Member Story: Hands Off Our Work, Kroger!

A cut above the rest: Fred Meyer workers Jason Millione and Aric Martinez are too skilled at cutting fruit to let Kroger take that work without a fight.

Jason Millione and Aric Martinez know a thing or two about fresh cut fruit. The two are produce clerks at the Mill Creek Fred Meyer and have 16 years of experience between them. Their store used to lead the district in Fresh Cut sales.

“I used to do all the bowls, trays, and cups,” Aric says with a proud smile. “Our stuff looked great and was a lot better quality, and we made more money on it. Our stuff would fly off the shelves.”

That’s no longer the case.

A few years ago, Kroger decided to outsource its fresh cut fruit to an outside vendor -- but the outsourcing didn’t make the cut.

“It doesn’t move like it used to,” says Jason, the produce lead. “Some days we have full carts that we just have to throw away. That’s a lot of shrink.”

Fresh Cut is a major sticking point in the current contract negotiations with Kroger. The company, perhaps recognizing the mistake of removing Fresh Cut from the stores, has proposed bringing it back.

But the company doesn’t want to give that work to folks like Jason and Aric, who ranked number one in the district for cut fruit production. Instead, Kroger wants to invite outside vendors to do the work in the store.

Before the outsourcing, the store’s produce department consisted of 18 people, including the produce manager. Aric would spend his entire 8-hour shift cutting fruit to display in cups, bowls, trays and the like. Another clerk was brought in to help handle increased demand on the weekends.

Since then, the Mill Creek Fred Meyer produce department has reduced its staff by 30 percent, with produce clerks scrambling to get enough hours to make ends meet.

The thought of bringing in outsiders to get those hours doesn’t sit well with Jason.

“It’s crap,” he says. “If they’re going to do it. Go back to letting us do it.”

UFCW 3000’s member-led bargaining team agrees. As negotiations progress, the bargaining team continues to stand up to Kroger’s attempt to bring in third parties to do union work.

The next and final bargaining session will take place May 19 to 21. Union representatives will hold Contract Action Team meetings the following week, with contract votes scheduled for the first week in June. Rally your co-workers and prepare to carpool!

Vote Times and Locations

All votes run from 8 am to 12 pm & 4 pm to 8 pm

JUNE 3: Seattle Labor Temple:
5030 1st Ave S, Seattle, WA 98134

JUNE 3: Meydenbauer Center:
11100 NE 6th St, Bellevue, WA 98004

JUNE 4: Kitsap Conference Center
100 Washington Avenue, Bremerton, WA 98337

JUNE 4: UFCW 3000 Des Moines
23040 Pacific Hwy S Suite 101, Des Moines, WA 98198

JUNE 5: Lynnwood Event Center:
3711 196th St SW, Lynnwood, WA 98036

JUNE 5: The Olympia Center:
222 Columbia St NW, Olympia, WA 98501