Rosauers Bargaining Update

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Your coworker-led bargaining team met with Rosauers for the second bargaining session on December 9th and 10th. With our few Tentative Agreements, we would be able to have the option to cash out 5 vacation days if we are unable to use them due to the needs of the business. We would also be able to have the option to gift our vacation days to our coworkers who may need extra time off due to life-altering events.

We continued to propose livable wage increases with the high inflation we have all felt the effects of, but the company came back with wage proposals that were not sufficient to our team. Our coworker-led Bargaining Team is asking all of us to come together in solidarity and show Rosauers that these economic proposals are unacceptable. Please join us by wearing a button until we get the contract ratified and to show the company, we are going to continue this fight until we win!

UFCW Local Unions from Stop the Merger Coalition Oppose Kroger’s Wall Street Giveaway

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Press Release

UFCW Locals 7, 324, 770, 1564 and 3000
For Immediate Release: December 13, 2024 - 9 AM ET/6 AM PT
Contact: Tom Geiger, UFCW 3000, 206-604-3421

UFCW Local Unions from Stop the Merger Coalition Oppose Kroger’s Wall Street Giveaway, Call On Board of Directors to Immediately Replace CEO Rodney McMullen

Seattle, WA - A day after failing in its bid to merge with Albertsons and dominate the traditional supermarket industry, Kroger abruptly announced a massive giveaway to shareholders—a $7.5 billion stock buyback, $5 billion of which is slated to be paid out on an accelerated timetable. The massive shareholder payout towers above the commitments the company had promised to reduce prices for consumers and to invest in wages during the recent merger fight. Flip-flopping in less than a day’s time from a strategy of aggressive growth through Albertson’s acquisition on Tuesday to one of dramatic downsizing through shedding $7.5 billion on Wednesday should be seen for what it seems to be - an attempt to buy shareholders’ mercy through a short-term boost to the stock price in order to save CEO Rodney McMullen’s job.

“At a time when our stores need significant investments in staffing, repairs and remodels and our customers need relief from high prices, it is outrageous that Rodney McMullen would try to distract attention from his multiple failures as CEO by announcing a massive one-time giveaway to shareholders,” said Kim Cordova, President of UFCW Local 7 in Colorado and Wyoming.

A graph titled "Feeding Wall St: KRreveals its priorities." The vertical y axis is labeled in billions of dollars.

During the recent three trials to block the merger, Kroger officials repeatedly expressed concern that rising competition from Amazon, Walmart and other nontraditional retailers represented an “existential” threat to Kroger’s market share. Within hours of that merger’s failure, it appears that Mr. McMullen’s first substantive action—apart from deciding to sue Albertsons—is to fleece $7.5 billion from the company’s treasury instead of making investments that would build market share. This $7.5 billion is on top the nearly $1 billion the Company already wasted on the failed merger. Apparently, in McMullen’s view, the threats to Kroger’s survival are not so great that the company needs these resources.

What could a competent CEO do with $7.5 billion? At the most basic level, these funds could be used to: 1) invest in lower prices for consumers, making Kroger more price competitive; 2) invest in higher wages and more staffing to reduce turnover; 3) remedy chronically empty shelves; and, 4) provide better customer service. The $7.5 billion in share buybacks announced Wednesday are approximately 10 times the value of the promised investments in price reductions the company had said it would make if the merger were approved. The Company made a similar billion-dollar commitment to invest in wages. Workers know all too well just how badly needed these additional wages and hours are for the stores’ operations, and how they would allow the company to grow its market share.

What else could a competent executive do to grow market share? They could do what Amazon, Walmart, Costco and Trader Joe’s have done: build new stores. Those other retailers have consistently grown their grocery store count each year over the past decade, but there are fewer Kroger stores today than there were in January of 2016. How many new Kroger stores could $7.5 billion buy? Based on an average pre-tax cost of $35 million per store, Kroger could build 280 new combination stores (such as Ralphs, King Soopers or QFC) each with an average square footage of 71,000 sq ft, for a total of approximately 20 million new square feet—the equivalent of over 1,300 Trader Joe’s stores, about 2.2 times as many Trader Joe’s as currently exist.

What could $7.5 billion buy?
New stores: 280
Store remodels: 3,268*
Discounts per loyal household: $158.13
New FTEs: 125,691
New FTEs per store: 46
New FTE's per store for 3 yrs: 15.4
* This is actually larger than the total number of stores currently operated by Kroger.

“These stores are part of our community—millions of consumers shop there for their families' food, and hundreds of thousands of union members work there. These billions could be used to improve our food supply, reduce prices, reduce food deserts and more,” said Kathy Finn, President of UFCW 770 in Southern California. “That money is not a personal piggy bank that Rodney McMullen can raid in order to save his job.”

