Washington, D.C. – On behalf of NGA members, the National Grocers Association supports the ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court to suspend enforcement of the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration’s (OSHA) COVID-19 vaccination and testing Emergency Temporary Standard.
The court’s ruling takes some pressure off independent community grocers, who already face daunting staffing challenges amid a nationwide labor shortage. “Independent grocers remain focused on doing what they have done since day one of the pandemic, providing their communities with access to food, essential products and other vital services. The ruling is a great relief for our industry as it staves off a burdensome mandate that would have created further disruptions and impaired our members’ ability to properly serve the needs of their communities,” said Greg Ferrara, NGA president and CEO.
Independent supermarkets and wholesalers have worked since the vaccines were first available to ensure their frontline workers had access, and NGA members with pharmacies have been important partners to help deliver vaccines and boosters to the communities that they serve.
“We support efforts to increase vaccination rates that will not place added pressure on an already strained food supply chain and labor force,” Ferrara said.
About NGA
NGA is the national trade association representing the retail and wholesale community grocers that comprise the independent sector of the food distribution industry. An independent retailer is a privately owned or controlled food retail company operating a variety of formats. The independent grocery sector is accountable for about 1.2 percent of the nation’s overall economy and is responsible for generating more than $250 billion in sales, 1.1 million jobs, $39 billion in wages and $36 billion in taxes. NGA members include retail and wholesale grocers located in every congressional district across the country, as well as state grocers’ associations, manufacturers and service suppliers. For more information about NGA, visit www.nationalgrocers.org.
