 American cities. Wyatt later became involved in its successor, PUSH (People United to Serve Humanity). Addie Wyatt passed away on March 28, 2012, having lived a stellar life in pursuit of social justice and dignity for working people.

Winter 2023

Now is not the time to mess around with the cold or flu or any kind of virus spreading around. We all know what can happen with a virus gets out of control. Protect yourself!
Flu season typically begins in October of each year and lasts through early spring — a period when many people spend more time in indoor spaces, where influenza viruses can spread more easily.
This year, the task of protecting ourselves from infection is a little more complicated, because flu season coincides with a rise in COVID and RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) infections.
Fortunately, medical science has provided advanced vaccines capable of reducing the severity of, or even warding off, all three of these infections.
Should you become sick, however, it is helpful to know which infection has caused your illness. Consider these distinctions:

Symptoms

• COVID: Fever, shortness of breath, fatigue and body aches.
• Flu: sudden fever and/or chills, muscle aches and fatigue.
• RSV: Runny nose, decrease in appetite, cough, wheezing

If you experience any of these symptoms, visit your doctor to obtain an accurate diagnosis. The severity of each of these illnesses can vary widely. Flu symptoms range from mild to severe, with the risk of further complications such as pneumonia, while RSV can be especially severe for the elderly, young children and people with weakened immune systems. People with COVID-19 also may experience anything from just mild symptoms to severe respiratory distress.

Prevention and treatment

The best preventive measures include annual vaccines to protect against COVID-19 and the flu, as well as an RSV vaccine that is currently approved for infants and adults age 60 and older. Good hygiene, staying home from work or school when sick, and avoiding close contact with those who are sick are other important ways to prevent the spread of these diseases.
COVID-19 can be treated with antiviral drugs and, in severe cases, hospitalization. The flu can be treated with antiviral medications, rest and over-the-counter medications.
RSV typically doesn’t require medication beyond rest and over-the-counter pain relievers and fever reducers, but severe cases may require additional oxygen. Your doctor can determine the most effective treatment plan for your specific situation.

Fall 2023

NLRB strengthens rights of workers to speak strongly

Recent decision by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) strengthens workers’ rights during workplace disputes with management. It strengthens the rights of employees to strongly advocate, protest and question statements and actions by managers, supervisors, human resources and loss prevention.
Specifically, the NLRB ruled that the National Labor Relations Act protected a worker who shouted and argued with a manager about excessive overtime, including angrily accusing the manager of being a liar and not doing their job. The worker spoke in a confrontational tone with the manager over the course of several days, but used no profanity.
In its ruling, the NLRB returned to a legal principle from prior cases that protects workers who communicate strongly with management. Those cases protected workers who raised their voices or shouted, as well as those who interrupted or challenged a supervisor. The panel decided the law protects workers who stand up and continue to assert themselves, even after a supervisor tells them to quiet down.
In the few cases where workers lost protection, they had threatened or implied violence, or they used racial or misogynistic slurs.
Union representatives can use this case to assure workers they can speak against management about working conditions and continue to assert themselves when a manager tells them they have to calm down, stop talking, lower their voice or stop being disrespectful.

PWFA victory for working women

The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which enshrines the right of pregnant and postpartum workers to reasonable accommodations in their workplaces, went into effect on June 27. The UFCW and its Women’s Network lobbied to pass this legislation, which was signed into law on Dec. 29, 2022.
The new law makes it easier for members who are pregnant or recovering from childbirth to protect their health and continue working if they want. For example, no employer can punish or fire you for requesting accommodations for pregnancy or pumping at work. The law protects union and non-union workers alike.
This is a huge victory for women. Until now, there were few legal protections for workers who needed workplace accommodations for pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions. As a result, many women were forced out of the work force, putting them and their families in financially difficult positions.
The PWFA does not replace federal, state or local laws that are more protective of workers affected by pregnancy or childbirth. More than 30 states and cities have laws that provide accommodations for pregnant workers.

