Grocery Store Workers: Whatcom, Skagit, Island, Jefferson & Clallam Counties Ratify New Contracts
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Large wage increases, gains in safety & training, health care benefits protected with no increased costs, a secured pension, and more.
Grocery store workers across five western Washington counties wrapped up a week of voting and overwhelmingly ratified a new three-year contract made possible by standing together and taking action. Over the life of this new three-year contract, grocery store workers will see wage increases of $4 — $9 an hour, gains in safety and training, health care benefits protected with no increased costs, a secured pension and more.
Over the past two and a half years these frontline essential grocery store workers stayed on the job during the pandemic, ensuring our communities had the food, medicine, and supplies we all needed. While the grocery store chains made additional billions of dollars in profits, Essential Workers were denied the respect, protections and pay they deserved. Workers in North Puget Sound counties of Jefferson, Clallam, Island, Skagit and Whatcom voted to approve their new contracts in June. Altogether, there are over 25,000 essential grocery store workers of UFCW 3000 in the Puget Sound area working at Safeway, Albertsons, Fred Meyer, QFC, The Markets, Haggen, and other independent grocery stores.
“ The new contract gives us more hope, safety, and a promise of greater contracts in the years to come thanks to our strong collective bargaining power! I look forward to our union building a training and certifications to build a career like I have. Trades make our union strong, and this contract is a big step in that direction!” -Sean Stone, meat cutter Safeway 1448 Sequim
The many improvements in the ratified contract include:
Wage increases of $4 to $9 an hour over the term of the Agreement for the most veteran workers.
Elimination of lower pay scales in departments such as deli, bakery, fuel, and e-commerce, some of which are disproportionately staffed by women, immigrants, and people of color.
An increase of 150% in wage escalators – the required minimum amount for each raise, creating a larger “bump” from CPIS adjustments to the minimum wage.
Increased funding to our Health Care plan, maintaining and improving our high-quality benefits with no increase in costs for members.
Increased funding for our pension - one of the few pensions in the nation that has been able to make the leap from “Red Zone” to “Green Zone” status following the funding crisis caused by the 2008 financial crash.
Stronger ability of store-level Safety Committees to address serious safety issues, beyond just COVID protections.
A half million-dollar contribution each year from the Employers to fund the new Workplace Training program (WE TRAIN WA), allowing pathways to higher paying positions and career mobility within every store.
