Uwajimaya - Progress Made but Still Fighting for Wages

Our Union has approached Uwajimaya bargaining with the goal of shaping an independent grocery contract that reflects the unique nature of meat cutting and wrapping at Uwajimaya. After months of bargaining, we have made considerable progress on securing our health care benefits and retirement.

However, there is still work to do.

"Uwajimaya's latest proposal still puts us below market on wages."

— Aaron, Uwajimaya Bargaining Team Member

Uwajimaya has a vision for growth. At the bargaining table, they said that they want to double their stores in the next few years. Their current wage proposals would not only put us behind on wages compared to the market, they don't want to pay retro on those wages either. How do their most recent proposals make us feel about their growth strategy?

They've also proposed language that would limit our Union's jurisdiction for new stores. Uwajimaya wants to stand out from the rest of their union grocery competitors by lowering wages and limiting our ability to grow power. We're not going to let that happen!

While we've made a lot of progress bargaining so far, core issues are still on the table. So, what's next?

We're gearing up for a campaign—to win an agreement that reflects the value, tenure, and hard work we bring to Uwajimaya. Join our contract action team meeting to discuss our Union's plan of action to win!

Bargaining Team: Ashley Toshi, Uwajimaya Renton; Jesse Marlar, Uwajimaya Seattle; Aaron Powers, Uwajimaya Bellevue