Amanda Nagy, Guest Contributor

It has been a year like no other; empty bread shelves, shortages of baking needs and meats, and toilet paper a scarce commodity. Workweeks were long as an assistant bakery manager within a grocery store, but I was proud to create baked treats for our community, providing a sense of normalcy during this pandemic. A living wage and paid sick days are crucial to employee well-being, but especially during these times and as our country recovers. Contemplating my twenty years of retail experience without these necessary benefits, I have reflected on my lived experiences with Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath and MPP Peggy Sattler in round table initiatives. As a steward for the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union, I had advocated for women and increased maternity benefits, publicly funded daycare and paid sick days. Now I felt called to act to improve the safety of employees at the store. This past year's events have inspired me to create a movement to better support the safety of retail workers.

I understood vulnerable employees were at greater risk in this environment with capacity limits in the store too high to allow safe social distancing and sanitization procedures. My suggestion to allow those 65 and older to stay safe at home with pay was ignored, as were other suggestions to protect all those who entered the store. Fighting for safety procedures beyond the initial suggestion of frequent handwashing was met with resistance and patronization, but eventually, further disease control methods were implemented. My mandatory masking initiative was eventually adopted in collaboration with the workplace Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC).

Although I had been a union steward for the past five years, I was motivated to join the JHSC. With a young family at home, I hesitated to take on additional commitments; however, the call to action came on Mother's Day 2020. With the stay-at-home order ongoing, many families would be celebrating Mother's Day differently this year. I took great pride in creating products that would make moms feel special, but I also wanted the staff and customers to be safe. Despite my previous suggestions around creating marked lineup areas for cakes, over 1000 people were in contact with six co-workers and myself without social distancing in one day. All of those within the store were at greater risk for contracting Covid-19 because of this health and safety failure. I was angry that my employer did not take my safety seriously, making misogynist comments about "worrying about the cakes" instead of supporting my appointment to the JHSC. This experience gave me the nudge to begin formal training in health and safety.

It was empowering to advocate for workers' rights. The UFCW union, locals 175 and 633, provided the encouragement I needed to advocate for others in the quest for a safe workplace. With safety issues magnified by the pandemic, I continued to enhance my training by enrolling in the Labour College of Canada, one of only a few candidates selected each year. As with much of retail, non-management positions are often held by women. I felt proud that I was supporting myself and other women when it appeared we were forgotten. When some of the wealthiest CEOs in Canada ended pandemic pay for us, I wrote a letter that resonated nationally with retail workers and supporters, gaining politician's and the media's attention. Our pandemic pay increase had given us a living wage, but it was now being taken from us even though we faced the same danger from the virus each day at work. There is still much work to be done. I am humbled to continue my efforts as a Servicing Representative improving health and safety and uniting retail workers in solidarity.