Puget Sound Allied Grocery Stores Vote YES to Authorize a Strike & NO on a Bad Contract!
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After three long days of bargaining with Kroger and Albertsons from May 19 to 21, our member-led bargaining team was presented with the following proposals:
Nothing concrete to staff up the stores
An insulting wage scale that fails to keep up with costs (Employer Proposal: $1, $1, $1)
An offer to take our produce work at Kroger and give it away to outside vendors
A low-ball health care funding plan that risks benefit cuts
“They may as well have just punched four staples into our picket signs.”
– Cliff Powers, Anacortes Safeway.
As the time to reach a deal came down to the wire, the companies acted with no urgency. They made our team wait for hours between proposals, and when they did pass something back, they only moved an inch here and there.
Their posture at the table spoke volumes: They don’t value our work, and they don’t think we’re ready to fight for what we deserve. We’re happy to prove them wrong.
In the face of their foot-dragging on our core issues of wages and staffing, our bargaining team unanimously recommends a NO vote on the contract and a YES vote to authorize a strike so corporate knows they can’t push us around.
“They asked for these extra days of bargaining and they did nothing with them except offer to pay us peanuts. It’s time to take strike votes.” — Debra Rix, Callow Ave Safeway
Our union will not be voting alone. From the Rockies to the Cascades to the Hollywood Hills, more than 70,000 union grocery workers in Washington, Colorado and SoCal will consider strike authorization votes, uniting our movement for better staffing and higher wages across the western US.
After bargaining at 13 grueling sessions, holding info pickets all over King County, garnering massive support from community organizations and elected officials, and organizing actions in stores and on social media, we did create enough pressure to win the following major victories, among others:
Securing a pension we can count on
Guaranteed leave and greater transparency for workers facing immigration issues
Permanently enshrined language to protect workers caught up in shoplifting incidents
Secured pharmacy tech premiums for vaccinations
But that’s nowhere near enough. We will win higher wages and better staffing – we just need to dust off our picket signs first.
Contract votes scheduled: GET OUT THE VOTE!
Kroger and Albertsons won’t listen at the table, so we need to take it to the ballot box on June 3, 4 and 5. Save those dates! Tell your friends and enemies! But most importantly, tell your co-workers. Voting is better with friends, so start organizing carpools to vote locations now.
Our bargaining team unanimously recommends a NO vote on the contract and a YES vote to authorize a strike so corporate knows they can’t push us around.
Vote times and locations:
Tuesday, June 3: 8am to 12pm & 4pm to 8pm
Seattle Labor Temple: 5030 1st Ave S, Seattle, WA 98134
Meydenbauer Center: 11100 NE 6th St, Bellevue, WA 98004
Wednesday, June 4: 8am to 12pm & 4pm to 8pm
Kitsap Conference: Center 100 Washington Avenue, Bremerton, WA 98337
UFCW 3000 Des Moines: 23040 Pacific Hwy S Suite 101, Des Moines, WA 98198
Thursday, June 5: 8am to 12pm & 4pm to 8pm
Lynnwood Event Center: 3711 196th St SW, Lynnwood, WA 98036
The Olympia Center: 222 Columbia St NW, Olympia, WA 98501
Members who are part of these contracts are eligible to participate in the contract vote: QFC Grocery (King Co. - Allied); Safeway Grocery (King Co. - Allied); Haggen Grocery (King Co.); Allied - Albertson's - Grocery (Kitsap & N. Mason Co.); Allied - QFC Grocery (Kitsap & N. Mason Co.); Allied - Safeway Grocery (Kitsap/N Mason Co.); Allied - Albertson's - Meat (King & Kitsap); Allied - Fred Meyer Meat (King & Kitsap); Allied - QFC Meat (King & Kitsap); Allied - Safeway Meat (King/Kitsap); Haggen Meat (King/Kitsap); Allied - Albertson's - Meat (Snohomish); Allied - Fred Meyer Meat (Snohomish Co.); Allied - QFC Meat (Snohomish Co.); Allied - Safeway Meat (Snohomish Co.); Haggen (Snohomish Co.) (Meat); Haggen Meat (Thurston); Allied - Albertson's - Meat (Mason & Thurston) ; Allied - Fred Meyer Meat (Mason & Thurston Shelton only); Allied - QFC Meat (Mason & Thurston); Allied - Safeway Meat (Mason/Thurston); Allied - Fred Meyer Grocery (Kitsap Co.); Allied - Fred Meyer Meat (Lacey & Tumwater); Allied - Safeway Office/Clerical (King Co.); Saar's - King/Kitsap Grocery; Saar's - King/Kitsap Meat
Our Union Bargaining Team: Back row (L-R): Debra Rix, Callow Ave Safeway; Teamsters Local 38 Jessica Nearman; Teamsters Local 38 E-Board Member Caprii Nakihei; Teamsters Local 38 Member Kim Hayes, Everett Safeway; Cliff Powers, Anacortes Safeway; UFCW 7 Bargaining Team Member Conor Hall; UFCW 770 Bargaining Team Member Kathleen Scott; Dan Howes, Crown Hill Metro Market; Sam Dancy, Westwood Village QFC; Kyle Doherty, Stanwood Haggen; Todd Heuer, Ballard Fred Meyer. Middle row (L-R): Teamsters Local 38 Member Joel Palabrica; Yasmin Ashur, Port Orchard Albertsons; J’Nee DeLancy, Ballard Town & Country; Kyong Barry, S Auburn Albertsons; UFCW 770 Bargaining Team Member Rachel Fournier; Kevin Flynn, Marysville Albertsons; Bryan Gilderoy, Kent Fred Meyer. Front row (L-R): Joseph Baltz, Anacortes Fred Meyer; Daisy Hannelore, Benson Plaza Fred Meyer; Amy Dayley Angell, Ballard QFC. Not pictured: Roger Yanez, Bella Bottega QFC. Jeff Smith, Fred Meyer.
