Grocery Store Workers Contract Negotiations Update
Community: “We’re United in Support of Grocery Store Workers”
We spent all day today in negotiations between our member bargaining team and the employer representatives, exchanging proposals on workplace issues like scheduling, safety and bereavement leave. We made progress on bereavement reform that we have been attempting to fix for many contracts. And we were also able to have conversations with Kroger about long-term fixes to our pension.
On the eve of our March 29th negotiations dozens of community organizations, elected officials and other labor organizations came out to show their support for a strong grocery store workers contract. Evening events were held simultaneously in Seattle, Mount Vernon and Silverdale with our bargaining team members briefing these partners on the top issues we will be working to address in negotiations.
More Pressure Needed to Make Necessary Progress
At this stage of negotiations, it is critically important that we increase the level of activism around our region from all of our stores. More and more members have been attending our Contract Action Team Meetings and if you have not been able to attend one near you, please consider coming out to a meeting in April.
These meetings are where we plan our large-scale, store level actions like the breaks actions that will be taking place in the coming month. Keep a look out for materials promoting the actions in the near future. Widespread, collective action by thousands of members in the stores is what drives progress in our negotiations to solve problems around scheduling, staffing, workplace safety and our many other issues.
Next Bargaining Dates: April, 18 and 19