We’re excited to announce that negotiations for our first contract will begin soon! Our Bargaining Team has prepared draft contract proposals informed by our shared concerns and priorities, and last week
Read MoreWe’re excited to announce that negotiations for our first contract will begin soon! Our Theorem Bargaining Team brings a combined 10 years of experience at Theorem and met last week to draft contract proposals that address our shared goals and concerns.
Read MoreAs we navigate these adverse weather effects, please remember there are resources and rights through our union and through our communities that can help.
Read MoreOur Have a Heart bargaining team met with management last week to continue negotiations. We had productive conversations about new hire training, health and safety at work, compliance-related discipline and inventory discrepancies, PTO and sick leave, and wages. We’ve come to tentative agreements on guaranteed time and a half for the second half of double shifts and changing funeral leave to bereavement leave, which offers greater flexibility, and including parents in the 5 days paid leave. Our focus continues to be on winning crucial economic improvements, navigating the challenges of Have a Heart’s reduced staffing, and minimizing takeaways for both new and existing employees. We’re hopeful that management’s next proposal will bring us closer to a recommended agreement.
Read MoreWhen we last talked about Unfair Labor Practice Strikes it involved nurses at a hospital. Unfair Labor Practice Strikes in other industries often look very different. Michaela talks with Macy’s retail workers who went on strike in Black Friday in 2023 and again on MLK Day 2024 about the unfair labor practices and reasons that they went on strike during their contract negotiations. She also interviews community members about why they joined the Macy’s picket lines, and reviews the differences and similarities between Macy’s and her career in healthcare. Please note that this episode has parts where both English and Spanish are spoken.
Read MoreOn Monday and Tuesday this week, our Have a Heart Bargaining Team met with the Employer for our first negotiations sessions. There are some reasonable offers on the table, while there are some serious takeaways proposed as well.
Read MoreEach year we gather together with fellow UFCW 3000 members across the region for summer days at the park, an opportunity for some union-sponsored family fun and a great chance to meet and talk with other union members.
This year we're excited to add a new summer event for members, supporting our longtime community partner Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence: Game Day for Domestic Violence Prevention at T-Mobile Park!
Refuse to Abuse Game Day is Sunday, June 16, and for every ticket sold our longtime community partner the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WSCADV) receives an $18 donation and attendees get a free Mariners-themed Refuse to Abuse® Dri-fit T-shirt. Tickets are View Level for the Mariners vs. Texas Rangers game and cost $35. WSCADV has shown up for our members in many ways over the years and we look forward to this fundraiser and opportunity to share the belief that domestic violence is 100% preventable!
In addition, our other summer fun events have been popular each year and continue to be a great way to celebrate with family and union friends:
all day access to Silverwood Theme Park and Boulder Beach Water Park
all you can eat buffet picnic-style lunch @ the banquet pavilion (starting at 12pm noon)
unlimited drink refill wristband
Since the introduction of the new mylar zippered bag packaging at Mfused, members in production have been vocal about the pain and injuries caused to their wrists and hands from constantly opening and pinching these bags closed. Management had attempted to address the situation by ordering bags that supposedly come opened or outsourcing the task to other workers, but they still were not able to find a harmless solution. This led to multiple injuries and claims with Labor & Industries (L&I.) Meanwhile, L&I’s Department of Safety & Health (DOSH) had opened an investigation into a complaint made about the safety of this work.
After some months and in-depth review from Occupational Hygienists, an Ergonomist, and (unlike most cases,) the head of DOSH, it has been determined that it is unsafe to open bags by hand and pinch bags closed by hand, even for part of a shift. The company has been given multiple serious citations, with one penalty, of which the amount has not been disclosed. Mfused must post a notice of their citations in the workplace for 7 days after it is received in the mail. L&I will not be checking on this, so if it is not seen or comes down early, please notify your shop steward or union rep.
Employees, whether union members or not, should not be opening product bags by hand at all for any reason. If a batch of bags comes in sealed or partially sealed, please notify your manager and do not open them by hand. It is up to the employer to provide a safe way to get the job done, L&I has recommended finding a tool that can open and seal the bags without harmful repetitive motions. Do not open or seal bags until the company has provided a tool or machine that will help you do it harmlessly. Please notify your union rep when a tool or machine for opening/sealing bags is made available, or if you or another employee are asked to open or seal bags by hand.