Summer 2023

Rally calls for dignity at Cardenas

Just like members of Local 1167, the essential workers at Cardenas risked their health to serve neighbors in grocery stores during the pandemic. Unlike members of this local union, however, the workers at Cardenas do NOT have union representation and are now fighting for their own dignity and respect.
To support them, leaders of several community organizations joined elected officials and representatives from labor unions in a rally in front of a Cardenas store in Fontana on May 31, specifically to raise awareness of sexual misconduct at the grocery chain.
In March, two women who work for Cardenas filed complaints with the California Civil Rights Department alleging sexual harassment and retaliation for reporting the harassment to Cardenas. In April, Cardenas terminated one of the women who filed. At the end of 2022, Cardenas terminated a bakery worker after she became ill at work. According to the worker, the store manager ordered her to take a drug test and a pregnancy test.
Speakers at the rally urged Cardenas Markets to reinstate these workers, prevent harassment and retaliation, and stop anti-union activities. Horrible things have happened to these women, and they are among of who knows how many who have been forced to put up with harassment at the workplace. We stand beside all Cardenas workers who speak up and demand respect.
Members are urged to reach out to Local 1167 if they have family or friends who work at Cardenas so they can talk with someone from the union. Defining sexual harassment
Sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. When this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual’s employment, unreasonably interferes with his or her work or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, it is considered sexual harassment.
According to the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission, sexual harassment includes any unwelcome sexual advances and other unwelcome verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:

Submission to such conduct is made, either explicitly or implicitly, a term or condition of an individual’s employment;

Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for an employment decision affecting such an individual;

Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment, whether or not the harasser intended to create such a situation.

The third point is especially important. It goes beyond sexual harassment and can be applied to all kinds of harassment, including racial, religious, ethnic — you name it. Since coworkers come from a wide array of religious and cultural backgrounds, it is best to avoid any comments about a person’s race, sex, religion or sexual preference at work.

Winter 2022/2023

Women perform a variety of roles in our society — as workers, mothers, daughters and wives, to name a few — and each of these roles comes with its own set of obligations that can, at times, conflict with each other.

Local 1167 recognizes the many burdens that are put on women’s shoulders, which is why we fight so hard to advocate legislation on issues that frequently affect women, such as equal pay, family medical leave and affordable childcare. It’s also why we negotiate agreements with the employers that include personal days off and adequate advance notice of schedule changes.

During the COVID pandemic, we understood that women were hit harder economically even more than men were, in large part because women are more likely to be caregivers for children whose schools are shut down.
In Sacramento, we lobbied successfully to require extended paid sick leave for people affected by COVID-19, including parents who need to stay home to care for children or spouses.
In local communities, we responded to the economic crisis affecting families by redoubling our efforts in support of food banks and food giveaways.
In talks with the employers, we focused on issues like Hero Pay and supplying our members with masks, gloves, sanitizers and acrylic barriers, both to protect these essential workers at the workplace and to help them avoid bringing the virus home to their families. The standards we set became models to follow for the entire retail sector.

Women constitute more than half of our union’s membership, and we are committed to continue serving their needs with a representative staff that includes women in important levels of leadership, including our organizing director, union representatives, organizers and others.

In all these ways and many more, UFCW Local 1167 hears the voices of its members, both women and men, as we stand together to improve the lives of working people and their families.

Fall 2022

Women at the forefront of America’s Labor Movement

Women make up the majority of America’s essential workers who have ensured our access to food, supplies and care throughout the pandemic. Within the UFCW, women comprise more than 50 percent of our union’s membership, where we are a powerful force in closing the wage gap in workplaces across the nation.

According to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, union membership remains higher for men (10.6 percent) than women (9.9 percent), but the gap continues to close as working women learn more about the benefits of union representation. In fact, women who were members of a union in 2021 had median weekly earnings of $1,104 versus non-union members who earned $884 per week.

