The Kansas City chapter of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union is now joining the call, asking Gov. Mike Parson to require people to wear a mask when they go to the grocery store.Some people are doing that already. The Hy-Vee grocery chain says it is in the process of providing masks to all employees and encouraging them to wear them.Dave Cook, who is the head of the St. Louis grocery workers union, speaking on behalf of the Kansas City local, said it is a safety issue for his 10,000 members."There's nothing being done to protect these workers from the general public. So my belief is, if they're being required to work in these times, which grocery workers are, they should be protected from the public," Cook said.Cook sent a letter to Parson last week, asking he amend his stay-at-home order to require customers to wear some kind of face covering at the grocery store. The governor has not changed his order."This is not a union/nonunion, Republican/Democrat issue. This is a safety issue for essential workers," Cook said.Cook said this is not just a Kansas City or St. Louis issue about requiring people to wear a mask when they go to a grocery store. He said it's very important, especially out in small towns and small grocery stores. Cook said if a small town with just one store has to close because of the virus, it would create additional problems for customers who would have to drive to the next town to get food supplies.

The Kansas City chapter of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union is now joining the call, asking Gov. Mike Parson to require people to wear a mask when they go to the grocery store.

Some people are doing that already. The Hy-Vee grocery chain says it is in the process of providing masks to all employees and encouraging them to wear them.


Dave Cook, who is the head of the St. Louis grocery workers union, speaking on behalf of the Kansas City local, said it is a safety issue for his 10,000 members.

"There's nothing being done to protect these workers from the general public. So my belief is, if they're being required to work in these times, which grocery workers are, they should be protected from the public," Cook said.

Cook sent a letter to Parson last week, asking he amend his stay-at-home order to require customers to wear some kind of face covering at the grocery store. The governor has not changed his order.

"This is not a union/nonunion, Republican/Democrat issue. This is a safety issue for essential workers," Cook said.

Cook said this is not just a Kansas City or St. Louis issue about requiring people to wear a mask when they go to a grocery store. He said it's very important, especially out in small towns and small grocery stores.

Cook said if a small town with just one store has to close because of the virus, it would create additional problems for customers who would have to drive to the next town to get food supplies.