Kroger agrees to meet with our Bargaining Team
Kroger leadership has agreed to begin negotiations with our Grocery Store Bargaining Team on January 5, 2021, after months of prolonged pressure and actions from grocery store workers, our communities, and our union leadership. Our bargaining teams’ message is clear:
Essential grocery store workers need hazard pay now. We see now, more than ever how fundamental our grocery store workers are to the health and prosperity of our communities during a crisis. Whether it is a snowpocalypse or a pandemic, everyone relies on grocery store workers for food and supplies. It’s time to recognize and respect that essential work requires essential pay.
Enforce the safety measures mandated by the State and the CDC including sanitizing workstations and surfaces, controlling and enforcing occupancy limits on overcrowded stores, providing PPE for workers, and mandating PPE for customers in the stores.
Notify workers immediately when there is a COVID exposure and allowing workers to quarantine with pay. Workers should not have to choose between a paycheck and our health and safety (and the health and safety of the entire store).
A clear and equitable plan for vaccine rollout to grocery store workers who are on the front lines.
Fair pay equity for all departments and job classes. Workers in every department worked hard before this crisis and have continued to work selflessly and with great risk to ourselves and our families throughout this pandemic.
In the coming weeks we hope our other grocery store employers will decide to put safety and respect over profits and greed for the benefit of our grocery store workers and communities.
Keep on the lookout for the Billboard-mobile! Our roving billboard is driving all over Washington State calling for HazardPay and safer grocery stores, if you see it in the wild take a photo and share it!
Meet our Grocery Store Bargaining team!
Maggie Breshears, Greenwood Fred Meyer
Sam Dancy, Westwood Village QFC
Amy Dayley Angell, Ballard QFC
Irene Garcia, Auburn Fred Meyer
Christina Harris, Lake City Fred Meyer
Robin Hillistad, N. Seattle QFC
Wil Peterson, Everett Fred Meyer
Jeff Smith, Snohomish Fred Meyer
Joanna Clapham, Benson Plaza Fred Meyer
We continue to update ufcw21.org/covid with important resources like;
What to do if there is a positive or suspected case of COVID in the workplace, Resources for refusing unsafe work assignments, COVID FAQs, Grocery Store Report, and Washington State DOH reporting.