As unions grow in importance in the lives of working women, it should be no surprise that women are taking a more central role in the growth of the union movement.

For this edition of “Rosie’s Corner,” we call attention to three women have ascended to the top highest ranks of leadership in America’s labor movement: Liz Shuler, Lorena Gonzalez and Sara Nelson.

Liz Shuler

Earlier this year, America’s largest labor organization, the AFL-CIO, elected Liz Shuler as its first woman president. The AFL-CIO comprises 57 national and international labor unions that represent 12.5 million working men and women.

From 2009 until 2021, Shuler served as the AFL-CIO’s secretary-treasurer. She assumed the presidency following the passing of Richard Trumka in 2021.

Shuler began her career as an organizer, working to unionize clerical workers at Portland General Electric in Oregon. The daughter of an Electrical Workers (IBEW) member, she witnessed firsthand the difference a union makes in creating a fair and equitable pathway to the middle class. She worked her way up through the ranks at the IBEW in her capacity as a grassroots organizer, lobbyist and chief of staff to the international president. Her efforts caught the attention of Trumka, who asked Shuler to join the leadership slate in 2009. She was both the youngest and first woman elected as secretary-treasurer at an AFL-CIO Convention.

Lorena Gonzalez

On July 27, Lorena Gonzalez was elected and sworn in as the new executive secretary-treasurer of the California Labor Federation, which comprises 1,200 affiliated Unions representing 2.1 million members across California.

Gonzalez, formerly the secretary-treasurer of the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council before serving nine years in the California State Assembly, is the first woman and person of color to lead the statewide federation.

A longtime champion of working families, Gonzalez will lead the federation’s staff and affiliated unions in advocating for the right of co-workers to come together to join a union and collectively bargaining for better wages, benefits, and working conditions.

Sara Nelson

Sara Nelson has served as the international president of the

Association of Flight Attendants-CWA since 2014, and she is now serving her second four-year term. She first became a union member in 1996 when she was hired as a flight attendant at United Airlines and today she represents 50,000 of aviation’s first responders at 17 airlines.

The New York Times called her “America’s most powerful flight attendant” for her role in helping to end the 35-day government shutdown and InStyle magazine placed her on its list of “Top 50 Badass Women.”

Sara Nelson recently participated in a UFCW Women’s Network webinar called “Inspiring Confidence.”

Women have performed important roles in America’s labor movement since its beginnings. Such pioneers as Mary Harris “Mother” Jones, Dolores Huerta, Emma Goldman, Clara Lemlich, Frances Perkins and Addie L. Wyatt continue to inspire men and women alike to carry the banner of worker solidarity.

It is comforting to know the tradition continues as powerfully as ever. Just like the UFCW, women get things done!

Stand up!
Do not sit quietly and let others make critical decisions about working people. Get involved

Wherever you stand on the issue of reproductive rights, it’s fair to assume that the expected Supreme Court ruling on overturning Roe v. Wade has gotten your attention. Once this decision is announced, probably in June, roughly half the states in the country will have enacted restrictions and prohibitions of a medical procedure that had been considered a private matter between a woman and her doctor.
Some women will cheer this development as a victory for the unborn. Others will regard it as an unfair imposition on their ability to make choices concerning their own bodies and futures.
Like most unions, the UFCW doesn’t usually take a stand on “cultural” issues like abortion rights. We regard these as distractions from our key purpose, which is to improve the living standards of working Americans and their families. This is a cause that obliges us to unite for better wages, health care and working conditions for all, regardless of party, gender, age, ethnicity, race, religion, sexual preference or any other category of humanity.
On occasion, our union will endorse a candidate or advocate a position on a ballot proposition, but these recommendations will be based on a simple question: What is the best choice for our members and everyone else who punches a time clock?
At the same time, we strongly believe in amplifying the voices of working people, both at the workplace and in the public sphere. To this end, we encourage union members, including women, to get involved in the political process.
If you are concerned about the directions our economy and society are taking, do something about it! Speak out for the candidate of your choice. Volunteer to make phone calls or knock on doors. Run for office yourself if that’s what moves you.
One excellent way to get involved is donating to the UFCW’s Active Ballot Club. This is a union-focused political action committee that is sustained by voluntary contributions by concerned members. Contact your Local 1167 union representative to ask how you can get involved.
This is not a time to sit quietly and let others make critical decisions about working people. Stand up!

