skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Sunday, March 16, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Second federal judge orders temporary reinstatement of thousands of probationary employees fired by the Trump administration; U.S., Canada political tension could affect Maine summer tourism; Report: Incarceration rates rise in MS, U.S. despite efforts at reform; MI study: HBCU students show better mental health, despite challenges.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump administration faces legal battles on birthright citizenship; the arrest of a Palestinian activist sparks protests over free speech. Conservationists voice concerns about federal job cuts impacting public lands, and Ohio invests in child wellness initiatives.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Farmers worry promised federal reimbursements aren't coming while fears mount that the Trump administration's efforts to raise cash means the sale of public lands, and rural America's shortage of doctors has many physicians skipping retirement.

Push to Classify Grocery Workers as First Responders After IL Deaths

play audio
Play

Wednesday, April 8, 2020   

CHICAGO -- Major grocery chains are reporting their first coronavirus-related employee deaths, which include two at a Chicago-area Walmart. Although Walmart employees are not represented by a union, a union representative said these deaths could have been prevented if governors would declare grocery workers "first responders."

The "first responder" designation would ensure that, as front-line workers, they receive testing and other essential preventive measures, said Jonathan Williams, communications director for United Food and Commercial Workers Local 400.

"We are prioritizing access to testing and achieving this 'first responder' status because this isn't like a hurricane or an earthquake, you know," he said. "We're experiencing a different kind of emergency right now. That means we need to recognize a different kind of first responder."

A wrongful-death lawsuit for the family of the Evergreen Park Walmart employee, Wando Evans, was filed this week. It alleges managers ignored Evans' COVID-19 symptoms and failed to notify other workers that their colleague may have contracted the virus.

Williams said he believes that if supermarket workers are putting their lives on the line, they should at the very least be making a living wage. He said his union also is pushing grocery chains to provide hazard pay to employees.

"We feel strongly that if anyone is on the front lines of this crisis and continuing to work," he said, "then they deserve to be compensated for the risk that they are putting themselves in, and their families."

He said his union also is demanding stores take more safety measures to protect employees. Starting this week, Kroger is limiting the number of customers to 50% of a store's capacity, and will check the temperature of every employee before work.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
According to Wisconsin's Judicial Code of Conduct, judges are not required to recuse themselves based on an endorsement or campaign contributions. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Early voting for the Wisconsin Supreme Court race starts next week and, although the seat is technically nonpartisan, both candidates have clear …


Environment

play sound

As the warming climate continues to reshape the environment, its impact on people's health is becoming increasingly evident in Florida. Doctors and …

Health and Wellness

play sound

Maryland is facing a $3 billion budget deficit, and planned cuts in 2026 would include millions in disability assistance. But one advocate says those …


A rally for property tax cuts is set for Monday at the Indiana Statehouse. Organizers have encouraged attendees to wear green to signal their opposition to high property taxes. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Indiana lawmakers introduced a third property tax plan this week, aiming to protect local governments from funding cuts while offering minimal relief …

Social Issues

play sound

Nearly half of Americans age 50 and older are using credit cards to pay for basic living expenses, according to a new AARP survey, and a Minnesota …

Expanded oil and gas subsidies, included in current versions of upcoming federal tax legislation, would support a massive expansion of LNG projects to more than double national export capacity by 2030. (Jeeraphun/Adobe Stock)

play sound

Forty religious leaders from different denominations gathered in Texas this week to call for an end to fossil-fuel subsidies and expansion of related …

Health and Wellness

play sound

Researchers at the University of Michigan have found that Black students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly Blac…

Environment

play sound

The Sierra Club's Utah chapter said electric utility PacifiCorp's long-term plan to embrace renewable energy has changed and is now placing more relia…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021