UFCW 3000 Member Story: Shelbie Graff

Shelbie Graff

Before this round of contract negotiations Shelbie Graff didn't know much about the Union or the importance of being active in one. Shelbie had heard that the Union contract was about to expire and discovered that there was no one at the Long Beach location of Harbors Home Health and Hospice to represent them in these negotiations. So she volunteered to serve on the bargaining committee both for herself and coworkers. As bargaining unfolded, she learned more about the rights the contract provided her and how important it was to enforce it.

That led Shelbie to also take the initiative to get trained to become a shop steward and start enforcing the contract she was helping bargain. When Harbors Home Health decided that the best way to reward their employees was a 0% wage increase, Shelbie and the bargaining team started a petition calling on their employer to do the right thing and bargain fairly. They were instrumental in getting unanimous sign-on to the petition!

Shelbie is seeing that when we stand together and fight, we have so much more power than when we stand alone!