Since the beginning of November, Management has only been available for a few short bargaining sessions. This has been challenging. We need Management to come to the table and spend a full day with us bargaining. We are willing to work as long and hard as it takes to get a contract we can recommend to you!

Following yesterday’s court rulings blocking the proposed Kroger and Albertsons mega-merger, we welcome Albertsons’ decision to terminate the merger transaction, meaning there will be no further court appeals seeking to complete the merger. We encourage the leaders of both Kroger and Albertsons to invest resources in their stores by investing in adequate staffing so customers are better served and workers can safely and effectively operate the stores and stock the shelves. These investments will result in higher sales and improved satisfaction by shoppers and employees alike. 

“The well-reasoned decisions today by both Courts make plain what union grocery workers have known all along – this mega-merger would be bad for workers who deserve a workplace where they can be paid well for their labor, be safe and be respected. It would be disastrous for shoppers who deserve competition that leads to better choices and lower prices…”

With the rising costs of living, many people are watching every penny and every paycheck, budgeting with dwindling means and having to choose what necessities to prioritize. Unions are in the fight for improving living conditions through better wages and benefits. Two UFCW 3000 grocery store members recently experienced the benefits of their union backing when they discovered issues with their pay.

One of the big wins we got was Workforce Development, which is the meat apprenticeship program that is accredited with the state. Another big win was our Strong Safety Language for the first time ever in our contract. This allows the workplace safety committees to recommend trainings for each workplace and topics for the master safety committee.

As we navigate these adverse weather effects, please remember there are resources and rights through our union and through our communities that can help.  

For over a year the opposition grew. Press conferences, a US Senate hearing, meetings with state and federal regulators, hundreds of TV, newspaper and radio stories, actions by workers at their stores, and much more. Many months of investigation led to a series of lawsuits being filed in early 2024.

Hector Pradis is a shop steward at the Redondo Safeway, and knows how important it for union members to advocate for each other.

Last week UFCW 3000 President Faye Guenther along with other union staff joined UFCW local 7’s Bargaining Team in Denver as they sat down with Albertsons/Safeway and Kroger in their fight for a fair contract. This collaboration between the grocery store workers in Colorado and the over 25,000 grocery store members of UFCW 3000, whose contracts expire early next year is an important signal of strength and unity in our fight for Better Wages, Better Staffing, Better Stores. 

The Colorado 10-day ULP strike by UFCW local 7 in 2022 helped pave the way for our contract negotiations that same year and the most significant wage increases we’ve ever seen. Together, united, UFCW 3000, UFCW local 7, and Teamsters local 38 will coordinate proposals and actions to show Kroger and Albertsons that again in 2025, when we stand together, we win.

After months of bargaining, our Bargaining Team reached a fully recommended tentative agreement with Safeway on October 21, 2024. This agreement includes increases to our health and pension contributions, notice for mandatory overtime, improved bereavement language, a 40 hour guarantee, clarification for sick leave accruals with one protected sick leave bank, and the largest wage increases we’ve ever had.

Contract Action Team Meetings are a time when we can get together and plan for the upcoming contract negotiations, discuss workplace issues, and take action together!

Vivian Pitre has worked at the North City Safeway off 175th St. in Seattle for 6 years. She spent four years doing fresh cut work in the produce department, but didn't like how isolated the job was, so two years ago, she transferred to the deli department. She loves the interaction with customers.

After months of bargaining, we have voted in our first contract with many amazing improvements including:

I have been with the Silverdale Safeway since 2020 working in different departments all over the store. Recently I have stepped up and taken the role of Shop Stewart at my store, because I believe my coworkers should be informed and updated on our next Contract Negotiations in 2025.  

As we plan for the upcoming contract cycle with the Employers, our Union Bargaining Team needs input from all members to understand the problems grocery store workers are facing at work and how together we can fight for a better contract and better workplaces.

We are hopeful that the outcome from this federal case will stop the proposed merger, and we will continue to watch and comment on the state cases in Washington, which began yesterday in Seattle, and Colorado, scheduled to begin on September 30 in Denver.

After months of bargaining, we secured our first contract with many amazing improvements including:

Contract Action Team Meetings are a time when we can get together and plan for the upcoming contract negotiations, discuss workplace issues, and take action together!

Daisy is definitely is a shop steward from head to toe, here nametag even says it proudly to her co-workers and customers, “Union Shop Steward”.

On August 22, our Union Grocery Store Bargaining Committee, members from UFCW 3000 and Teamsters 38, met to begin planning our contract campaign for the 2025 Puget Sound Grocery Allied Store contracts. Our Bargaining Committee represents over 26,000 Grocery workers in the Puget sound and is committed to continue the fight to set the highest standard in the Grocery industry.