Workers rights groups are demanding companies re-instate hazard pay and other protections for grocery and retail workers ahead of the holiday season.
Organizations like United for Respect are calling for employers to provide paid and unpaid leave options and be transparent with employees about their decisions.
According to the Washington Post, at least 131 grocery workers have died from COVID-19 and it's very likely that that number is higher.
The president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union told reporters: "With more than 1 million new COVID-19 cases in the past week, and deaths spiking to unprecedented levels, we are entering what could be the deadliest phase of this pandemic for millions of America's essential front-line workers."
