UFCW Local 247 members are among the thousands of grocery store workers in BC still waiting for the Covid-19 vaccination.

Despite being designated essential workers, there has yet to be an organized rollout of a vaccination program, to the frustration of the union’s members.

“There was a lot of hope generated with the earlier announcement of the vaccine program for essential workers,” said Dan Goodman, interim president of UFCW Local 247, “and naturally, there’s a lot of frustration now too.”

UFCW 247’s Charles Pratt was recently interviewed by CTV about the impact on UFCW 247 members not receiving the vaccine.

Pratt has been in discussions with government and company officials about getting a vaccination program launched for grocery store workers.

“We remain very concerned about the ongoing risks our members face when they go to work,” said Pratt. “We continue to receive reports from our members who see the public being vaccinated at pharmacies in their own stores, while workers in those same stores have not been able to receive vaccines.”

“Our members working in the stores are facing greater danger and risk of exposure to Covid-19 in their workplace,” he said. “That’s why they are designated essential.”