One of the reasons having a union contract comes in handy is that it is in writing. Many of UFCW 3000’s contracts are a set of minimums, which do not prohibit employers from going above them. Unfortunately when a manager promises something above those minimums, especially when it comes to wages, they seem to “forget” having made them.

Matthew Leon was hired on as an apprentice meat wrapper at the Lake Serene Safeway in March of 2023. When Safeway made the offer to hire him, he was told that they would be starting him out at a wage of $20 per hour. After his first few checks, he noticed he was being paid at the contract minimum, not the $20 per hour he was promised.

Matthew brought the issue up with his manager and store director, but as time went on the error was not corrected. Matthew’s coworkers suggest he reach out to his union reresentative. Because Matthew did that and was able to produce documentation of his initial wage offer, Safeway agreed to made the correction. After over a year of being paid at a rate lower than promised, Matthew received the pay rate correction including back pay totaling about $7,000!