Restored COVID sick leave is a victory for working women

Working people in California have won a big victory, thanks to the UFCW and its allies in the State Legislature, the Governor’s Office and the Labor Movement.
On Feb. 9, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 114 into law, restoring two weeks of extra sick leave benefits through September 2022 for workers who need to quarantine themselves or take care of loved ones due to COVID-19.
This is an especially momentous event for women workers because they are often forced to choose between going to work or caring for others in a time of need.
Earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic, workers in California benefited from a temporary measure that gave them extra paid sick leave for COVID-related issues. That law expired last September after covering a nine-month period, after which the UFCW led a coalition of labor unions and legislators aiming to bring it back for another year.
Specifically, the new bill, Senate Bill 114, would restore a requirement for employers with more than 25 workers to provide a maximum of 80 hours of leave for COVID-19 related reasons. These reasons can include recovery from COVID-19 symptoms, quarantining after a COVID-19 exposure, receiving or recovering from a COVID-19 vaccine (maximum 24-hours), or staying home with a child whose school or child care is closed due to COVID-19.
Under the new bill, sick pay is retroactive to Jan. 1, 2022. As a result, those UFCW members who had to use their own sick pay because of COVID-19 will have their sick-pay banks restored.
Without this added sick leave, too many workers who are infected or exposed to COVID-19 are forced to choose between staying home (as they should) or going to work in order to pay the rent. When they choose the latter, they risk exposing their fellow workers as well as the public.
Restoring extra sick leave for COVID-19 is a victory for California’s working people who are still coping with the economic effects of a devastating illness.

Breast cancer awareness — not something to take lightly

Unless you’ve been living under a rock lately, you should know that every October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.
We recognize it, keep it in our thoughts, Halloween comes and goes, and we’re in November getting ready for the holidays. Did you do anything to recognize the annual event? Some people attend cancer walks, or clay shoots, to recognize this time, but in case you missed it, here are some things we were reminded about in October.

• The most common risk factor for breast cancer is being a woman.
• Women develop breast cancer at much higher rates than men. Less than 1% of all new breast cancer cases happen in men.
• Breast cancer risk increases as we get older.
• 1 out of 8 aggressive breast cancers develop in women younger than 45. About 2 out of 3 aggressive breast cancers are found in women 55 or older.
• Family history matters and can impact your risk of developing breast cancer.
• Your risk is doubled if you have a sister, mother, or daughter with breast cancer. Your risk is 5 times higher if two of them develop breast cancer.
• Frequent breast cancer screenings reduce risk of death from breast cancer.
• Screening includes a monthly breast self-exam, a yearly breast exam by your doctor, and a mammogram every year starting at age 40 or younger with a family history.
• There is a link between some hormone replacement therapy and breast cancer.
• Using hormone therapy after menopause can increase your risk of breast cancer. Talk to your doctor about non-hormonal menopause options.
• Combination treatments can provide patients with the best outcomes.

There are many treatment options, and most include a combination of surgery, radiation, hormone therapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapies.

Tips to reduce your risk

• Watch your weight. Being overweight or obese increases the risk of breast cancer. This is especially true if obesity occurs later in life, particularly after menopause.
• Move to improve. Be physically active. Aim for at least 20 minutes a day of moderate activity or 10 minutes of vigorous activity daily.
• Think before you drink. The more alcohol you drink, the greater your risk. Limit yourself to less than one drink a day, as even small amounts increase risk.
• Include good food. A diet that is high in vegetables, fruit, and calcium-rich dairy products, but low in red and processed meats might help lower the risk of breast cancer.
• Breastfeed for breast health. Women who choose to breastfeed for at least several months may also get an added benefit of reducing their breast cancer risk.
• Bust mythbusters. Finding a lump in your breast does not mean you have breast cancer. Only a small percentage turn out to be cancer. If do you notice a lump or breast tissue change, contact your doctor.
Keep these things in mind every October and in your daily lives to live a healthier you!