“As the president of a local union that represents 11,700 Kroger workers, I don’t take lightly the decision to call for the replacement of the company’s CEO, but Rodney McMullen has mismanaged this company so badly there is no other way forward,” said Faye Guenther, President of UFCW 3000 in Washington State. “It was under his leadership that the company decided to attack its union members by cutting staffing by double-digit percentages, it was under his leadership that the decision was made to invest in the automated Ocado warehouse boondoggle, and it was under his leadership that both companies wasted the last two years and nearly $1 billion pursuing a doomed merger. It’s past time for him to go.”

UFCW locals’ stop the merger coalition applauds Albertsons’ decision to terminate merger transaction with Kroger

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UFCW locals’ stop the merger coalition applauds Albertsons’ decision to terminate merger transaction with Kroger

Following yesterday’s court rulings blocking the proposed Kroger and Albertsons mega-merger, we welcome Albertsons’ decision to terminate the merger transaction, meaning there will be no further court appeals seeking to complete the merger. We encourage the leaders of both Kroger and Albertsons to invest resources in their stores by investing in adequate staffing so customers are better served and workers can safely and effectively operate the stores and stock the shelves. These investments will result in higher sales and improved satisfaction by shoppers and employees alike. 

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Kroger Albertsons Mega-Merger Blocked by Federal Judge

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Kroger Albertsons Mega-Merger Blocked by Federal Judge

“The well-reasoned decisions today by both Courts make plain what union grocery workers have known all along – this mega-merger would be bad for workers who deserve a workplace where they can be paid well for their labor, be safe and be respected. It would be disastrous for shoppers who deserve competition that leads to better choices and lower prices…”

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UFCW 3000 Member Story: Rebecca Ashley & Gena Galusha

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UFCW 3000 Member Story: Rebecca Ashley & Gena Galusha

With the rising costs of living, many people are watching every penny and every paycheck, budgeting with dwindling means and having to choose what necessities to prioritize. Unions are in the fight for improving living conditions through better wages and benefits. Two UFCW 3000 grocery store members recently experienced the benefits of their union backing when they discovered issues with their pay.

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Dec 3, Puget Sound Grocery Store Workers Telephone Town Hall

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Puget Sound Grocery Store Workers
Telephone Town Hall
Tuesday December 3rd at 6 PM

On Tuesday at 6, we will be updating our Puget Sound grocery store members and discussing plans for the upcoming 2025 collective bargaining process to win improvements in our next contract. When your phone rings answer and you will join the call. Our partners in negotiations Teamsters 38, which represents grocery store workers in Snohomish County, will also be on the call with us. We will take your questions live.

With over 25,000 members to call it does take a few minutes to dial everyone, but if for some reason you have not received your call by 6:05, you can still join us by dialing: 888-652-2664 and entering meeting ID: 8278.

Rosauers Bargaining Update

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Rosauers Bargaining Update

One of the big wins we got was Workforce Development, which is the meat apprenticeship program that is accredited with the state. Another big win was our Strong Safety Language for the first time ever in our contract. This allows the workplace safety committees to recommend trainings for each workplace and topics for the master safety committee.

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Update on Proposed Grocery Mega-Merger of Kroger and Albertsons and our Ongoing Opposition

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Update on Proposed Grocery Mega-Merger of Kroger and Albertsons and our Ongoing Opposition

For over a year the opposition grew. Press conferences, a US Senate hearing, meetings with state and federal regulators, hundreds of TV, newspaper and radio stories, actions by workers at their stores, and much more. Many months of investigation led to a series of lawsuits being filed in early 2024.

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Puget Sound Allied Grocery Stores Grocery Store Workers in Denver fight to Raise Wages & Improve Staffing

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Puget Sound Allied Grocery Stores Grocery Store Workers in Denver fight to Raise Wages & Improve Staffing

Last week UFCW 3000 President Faye Guenther along with other union staff joined UFCW local 7’s Bargaining Team in Denver as they sat down with Albertsons/Safeway and Kroger in their fight for a fair contract. This collaboration between the grocery store workers in Colorado and the over 25,000 grocery store members of UFCW 3000, whose contracts expire early next year is an important signal of strength and unity in our fight for Better Wages, Better Staffing, Better Stores. 

