Husband fired for not wanting to die
My husband started a new job with ShopRite in February. Grocery stock. He was hired part time, but has been working near full time hours because of the extra demand in grocery stores. Our county in PA was the initial hotspot for covid cases and the panic buying here has been intense for over a month. They have been allowing him to wash and sanitize his hands frequently. He has asked for masks on many occasions and the store wouldn't provide them even though they had them - they were selling them to customers for $10.00 per mask. This Friday, he demanded masks and was given two for his 8 hour shift.
This weekend, he injured himself outside of work. Additionally, he has quite a hive outbreak on his torso and down his arms. So, he called out for the two days. His injury is resolved, but the hives are not. While he was out over the weekend, we talked a lot about his job and how he is so scared of contracting covid and bringing it home. We have two kids. I am unemployed because my giant charity job laid everyone off. My husband is on an ACE inhibitor and depending on what you read it either offers protection or makes you more susceptible to Covid. I have two minor heart conditions. And we are the only family for my dad, who is in his 70's and has a slew of health problems - we worry about exposure if we have to drop off supplies, etc. We have no healthcare insurance. We don't even have doctors of our own and my kids were discharged by their practice a while back due to insurance changes within the practice. I just applied for state benefits last week. He made the decision to talk to his manager today (his scheduled day off) about a possible two week leave without pay. He called the union that represents workers at his store, but they said there is nothing they can do as he is a new employee and it will be store discretion, but that they have been reminding this particular store to provide masks. Anyway, my husband called the store manager and barely got to speak before the guy said, "it doesn't matter anyway. I meant to call you today to terminate your employment since you called out over the weekend." My husband called the union back, but the only thing they will do is refund his dues. I don't think it had anything to do with his call-out over the weekend as there are plenty of employees there with less-than-stellar attendance. I think it has more to do with him advocating for himself, especially the other day when he demanded masks.
Whatever, I get it. Even though my husband was a stellar worker who was never late, it's okay to fire him for calling out and expressing concerns over Covid. We actually have a very horrible marriage and my goal is to escape from him, but I will always defend his work ethic. It just pisses me off because people like my husband are disposable. It doesn't matter if he has health concerns and doesn't want to die or bring home germs to his family, he's disposable. He's a dime a dozen. Zero healthcare, working without protection, on the frontlines in a store that is not enforcing social distancing enough. It doesn't matter if someone like my husband wants to live or not - these lives are disposable. We ARE poor and desperate and that's exactly what these companies rely on.
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For not wanting to die!
I don't blame him. I would have quit too!
What to do for now is the problem and what a hell of a problem to have!
Shame of these people and esp. the union!
I've never heard of a union that offered to refund paid dues just to get rid of you, or so they thought!
& recommend!!
Sneaky fucking bastards!
This is hard enough for people with harmonious home lives. It must be awful with so much economic undercertainty and unhappiness in your marriage, plus the stress of making sure you stay healthy for your dad.
I'm just so so sorry. 
to file for unemployment. I realize unemployment is not much, but please make sure he applies. And the "stimulus" bill passed by a few weeks ago will provide him with an additional $600 per week unemployment benefits from federal gov't.
So, his total weekly unemployment = $xxx per week from State Unemployment + $600 per week from Federal govt.
My heart goes out to you an your family.
Stay safe and strong.