This is a win for members who have been saying that this work has been harmful to them all along, with injuries to show for it. Their voices have now been validated by safety regulators who have the authority to make management listen.
If you have questions, reach out to your Union Rep.
Our union came into 2023 with some great successes, like winning a "best in a generation" contract for 25,000 Western Washington grocery store workers, but we also faced some huge challenges. Health care workers continued to be crushed by severe staffing shortages at hospitals that threatened both patient and caregiver safety alike, and at the same time, we had just learned of a proposed mega-merger between Kroger and Albertsons that threatened layoffs, store closures, and higher prices. 2023 was shaping up to be a big year.
UFCW 3000 members working in health care, grocery stores, food processing plants, retail businesses, and many other industries are fundamentally linked to the communities we work and live in. We are the essential workers that our communities depend on every day. That is why the challenges we face, like ferocious corporate greed that under-staffs us to make huge record profits, or the extreme and growing inequality between the wealthiest one percent and everyday working people are not just a problem for our workplaces —they are problems for our entire community. Greed and inequality are also underlying and insidious drivers of systemic racism and sexism —pitting us against each other, while an economic appetite of extraction and churn threatens the future of humanity itself. These toxic realities of greed and inequity also threaten our most cherished aspirations of democracy, freedom, and a better life for the next generation.
If together, as organized workers and communities, we want to fight back and build a better future, we are going to have to face these challenges head-on. While we recognize we still have a lot of problems and a lot of work to do to make things better in 2024, we also think it is important to celebrate the fact that we have been a leader in our region and around the nation —attacking these problems, making an impact, and being part of the movement to turn things around for the better.
Here’s a snapshot of some of our accomplishments from 2023, our wins as a collective union of workers in action.
We won important reforms at our UFCW International Convention and began the much-needed campaign for greater reforms in the future. Learn more about our local's fight to bring democracy to the UFCW >>
We joined the 'year of strikes' when thousands of UFCW 3000 members voted to authorize ULP strikes: The nurses at Providence Everett and workers at Macy’s in Southcenter, Alderwood, and Bellingham went on strike in 2023. Both strikes were joined by hundreds of community supporters while thousands signed petitions in support of these striking workers.
Providence strike recap video >>
Macy's strike recap video >>
We passed a Safer Staffing Law! Working in a first of its kind in the region, a coalition with SEIU Healthcare1199NW, WSNA and UFCW 3000 worked to pass the historic ESSB 5236 Safe Staffing legislation that will take steps towards ensuring safer hospital staffing levels across WA. Learn more about the Safe Staffing legislation >>
We opened a new Union Hall in Des Moines! After completing the sale of our flagship office of over 20 years in Seattle to the Seattle Labor Temple, we held an open house in our brand new union hall in Des Moines. This new location will save money, be more accessible to members (it is located on the new Light Rail route), and be a gathering space for members. Learn more about UFCW 3000 office locations >>
Our elected Executive Board made of rank-and-file members adopted a powerful new 5-year strategic plan to guide our union and prioritize our work until 2028. Learn more about the Strategic Five Year Plan >>
Our Executive Board also helped begin a national call from labor unions for a ceasefire in Gaza. Learn more about the petition for peace >>
Had fun! Thousands of members and their families attended UFCW 3000’s summer events at Wild Waves in Federal Way, WA, and Silverwood in Idaho. Save the date for the next Summer Picnics at the Park: Silverwood is August 6 and Wild Waves is August 8.
Union member bargaining teams won 8 first-time contracts and ratified 30 new contracts with higher wages, improved benefits and better working conditions.
