March 17, 2020
No doubt, these are trying times for us all. Feelings of stress, anxiety, and even fear are both natural and common as every new piece of information we receive seems to make the situation worse. We see society shutting down: events are canceled, bars and restaurants are closed, and consumers have put their wallets away. We worry for our jobs. We worry for our children, as schools close and we are left on our own to figure out how to care for them until our schools and daycares reopen. We worry for our financial future, as the tumbling stock market devastates our 401(k) accounts and college funds. And of course, we worry for our health, as more and more people are diagnosed with COVID-19. To help assuage your fears, we’d like to address each of these worries one by one.
Our Jobs:
Many of our industries are experiencing a sharp downturn right now, especially those impacted by the cancellation of events and the near-total desertion of hotels, bars, and restaurants as people isolate themselves at home. It is possible that some of these industries will have to introduce layoffs before too long as their volumes continue to fall. However, our members covered by Collective Bargaining Agreements have rights that nonunion workers do not have. If you are concerned that your industry may be one where layoffs will occur, review your contract language to see what rights you have in terms of seniority, and recall rights for when the pandemic passes and life returns to normal (which it will, we have no doubt).
You can also call your Business Agent and let them educate you on what rights you have in your Teamster contract. At very least, having a conversation about it may help to ease your anxiety on the subject.
If you do end up in a layoff situation with your current employer, please remember that while some industries are in freefall, other industries cannot keep up with demand! Grocery stores our members deliver to are struggling to keep product on the shelves as consumers hunker down to wait out the pandemic at home. UPS, Safeway, and Safeway.com are becoming desperate for more Teamster delivery drivers to bring essentials directly to consumers at their homes. If you find yourself out of a job temporarily, there are other options, and Local 174 can help you find them. See these links for job opportunities, many of which will be temporary to get us through this crisis until business at your regular job picks back up:
And finally, you may well be eligible for unemployment benefits depending on the exact circumstances leading to you being off work. See this extremely helpful graphic put together by the Employment Security Department to see where you land. If you need help filing for unemployment benefits, see this helpful flyer from King County describing the process of filing for benefits in Washington.
Our Children:
By all accounts, children suffer very little ill effect from the virus itself, which means that at least we do not have much to worry about in terms of our children being sick and miserable.
As for school closures, note that the Washington State Paid Sick Leave law does allow you to use any leave accrued under it if your child’s school or place of care is closed for a health-related reason. Additionally, the State and the various School Districts are scrambling to find solutions for families needing childcare. We will keep you all informed if we hear of any new developments.
As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child, and never has that been more true than in these present circumstances. With friends and family working together along with our Union Brothers and Sisters, we are confident that everyone will figure out a way to get through these school closures. If there is a possibility of adjusting your work schedule to facilitate childcare with a spouse’s work schedule, please contact your Business Agent and we will see if there is anything we can do. So far, our Employers have mostly been willing to work together with us so that we can all get through this pandemic together.
Our Financial Future:
There is no sugarcoating the damage suffered by our investments over the past several weeks. It may take quite a while for 401(k) accounts and college funds to return to the levels they were at before COVID-19 (remember not to sell while values are low! Buy low, sell high). However, one thing we can say with confidence is that the Western Conference of Teamsters Pension Fund remains strong. It has lost value, but unlike a 401(k) account, the WCTPT is built to withstand market downswings. We have withstood two market crashes previously, and have just completed our highest level of funding in the 65 years the Fund has existed.
It seems glib to say, but all we can tell you to do right now is relax. The stock market will do what it will do, and we as individuals cannot do much about it. At moments like this, we must remember these wise words: “Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” Your 401(k) balance is, of course, one of the things you cannot change.
Our Health:
Of course there is not much your Union can do to protect your health – that part is up to you! You surely all know the rules by now: wash your hands, sanitize anything you touch regularly, stay home if you are sick, don’t cough on people, stay away from vulnerable populations, etc.
For some of us, contracting COVID-19 will not be much worse than the seasonal flu. Those with underlying health conditions or who live in close proximity to vulnerable people will need to exercise even more caution to prevent the spread of the disease. All we can do is be vigilant and keep washing our hands. Remember that masks are for those who have the disease and don’t want to spread it to others. They are not effective for prevention of the spread of the disease, other than for healthcare workers who are in extremely close proximity to infected individuals on a daily basis.
Current CDC guidelines are to self-isolate if you begin showing symptoms of the disease, and to seek medical attention right away if your illness worsens or if you have trouble breathing. Call ahead to medical professionals and let them know you may have COVID-19 so that appropriate precautions can be taken. And remember, if you are covered by any of the Washington Teamsters Welfare Trust health plans, you have access to Teladoc, which can be a great resource when we are all doing our best to stay out of public areas where sick people congregate!
In Conclusion:
Teamsters Local 174 is still open, and we are still serving our members day in and day out – even if it’s over the phone. While we made the choices to cancel our March General Membership Meeting and postpone our Leadership Development Program Training, we will continue to keep you all informed and educated on what your Union is doing – we will just do it without loading you all into one room together. If you have questions, concerns, or anxieties, call your Business Agent. We are here to help!
Together, we will get through this. A year from now, this will all seem like a distant memory. Stay strong, stay together, stay calm, and above all, stay healthy.
In Solidarity,