Employees of Mission Foods in Pueblo able to get vaccinated on Monday

PUEBLO, Colo. (KKTV) - 200 essential workers at Mission Foods plant in Pueblo will be eligible for their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Monday. That’s according to the United Food an Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 7.

Local 7 members are encouraged to get their vaccine at the Pueblo Mall drive-thru Clinic between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m and 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. The Pueblo Health Department tells 11 News Mission employees do not need an appointment and can just show up at the clinic.

Armando Garza, the Regional Director of Manufacturing for Mission Foods released a statement saying:

“Helping our employees get vaccinated is a top priority for us, as they continue to make sure families across America have access to the food they need. We’ve worked closely with the Pueblo Department of Health and the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Department to secure windows where our employees can get vaccinated this week. We’ve communicated that information to all employees and provided paid time off for them to get the vaccine. In January, we distributed a letter to every employee confirming their status as an essential worker, in order to assist them in receiving the vaccine at this early stage in Colorado.

“At our Pueblo facility, we’re continuing with the rigorous protocols and policies we’ve had in place for months to protect the health and safety of our employees. This has included regular shutdowns for deep cleaning of all areas. We have also maintained close contact with the Pueblo Department of Public Health.”

The announcement comes after three outbreaks happened at the Missions plant in Pueblo. Since the first outbreak Mission Foods has reportedly been deep sanitizing the facility, making sure employees have access to COVID-19 tests, and providing quarantine pay for employees.

Kim Cordova, the President of UFCW Local 7 is thankful they are able to help protect Mission employees from the COVID-19 virus and released the following statement:

“After three outbreaks in less than a year, I am relieved that our essential workers at the Mission Plant will finally have access to the vaccine - a critical step to protect themselves against this deadly virus that continues to ravage our communities. Mission’s employees— our members— show up every day to keep America fed and the local economy going at great personal risk.

We thank the Pueblo Department of Health and Pueblo’s Sheriff’s department for their partnership with UFCW Local 7 to bring resources directly to the Mission Foods’ workers in Pueblo. Thanks to your efforts, workers will be able to receive accurate information and get the vaccine. Even after vaccination, it will be critical that Mission Foods remain vigilant.

Local 7 continues to call on Mission Foods to implement proper safety protocols to protect their workers who are still at high risk of contracting the virus”.