Held off the grocery store mega-merger by being instrumental in building a national coalition of unions that includes UFCW locals 5, 7, 324, 400, 770, 1564 and 3000 and community groups including 55 from our own region to oppose the Kroger and Albertsons mega-merger. We have successfully lobbied —through data, testimony, and evidence to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) who has recently ruled in our favor and decided to reject this proposed mega-merger! Learn more about efforts to stop the mega-merger >>
In 2023 we organized hundreds of new members! New organizing wins from determined organizing committees both big and small resulted in hundreds of new members joining our union. Welcome Ferry County, Downtown Dog Lounge, REI Bellingham, MultiCare Auburn Pros, and Fred Meyer Port Orchard General Merchandise, and our first Cannabis producer contract at Mfused, who won a standard-setting contract in the cannabis industry.
People powered politics in action: Our member-led endorsement committee interviewed 57 candidates for local office. 68 members participated in our Political Action Advisory Committee and were able to help win a new just cause standard for grocery store workers around retail theft. Learn more about our People-Powered Politics agenda >>
The Essential Workers Organizing Academy is up and running! The program was broken up into three distinct phases: training, internal organizing, and external organizing/preparing for strikes. Apprentice organizers supported on campaigns that included Macy’s, Bartell Drugs, Fred Meyer, PCC, Providence Everett, as well as political and community projects. Congratulation to the first EWOA graduating class of 2023! Learn more about EWOA >>
Enforced our rights: Together as members, stewards, and union Reps we work hard to ensure members’ rights are protected and that the process is transparent, and management is held accountable to our members, our contract, and the law. In 2023 we had to file 182 grievances against management that could not be resolved at the worksite level.
Got the training to empower ourselves: Over 300 members participated in a union training in 2023. These trainings included topics like Weingarten training and enforcement, Leaders in Action, New Member Meetings, Grievance Training, Retirement Seminars, and more. Learn more about upcoming union trainings >>
No union should be an island. We support others in their struggles and UFCW 3000 attended strikes, showed solidarity and gave other support for Starbucks Workers United in Washington and around the nation.
How and why does a union engage with politics? What's the "people power" we talk about in "people-powered politics"? Michaela talks with UFCW 3000 political organizer Derrick about the power of union members taking an active role in local and state elections and in politics beyond elections. Washington State legislature is now in session, and while this was recorded before the recent elections, it's also about all the work that UFCW 3000 members will now be doing to hold those elected lawmakers accountable! They discuss the potential corporate grocery mega-merger that our local is fighting against, and at the end of the episode you'll hear from longtime grocery worker and UFCW 3000 member Naomi speaking out at a press conference about that merger. Learn more about our political advocacy work, our 2024 legislative agenda, how to register to vote, and more at our website: https://ufcw3000.org/people-powered-politics Our Winter General Membership Meetings, also discussed here, are also coming up! Find your local quarterly meeting at: https://ufcw3000.org/gmmcall
UFCW 3000 union shop steward Michaela is always ready to answer fellow members’ questions about their union. She’s also a devoted murder podcast listener. Put those interests together, and she decided to start a union podcast to get all her coworkers’ questions and her own questions answered, and to meet as many people as possible who could share what it means to be a part of UFCW 3000. (No murder on this podcast, only solidarity!)
*The information shared on this podcast is offered by rank and file union member leaders of UFCW 3000. There may be inaccuracies or misstatements shared, as members will be speaking from the lenses of their perspectives and life experiences. While members are doing their best to share good information, we can make no claims to 100% accuracy and this podcast should not be construed as legal advice.
On December 29, after months of negotiations with Management, UFCW Local 3000 members at MFused voted to ratify OUR FIRST UNION CONTRACT! Our Union contract is now in full force and effect, including benefits and protections such as:
JUST CAUSE: Our contract protects against unfair discipline, ensuring workers cannot be disciplined or terminated arbitrarily, only for legitimate and evenly enforced violations of established policy. Going forward, call the Membership Resource Center at 1-866-210-3000 if you believe you have been unfairly disciplined.
LOWER MEDICAL COSTS: The Employer is now responsible for 65% of our total medical premium, up from the former 50%.
HIGHER VACATION ACCRUAL: Employees with over one year of service will now accrue more vacation time compared to the previous company policy.
Up to 1 year (0-1) years employment 80 hours
One to two (1-2) years employment 96 hours
Two to four (2-4) years employment 128 hours
Four or more (4 +) years employment 144 hours
WORK CANCELATION PAY: If Management needs to cancel your shift with less than forty-eight (48) hours’ notice then you will be entitled to pay for no less than half of your regular shift.