COVID safety: New OSHA guidelines aren’t enough for UFCW members

The worst days of the COVID-19 pandemic may be behind us here in the U.S., but that doesn’t mean we can let our guard down.
New stories are emerging daily about the highly contagious Delta variant of the virus. This variant can have grave consequences for those who are not vaccinated because it is highly contagious and can cause serious harm to those who catch it.
COVID safety guidelines are constantly changing, but here are some general steps we can all take this summer to do our part as responsible citizens:

Get vaccinated

For your safety and the safety of those around you, it is important to get the COVID-19 vaccination as soon as possible, if you have not done so already.
The vaccine is well-researched and safe to receive. Everyone should receive the vaccination to lower the chances of not only contracting the virus, but also bringing it home to their families and communities. Being fully vaccinated will also reduce your risk of severe symptoms related to the Delta variant.

Proper mask procedure

When choosing a mask, look at how well it fits, how well it filters the air, and how many layers it has. Be sure your mask fits snugly against your face.
Choose a mask with a nose wire, a metal strip along the top of the mask, to prevent air from leaking out the top. Gaps can let air with respiratory droplets leak in and out around the edges of the mask.
Wash your hands frequently, cough and sneeze into your elbow, and keep surfaces clean. If you are sick, stay home from work and notify your employer.

Keeping our members safe

The health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Local 1167 always comes first. That is why we were disappointed to learn that recent guidelines from the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) failed to include mention of frontline grocery, drug and meatpacking workers.
This is an egregious oversight.
These rules should include regular workplace safety inspections at grocery stores, meatpacking plants and health care facilities to ensure employers are held accountable for protecting their workers on the job.
The current rules are unenforceable and insufficient — we need strong language from the federal government that prioritizes the safety of these workers who have bravely kept our communities functioning during the past year.

For the latest on all things COVID-19-related, please visit CDC.gov.

Overcoming COVID-19 vaccine Hesitancy

More than 160 million Americans have received the COVID-19 vaccine at press time and the country is slowly relaxing some of the restrictions that were necessary to limit spread of the disease.
In light of the new CDC guidelines on masks for fully vaccinated people announced on May 13, many feel confident we are getting closer to a time when we can go out and enjoy life as we did prior to March 2020.
Getting all the way “back to normal,” however, will require higher rates of acceptance and use of the COVID-19 vaccines produced by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.
Here are a few reasons to trust the effectiveness of the vaccines if you are still on the fence about receiving one:

• Getting a COVID-19 vaccine can protect you from getting sick. These vaccines are incredibly effective, providing as much as 96 percent protection against getting sick from the virus. They perform even better than that in preventing severe complications leading to hospitalization and even possible death.
• More vaccinations would protect everyone. Anyone from age 12 and up can enjoy peace of mind after they’ve been vaccinated. When enough people get their COVID-19 vaccines, the country can attain “herd immunity,” suppressing the number of infections so well that even those few who aren’t immunized won’t get the disease. Only when enough people are vaccinated can we truly say we’ve defeated COVID-19.
• The COVID-19 vaccine development was fast, but it did not skip steps and was not developed overnight. The vaccines were developed at an accelerated rate and were approved quickly by the Food and Drug Administration. Nevertheless, they were made using technologies that have been tested and found safe for many years. None of the vaccines contain the actual virus.
• Even if you’ve already had COVID-19, you still should get the vaccine. The vaccine will add extra protection to your immune system should you be exposed to COVID-19 again.
Consult with a doctor about taking the vaccine if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or have fertility concerns. The vaccines are safe for breastfeeding mothers and do not harm a woman’s ability to become pregnant.
After receiving shot(s), you might temporarily experience a sore arm, a mild fever or body aches, but this doesn’t mean you have COVID-19. These symptoms, if they happen at all, typically last a day or two. They signal a natural response as your body’s immune system learns to recognize and fight the coronavirus.
Source:www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus

Vaccines are safe, effective and helpful for working women

The COVID-19 pandemic has been hard on everyone, but its consequences for working women have been especially severe.
Let’s just consider the closing of schools and day care centers. By September of 2020, roughly 865,000 women dropped out of the labor force compared with 216,000 men, according to a report published by the Century Foundation and the Center for American Progress. The report estimated that women would lose $64.5 billion in the first year of the pandemic due to lost wages and economic activity.
A Washington Post article pointed out that “[o]ne out of four women who reported becoming unemployed during the pandemic said it was because of a lack of child care — twice the rate among men.” In August, a story on CNN led with “Working mothers are quitting to take care of their kids, and the U.S. job market may never be the same.”
All this and more points to the necessity of ending this crisis as soon as possible. And the best — and only — way we can do that is by getting vaccinated.
While it’s a personal choice to get a vaccination, doing so will sharply reduce an individual’s chances of getting sick or spreading the virus to family members, coworkers and the community at large.
Here are some facts to assure you the vaccines are thoroughly researched and safe to receive:
• The vaccines do not contain the virus and cannot transmit the disease.
• They don’t change anyone’s DNA in an any way, and there’s no evidence that they affect pregnancies or cause infertility.
• Tens of millions of people around the world have taken these vaccines with no side effects beyond minor soreness or fatigue. These effects are usually resolved within two days and are worthwhile considering a vaccine could save your life.

A very small number of people may react allergically to the vaccine, so it is a good idea for those with a history of medical allergies to remain close to the vaccination location for 15 minutes following the injection. After 1.9 million vaccinations in the first round of shots, there were only 29 adverse reactions.
• The vaccines are made using technology which has been developed over many years and is proven to be safe.

Just as we have all worn masks, practiced social distancing and washed our hands over the past year, we must also receive the required doses of the vaccine in order to help the U.S. reach herd immunity and get the spread of the virus under control.
Talk to your health care provider about when you may be able to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. It won’t cost you a penny, but it could save you a bundle!

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the United States and the first requests from state and local authorities to follow social distancing guidelines, Americans have been living, working and educating their children at home all day, every day.

While some may have residences with enough space to make being so close together easier to manage, others do not and are forced to carry on living nearly on top of one another from one day to the next.

This sudden and drastic change in lifestyle can create challenges that easily lead to feeling frustrated and angry. When tempers boil over, tensions between people can quickly manifest as aggressive behaviors and physical confrontations. Additionally, the pressures the pandemic can have on individuals may aggravate preexisting conflicts, amplifying their effects in ways that magnify their frequency and intensity.

The pandemic has created enough tension and strife for individuals to face. Seeking shelter from the outbreak in a home where aggressive or violent behaviors exist or have begun to manifest can add to the stress and anxiety many are already struggling to manage.

No one should have to live with the fear of a spouse, partner, family member, friend or roommate physically harming you or someone else in the home.

While reports indicate there has been a spike in domestic violence in American homes, it’s important to know that state and local communities are working to provide support to those in need.

Some areas have launched special messaging services to help those affected quickly and quietly connect with the departments and organizations that can help move them to safer spaces. Other areas have updated their domestic violence support services to manage the challenges of providing care during this national health emergency.

If you are concerned you may be in an escalating or already violent situation, know that you are not alone in this emergency and assistance is available. The resources listed below will help you better understand what is happening and what steps you can take to find a resolution without creating additional conflict.

If you need assistance, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at (800) 799-7233 or (800) 787-3224 (a TTY-ready line for those who require hearing-related or speech-related assistance).

