Food Chain Workers Alliance Condemns Jimmy John’s Resistance to Paid Sick Day Initiative
– Paid Sick Days for Food Workers is a Critical Public Health Issue –
March 23, 2011 – The Food Chain Workers Alliance calls on sandwich chain Jimmy John’s to safeguard its customers and employees by providing paid sick days to workers who are ill and urges the chain’s Minneapolis locations to end the policy of disciplining workers for calling in sick. Our call comes a day after Jimmy John’s in Minneapolis fired six employees for participating in a legally protected initiative of the IWW Jimmy John’s Workers Union aiming to reform the chain’s sick leave policy.
Jimmy John’s workers in Minneapolis do not receive any paid sick days and are automatically disciplined for calling in sick. Some workers have been fired outright for staying home while ill. Six workers were fired after distributing in the community a creative educational poster illustrating the risk to Jimmy John’s customers of consuming food prepared by employees who are ill.
“Researchers have consistently found that the lack of paid sick days for food workers poses a risk to public health. Diners have a right to know if a food company has a poor sick leave policy and the Jimmy John’s workers should be commended, not fired, for creatively raising awareness around this important national issue.” – Joann Lo, National Coordinator, Food Chain Workers Alliance
For more information about the IWW Jimmy John’s Workers Union, go to www.jimmyjohnsworkers.org.