WAGES & BONUS: All wage increases, including our $750 ratification bonus, will take effect in the first full pay period after today's ratification vote.
Our MFused contract sets a new standard for the cannabis industry, not only in Washington State but nationwide, as workers seek to unionize to improve of their workplaces.
However, our journey is far from complete. We must now enforce our contract, address new issues that arise over its duration, and advocate for improvements in cannabis legislation within our state and beyond.
The achievement of our first contract stands as a testament to the strength of our union and the transformative power of our collective power in creating positive change in our workplace.
Take action with us this next month by coming down to Olympia for our upcoming Legislative Day of Action to advocate for improved worker and cannabis legislation.
RSVP now! Go to: mobilize.us/ufcw3000/event/595097/
Once again UFCW 3000 members and communities are facing some extreme fall and winter weather, including recent flooding. It is important to remember that if you, your family, or your coworkers have been affected by extreme weather, you have rights at work, resources through your union, and the support of your community.
Just cause protections at work: With a union contract, you have “just cause” protection, meaning you should not be disciplined at work for reasonably having to deal with a circumstance outside of your control like a flood that affects your home, work, or commute to work
Be clear in communicating with your employer if you are unable to report to work on time or at all due to flooding or other extreme weather
Make sure to invoke your right to union representation if you are called into a meeting that could lead to discipline (we call these “Weingarten Rights,” read more here)
The right to a safe workplace: If you feel unsafe at work, report any safety concerns to your worksite safety committee & management right away, and get support from your Shop Steward and/or Union Rep if your concerns are not addressed
Union resources: If your home or work is affected by flooding or extreme weather and financial assistance would help, speak with your Union Rep about the UFCW 3000 Membership Assistance Fund
Mutual aid: As union members, we know standing together and supporting each other is how we really make a difference. If you have ideas for ways to connect with or support fellow UFCW 3000 members in need, talk to a Shop Steward and/or your Union Rep for help with organizing
Extreme weather is dangerous in our workplaces and our communities, which is why UFCW 3000 members, including our Climate Justice Advisory Board, work for climate policies that will help protect us and our future health.
Mfused
Finally Making Progress
We met with Mfused Management and a mediator to continue bargaining our first contract on November 3 and November 17. After months of slow and volatile negotiations, we feel like we’re finding more productive ways to communicate at the table and at work.
We have tentatively agreed to have:
A union-only bulletin board at work
Labor/Management and Safety Committees
Excused attendance due to unsafe commuting conditions
A 72-hour notice of required overtime
Eight paid holidays a year (including MLK Jr. day & Juneteenth)
One week Management deadline to respond to vacation requests (otherwise automatic approval)
Membership administration language
Plus other provisions
In one of our previous sessions, we proposed switching from the current Employer-provided healthcare provider to a Union Trust Plan. Mfused declined to change healthcare providers, but proposed improvements to their current plan including decreasing the monthly out-of-pocket cost to employees and offering an alternative plan at a different price.
We are holding strong for living wages and pay equity, and continuing to negotiate for the benefits, raises, paid time off, and just cause that we deserve.
Mfused has signaled they would like to reach a full tentative agreement (TA) by the end of the year. We are not against this; in fact, we welcome expediency but not at the cost of unnecessary compromise. We expect the Employer to make their best offers at our next bargaining session on Friday, December 15.
QUESTIONS? Reach out to your Steward Robbie Elkins or Union Rep Chris Arellano @ 360-409-0241.
UFCW 3000 is a union that runs on democracy. Our Executive Board of over 40 members like you, and our union's top three officers (President, Secretary Treasurer, and Recorder), are all elected by the membership. Similarly, each member gets the opportunity to vote on their contract, which governs their wages, benefits, and working conditions.
On Tuesday, October 24, the top officers, President Faye Guenther, Secretary Treasurer Joe Mizrahi and Recorder Maria Milliron, and the rest of the Executive Board were sworn in to a new term. Under their leadership, our union is helping to lead the way in partnering with many other locals, community organizations, elected officials, and others to advance our rights and benefits and improve and enforce laws at the local, state, and federal levels. We are also excited and looking forward to pursuing the goals in our UFCW 3000 Strategic Plan for building a stronger union.