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November Contract Action Team Meetings

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Monday, November 18

  • Monday, November 18, 2024 6-7 pm Mount Vernon office 1810 Nth 18 ST Mount Vernon, WA 98273

  • Monday, November 18, 2024 2-3 pm Best Western Plus Hotel 33175 State Rte 20, Oak Harfbor, Wa 98277

  • Monday, November 18, 2024 6-7 pm Mount Vernon office 1810 Nth 18 ST Mount Vernon, WA 98273

  • Monday, November 18, 2024 9-10 am  Mountalke Terrace Library 23300 58th Ave W Mountlake Terrace WA 98043

  • Monday, November 18, 2024 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm  Zeek's Pizza, Lynnwood, 

  • Monday, November 18, 2024 5-6pm Port Orchard Library,  87 Sidney Ave, Port Orchard, WA 98366

  • Monday, November 18, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am Auburn Library : 1102 Auburn Way S., Auburn WA 98002

Tuesday, November 19

  • Tuesday, November 19, 2024 12pm-1pm Bothell Library - 18215 98th Ave NE, Bothell, WA 98011

  • Tuesday, November 19, 2024 4:30 - 5 pm Alfys Pizza 19121 US-2, Monroe, WA 98272

  • Tuesday, November 19, 2024 10am-11am Seattle Library: University Branch (5009 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105)

  • Tuesday, November 19, 2024 4:00pm - 5:00pm Des Moines Library: 21620 11th Ave S., Des Moines WA  98198

Wednesday, November 20

  • Wednesday, November 20, 2024 11:00am-12pm Bellevue Library 1111 110th Ave NE Bellevue Wa 98004

  • Wednesday, November 20, 2024 6:30pm-7:00pm Bellevue Library 1111 110th Ave NE Bellevue Wa 98004

  • Wednesday, November 20, 2024 5:00pm-6:00pm Jefferson Community Center, 3801 Beacon Ave S, Seattle

  • Wednesday, November 20, 2024 12pm-1:30pm Kent Panther Lake Library, 20500 108th Ave SE, Kent

  • Wednesday, November 20, 2024 5:30pm Olympia Timberland Library, 313 Eighth Ave SE, Olympia, WA 98501

  • Wednesday, November 20, 2024 1-2pm Snoqualmie Library 7824 Center Blvd SE, Snoqualmie, WA 98065

Thursday, November 21

  • Thursday, November 21, 2004 10:00am-11:00am Burien Library - 400 SW 152nd Street Burien, WA 98166  2nd floor meetig room

  • Thursday, November 21, 2024 4:300pm- 5:30pm 1409 SW 107th Street Seattle, WA 98146 - Meeting Room

  • Thursday, November 21, 2024 3:30 pm- 4:30 pm Teamsters 38 Hall 2601 Everett Ave, Everett, WA 98201

  • Thursday, November 21, 2024 9-11 am Silverdale Office, 2430 NW Myhre Rd, Silverdale WA 98383 

  • Thursday, November 21, 2024 4-6 pm Westside Pizza, 540 Washington St, Sequim WA

  • Thursday, November 21, 2024 4pm-5pm Seattle Library: Capitol Hill Branch (425 Harvard Ave E, Seattle, WA 98102)

  • Thursday, November 21, 2024 10:30am-11:30am Greenwood Library - Branch Meeting Rm: 8016 Greenwood Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103

  • Thursday, November 21, 2024 4:00pm-5:00pm Mercer Island Library - Small Meeting Rm: 4400 88th Ave SE, Mercer Island, WA 98040

  • Tuesday, November 19, 2024 12-1 PM Covington Library, 27100 164th Ave SE, Covington, WA 98042

Friday, November 22

  • Friday, November 22, 2024 4:30pm-5:30pm Shoreline Library - 345 NE 175th St, Shoreline, WA 98155

  • Friday, November 22, 2024 10-11am Kirkland Library Conference Room 308 Kirkland Ave Kirkland, WA 98033

  • Friday, November 22, 2024 4-5pm Crossroads Mall Community Room 15600 NE 8th St Bellevue, Wa 98008

Puget Sound Allied Grocery Stores United from Rockies to Pacific for Better Wages and Staffing

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Puget Sound Allied Grocery Stores United from Rockies to Pacific for Better Wages and Staffing

The Colorado 10-day ULP strike by UFCW local 7 in 2022 helped pave the way for our contract negotiations that same year and the most significant wage increases we’ve ever seen. Together, united, UFCW 3000, UFCW local 7, and Teamsters local 38 will coordinate proposals and actions to show Kroger and Albertsons that again in 2025, when we stand together, we win.

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Safeway Meat Warehouse Tentative Agreement Reached!

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Safeway Meat Warehouse Tentative Agreement Reached!

After months of bargaining, our Bargaining Team reached a fully recommended tentative agreement with Safeway on October 21, 2024. This agreement includes increases to our health and pension contributions, notice for mandatory overtime, improved bereavement language, a 40 hour guarantee, clarification for sick leave accruals with one protected sick leave bank, and the largest wage increases we’ve ever had.

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