At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, essential workers were widely dubbed “heroes.” That didn’t mean they were treated well or protected with adequate safety measures, but people were talking about their contributions. Since then, company after company has rolled back already inadequate safety measures and benefits.

Walmart already slashed the paid time off it gave workers with COVID-19, following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s gift to employers of an isolation period reduced from 10 days to five. Then Walgreens and CVS followed suit.

Workers at a Washington, D.C., Trader Joe’s say their managers have told them not to enforce a District mask mandate. Workers at Red Lobster restaurants say they’ve been pressured to work while they’re sick with no paid sick leave, managers writing them up for absences, and “threats,” Judd Legum reports. The lives and safety of workers are treated with callous disregard—and management is basically hoping that customers who would rather not get sick don’t notice how their own health is being put at risk.

● The Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association came close to striking this week before reaching a tentative deal with Vail Resorts at the last minute.

● As omicron rages, teachers and students fight for safety measures in Chicago and elsewhere, Barbara Madeloni writes.

● Right after the National Labor Relations Board set a union representation election date for tech workers at The New York Times, the newspaper’s management did this:

● In other publication-with-New-York-in-the-name news:

● This is why Starbucks was so freaked out about the first three stores where workers organized:

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