Kim Cordova, President of UFCW Local 7 was our special guest to help with the swearing-in process. Local 7 and Local 3000 have been staunch allies through many fights and we thank Kim for helping us out!
I know I have a Union Rep, but who are they? What do they do? And what are my "Weingarten Rights" again? Michaela sits down with her Union Rep, Brandan, to hear more about his role and discuss rights on the job, meetings with management, and the many ways members can be involved in enforcing their contract and supporting each other. || UFCW 3000 members: you can look up your union contract and your Union Rep at https://ufcw3000.org/find-a-contract
UFCW 3000 union shop steward Michaela is always ready to answer fellow members’ questions about their union. She’s also a devoted murder podcast listener. Put those interests together, and she decided to start a union podcast to get all her coworkers’ questions and her own questions answered, and to meet as many people as possible who could share what it means to be a part of UFCW 3000. (No murder on this podcast, only solidarity!)
*The information shared on this podcast is offered by rank and file union member leaders of UFCW 3000. There may be inaccuracies or misstatements shared, as members will be speaking from the lenses of their perspectives and life experiences. While members are doing their best to share good information, we can make no claims to 100% accuracy and this podcast should not be construed as legal advice.
As a member of UFCW 3000 you have the right to enforce your Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Your CBA is a legally binding agreement between your Union and the Employer.
Read MoreLast week, we had our first union contract negotiating session with a mediator from the Federal Mediation & Conciliary Service (FMCS) present. Both sides agreed to request mediation, so that we could try to find some common ground and make progress towards an agreement despite ongoing mistrust and miscommunication.
Unfortunately, we didn’t have the productive session that we were hoping for. We came with comprehensive non-economic counters and tentative agreements on some significant proposals (such as Labor/Management Committees, samples policies, and non-discrimination policies), but we didn’t even get a chance to present these to management. Mfused left the table after not receiving a redline counter to their management rights’ proposal. We’re disappointed, but hopeful that we can actually move forward at our next session with mediation on September 19.
Keep an eye out next week for upcoming action planning.
HOURS CUT FOR PRODUCTION
As we all know, Mfused management has been sending Production workers home early without pay or asking us not to come in on extremely short notice. At the start of our session, we asked for more information so
that we could try to get a clearer picture of why these changes in hours and workload are happening, if these changes are temporary or not, and what we can expect staffing levels and scheduled hours to look like in the future.
Management told us that supply chain issues, industry decline, and other uncontrollable circumstances led to work declining this summer, even though the summer typically sees an increase. We were told to expect work to decline again this winter, as production is historically slower at the end of the year. What we know is that Mfused has reduced the size of Production by declining to fill positions after workers have left, increased the Production workload for the workers remaining, stockpiled inventory, and then cut scheduled hours without bringing these changes to the negotiations or giving us enough time and information to plan for our financial security. We have filed Unfair Labor Practice charges to address this.
Everyone who has had their hours reduced should apply for partial unemployment benefits as soon as possible at: https://esd.wa.gov/unemployment.
Please reach out to one of us on the bargaining team or our Union Rep, Chris Arellano at 206-436-6526, if you have any problems when applying or questions about the process. We are here to support each other.
As our region again faces wildfire season, wildfires and wildfire smoke may affect us in the workplace and at home. Below are important things to know to stay safe and enforce your rights at work. Here are the most important actions to care for yourself and your coworkers during wildfire season:
Report any safety concerns to your worksite safety committee & management right away, and get support from your Shop Steward and/or Union Rep if your concerns are not addressed.
Get accommodations if needed and exercise your rights—use your sick leave if you become unwell; speak with a health care provider and use FMLA or exercise your disability rights under the ADA if you have a health condition that makes you vulnerable to wildfire smoke.
If your home or work is affected by wildfire and financial assistance would help, speak with your Union Rep about the UFCW 3000 Membership Assistance Fund.
