Not all that long ago Billy was selling Real Change newspapers to customers at the Metropolitan Market by Seattle Center. “I was struggling with drugs and alcohol. I was homeless in the neighborhood I had grown up in. Then I got the chance to start washing dishes at the Met Market.” Billy worked his way up for years in the deli until he was accepted into the Meat Apprenticeship program in 2016. Getting in was just the beginning, the two-year Program requires both classroom study and 4,000 hours of logged apprenticeship in a meat department. 

“I’d say to everyone that it is important to have a union at work. It gives me a voice. It gives us a voice and access to a better life. I also want to credit Real Change - a great community resource for the homeless, and finally I want to say thanks to the ongoing support and opportunity I have received from my Managers and Team Members at Metropolitan Market.”

The Meat Cutter Apprenticeship Program is a collaboration between UFCW 21, Store Management and the State of Washington. UFCW 21 has been encouraging more women and people of color to apply. 
More information at: www.ufcw21.org/meat