If you are unable to speak freely, you can get assistance by visiting www.thehotline.org or text LOVEIS to 22522.

In addition, support services are available to UFCW Local 1167 members through the Employee Member Assistance Program (EMAP). Call (800) 464-7101 for confidential service 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Managing hot weather risks during COVID-19

With outside temperatures soaring and with many workers wearing more PPE than their job would usually require, it is more important than ever this year that employers and workers stay vigilant about preventing heat illness at work.
The use of personal protection equipment (PPE) to keep workers safe from COVID-19 is essential for public safety, but does increase the chance of overheating. The use of PPE may trap heat and perspiration on the body’s surface and increase the core body temperature to dangerous levels. Given the dual challenge of moderating the risks of heat stress and exposure to COVID-19, it’s imperative that employers take measures to protect workers who are exposed to heat. For example, employers may need to supply replacement masks more often, since masks may get damp and contaminated in the heat and humidity.
To prevent heat illness, employers should make sure all workers should have access to:

• Adequate amounts of drinking water.

• Regular rest breaks or rest periods in a cool area.

• Regular bathroom breaks, as necessary.

• Increased air circulation through the use of air conditioning, fans and general ventilation.

• Education on the early signs of heat-related illness.

• Time to acclimatize to the heat. It takes about one week for the body to adjust to working in the heat.

Hot weather safety strategies should include:

• Training all management and hourly employees with an emphasis on how to recognize a medical emergency (heat stroke).

• Having a clearly written protocol on how to respond to a medical emergency.

• Training all management and hourly employees on workers’ right to access drinking water, as needed, and the right to access bathrooms, as needed.

• Monitoring particularly hot work areas and a plan in place for when the heat index approaches the extreme caution zone.

Two major heat-related illnesses are heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Heat exhaustion, if left untreated, may progress to deadly heat stroke. The symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke are listed below:

Heat stroke symptoms

1. Throbbing headache
2. No sweating
3. Body temp above 103°
Red, hot, dry skin
4. Nausea, vomiting
5. Rapid, strong pulse
6. May lose consciousness

How to treat it

1. Move to cooler location
2. Drink water
3. Take a cool shower or use cold compresses

Heat exhaustion symptoms

1. Faint or dizzy
2. Excessive sweating
3. Cool, pale, clammy skin
4. Nausea, vomiting
5. Rapid, weak pulse
6. Muscle cramps

How to treat it

1. Get emergency help
2. Keep cool until treated

How to make Homemade cloth face coverings

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.
The CDC also advises the use of simple cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others.
Cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under the age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the cloth face covering without assistance.
They should be routinely washed depending on the frequency of use. A washing machine should be enough to wash a face
covering.
Below are a couple of ways you can make a face covering at home.

Making a sewn cloth face covering

1. Cut out two 10-by-6-inch rectangles of cotton fabric. Use tightly woven cotton, such as quilting fabric or cotton sheets. T-shirt fabric will work in a pinch. Stack the two rectangles; you will sew the cloth face covering as if it was a single piece of fabric.

2. Fold over the long sides 1⁄4 inch and hem. Then fold the double layer of fabric over 1⁄2 inch along the short sides and stitch down.

3. Run a 6-inch length of 1/8-inch wide elastic through the wider hem on each side of the cloth face covering. These will be the ear loops. Use a large needle or a bobby pin to thread it through. Tie the ends tight. Don’t have elastic? Use hair ties or elastic head bands. If you only have string, you can make the ties longer and tie the cloth face covering behind your head.

4. Gently pull on the elastic so that the knots are tucked inside the hem. Gather the sides of the cloth face covering on the elastic and adjust so the mask fits your face. Then securely stitch the elastic in place to keep it from slipping.

Bandana face covering (no sew method)

1. Fold bandana in half.

2. Fold top down. Fold bottom up.

3. Place rubber bands or hair ties about 6 inches apart.

4. Fold sides to the middle and tuck.