If your workplace, home, or family are evacuated, burned, or otherwise affected by active wildfires:
With a union contract, you have “just cause” protection, meaning you should not be disciplined at work for reasonably having to deal with a circumstance outside of your control like a wildfire that affects your home, work, or commute to work
Make sure to invoke your right to union representation if you are called into a meeting that could lead to discipline (we call these “Weingarten Rights” — read more here)
You have the right to a safe workplace, and if wildfire smoke makes your workplace unhealthy for you, you should be able to address that with your employer and get support from your Shop Steward and/or Union Rep.
You can wear a respirator mask at work that helps protect you against wildfire smoke.
Most masks we wear to protect against COVID do not actually protect against wildfire smoke. The right mask to protect against wildfire smoke is an N95 mask or other respirator with the same or higher level of protection. These respirator masks should have two straps and the word “NIOSH” and/or “N95” or “N100” printed on it.
When the air is smoky, your employer should allow workers to follow basic steps that will help prevent excessive exposure to wildfire smoke—that could include things like reassigning workers to less smoky areas or allowing for extra rest and water breaks away from smoky work areas.
If you or a family member gets sick because of wildfire smoke, you have the right to use Paid Sick & Safe Leave for illness
You may also be able to use your Paid Sick & Safe Leave if your child’s school or place of care, or your worksite has been shut down by a public official due to health-related reasons resulting from exposure to wildfire smoke
If you are vulnerable to smoky air due to an existing medical condition, talk to your health care provider about your workplace and see if they have recommendations for how to keep you safe from smoke exposure. Use FMLA if needed, or exercise your disability rights under the ADA.
MFused
Management Low Balled us on Wages
Our Union Bargaining Team met with Management on Tuesday, August 8 to continue negotiations. After over 3 months of meetings, Management finally gave us their economic proposals. They did nothing in their proposals to address equity pay, cost of living, and inflation in the city. In Seattle, while inflation is at 5.0%, they are only offering 3.0% wage increases. We know that pay rates are unequal and are currently all over the place for any given position and that needs to be fixed.
Lastly, Management outright rejected our proposal to separate vacation and sick time and countered with only 2-3 additional PTO days. They are proposing that 2 weeks total for sick and vacation time is more than enough for us all.
In the next few sessions, our Team will have to start making difficult decisions about our wages, benefits and working conditions that will last for years. We need your input before our next session on Tuesday, August 29!
On July 25, our Bargaining Team met with Management to continue negotiations. We presented our economic proposals today and Management laughed in our faces! Our proposals included:
Guaranteed wage increases each year of the contract based on length of service
A production tech II and Driver II positions – (opportunity for advancement)
Profit sharing and bonuses
Additional Holidays and Holiday pay
Separate Vacation, Sick leave, and Personal day banks
Other types of Paid and unpaid leaves
Funeral and Bereavement leave
Safety Committee
Respect for workers (FREE of cost!)
Guaranteed Weekly samples of all current products.
Successorship provisions
We plan to give them a health care proposal before our next session and look forward to a full contract proposal response from Management so that we can continue negotiating a fair contract. Though the laughing was very disrespectful and unprofessional, we remain steadfast in putting forward your demands and fighting to win the best contract possible.
At the next session, we plan to have a Federal Mediator present at the table to assist in the process and help us reach a fair deal as soon as possible! Keep an eye out for any upcoming Negotiations all staff update meetings and future field actions.
Next Bargaining date: August 8
Bargaining Team: Ariel Simmons, Production Lead; Robbie Elkins, Production Tech; Jennifer Wade, Production Tech; Kimberly Greenside, Accounting Clerk; Diba Kamayo, Driver/Distribution
Questions? Contact a Bargaining Team member or Union Rep Chris Arellano @ 206-436-6526
We are the Union. The members of UFCW 3000 are over 50,000 members working in grocery, retail, health care, meat packing, cannabis, & other industries across Washington state, north-east Oregon, and northern Idaho. UFCW 3000 is a chartered member of UFCW International with over 1.4 million workers in North America.
To build a powerful Union that fights for economic, political and social justice in our workplaces and in our communities.
Copyright © 2024 UFCW 3000
