Bargaining Team Makes Our Wage Proposal

Our Bargaining Team has been hard at work over the last week to prepare for and hold contract negotiations with the big grocery store chain representatives today. Our meeting got us close to an agreement on safety and for the first time achieved a counter-proposal on workforce development. In addition, our union member bargaining team made a proposal to overhaul our wage scales with very significant changes and raises from the current system.

“Today we came historically close to reaching agreement on safety and workforce development. We then turned our full attention to wages. We know we want to protect our health care, ensure our pensions are safe, and get real wage increases. Grocery store workers have been falling behind for too long.” — Union Bargaining Team

Let’s talk about money

Employer proposed:

• Eliminate 10 cent over minimum wage and the 10 cent escalators between wage scale steps. .

• Cut holiday pay, including New Year’s Eve and Christmas Eve.

• Eliminate evening/night premiums.

• Eliminate sixth day premiums.

• Eliminate Journey Meat Cutter on Duty.

• Shift higher paid work to lower paid positions.

  The Union Bargaining Team rejected all of these proposed cuts.

Union proposed:

• Journey Wage Increases:

  • Year 1: $1.50

  • Year 2: $1.50

  • Year 3: $1.50

• Plus longevity steps at 15, 20 and 30 years.

  • 15 year = extra 50 cents

  • 20 year = extra $1.00 Cumulative

  • 30 year: extra $1.50 Cumulative

• All Classification in Grocery (Bakery, Deli, Fuel, Clicklist, General Merchandise, etc) all move to “Appendix A” (the highest current scale

• All Service Counter in the meat department moves to Wrapper Scale.

• Increase escalators from 10 cents to 40 cents between each step so we have a real wage scale.

• Premium pay for Department Leads, Section Heads, and Designated Trainers of no less than $1.00.

• Meat Cutters Apprenticeship bonus of $1,500

We need to protect our health care and expect to make our health care proposal on June 7. Our pension is still in the red zone, and the employer needs to invest in a long-term solution.  We deserve to have a secure retirement plan after dedicating our lives to the grocery store industry.

WE MUST UNITE TO ENSURE WE MAKE PROGRESS ON WAGES, PROTECT OUR HEALTH CARE, AND FIND A LONG-TERM SOLUTION TO SECURE OUR PENSIONS.  WAGES ARE DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO HOW WE ARE SCHEDULED.  TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE OUR JOBS BETTER.

Take Action:

In order to engage customers and the general public we are holding a series of leaflet actions in front of all our stores as well as door-to-door canvases in the neighborhoods around 18 selected stores throughout the region. Actions will take place from May 29 through mid June. Contact your Union Rep or workplace leader for more details.

Next Bargaining Date: June 7

YOUR GROCERY STORE BARGAINING TEAM:

Amy Dayley Angell, QFC #891 (Ballard), Front End Checker

Cassy Wolle, Fred Meyer - Port Orchard #655 (Grocery), CCK Checker

Scott Shiflett, QFC #838 (Inglewood), Meat Cutter

Christina Harris, Fred Meyer - Lake City #179 (Grocery), Bakery Clerk

Cliff Powers, Safeway #402 (Oak Harbor), Produce Clerk

Eleanor Knight, Albertsons #4483 (Auburn), 4th PIC

Irene Garcia, Fred Meyer - Auburn #19 (Retail), Home Clerk

Jeannette Randall, Safeway #1923 (Roxbury), Front End Checker

Jeff Smith, Fred Meyer - Snohomish #681 (Retail), Non-food receiving Clerk

J'Nee DeLancey, Town & Country #211 (Ballard), Beer/Wine Manager

Jordan Washington, QFC #803 (Meridian), Starbucks

Kyong Barry, Albertsons #483 (S Auburn), Front End Supervisor

Maggie Breshears, Fred Meyer - Greenwood #122 (Grocery), Personal Shopper

Maroot Nanakul, Safeway #464 (Bear Creek), Front End Manager

Michaela Strain, QFC #819 (Bothell), Meat Wrapper

Paul Ames Reinhold, Metropolitan Market #157 (Uptown), Cheese Kiosk Clerk

Richard Waits, Haggen #15 (Burlington), Deli Clerk

Robin Hillistad, QFC #858 (N Seattle), HR Specialist

Sam Dancy, QFC #825 (Westwood Village), Front End Supervisor

Sue Wilmot, Safeway #1252 (Bainbridge Island), Front End Checker

Wendy Garrett-Drake, Albertsons #469 (Mukilteo), Personnel Coordinator/Bookkeeper

Wil Peterson, Fred Meyer - Everett #95 (Grocery), CCK Checker

Faye Guenther, President, UFCW 21

Steve Chandler, Principal Officer Teamsters 38

Joe Mizrahi, Secretary Treasurer, UFCW 21

Mia Contreras, Executive Vice President, UFCW 21

Tammi Brady, Recording Secretary, Teamsters 38

Samantha Kantak, Executive Assistant, Teamsters 38

Jim McGuinness, Attorney, UFCW 21 and Teamsters 38