On Tuesday, April 12, Central Co-op members voted to ratify the new contract. We won improvements to our PTOs, no new healthcare costs, as well as other improvements to the contract including new safety language to make sure that Central Co-op is providing a safe place for us to work!
Central Co-Op
Recommended Agreement Reached!
Vote meeting scheduled
Our Union Bargaining Team is pleased to announce that we reached a tentative contract agreement with Central Co-op! This is offer was unanimously recommended by our Bargaining Committee and includes:
Wages Increases
No cost increases
to health care
Improvements to PTO
New Safety language
Other improvements
vote meeting
A drop-in vote meeting will be held at the store (upstairs in the breakroom) from 11am to 3pm on April 12, 2022. All members in good standing are encouraged to attend and vote!
“Our Bargaining Team is continuing to push for what we deserve, but upper Management is giving us unfair proposals as we work tirelessly to make this Co-op a success.”
-Kate White, Deli Cook, Tacoma Store
Today, Central Co-op’s representatives delivered a package proposal on economics that didn’t include any new money until the third year of the contract, and these increases were only a meager $0.07 to $0.11 an hour. While the package did include improvements to jury duty, bereavement leave, the 401(k) plan, and PTO; it didn’t do anything to address wage inequity at the Tacoma store.
We bargain again on Wednesday, February 23 and are hoping to see improvements in the Co-op’s proposals. If they don’t show meaningful movement, then we will have plenty to discuss at our Direct Action meeting on Thursday, February 24 @ 10am.
Please join us and be ready to discuss taking action to escalate our campaign for a FAIR CONTRACT!
Thursday, February 24
10 AM
Contact a Bargaining Team member or your Union Rep for Zoom meeting details.
“Seattle Co-op workers are standing with our Tacoma comrades to improve wages, bring stability to the Co-op, and ensure a better future for us as workers and for our communities.”
— Chris Paine, Seattle Produce Department
The union bargaining committee met with Central Co-op leadership on Friday, January 21, and Wednesday, January 26, to continue negotiations. Central
Co-op agreed to language for more timely responses time to PTO requests, gender-neutral language throughout the contract, and some general language clean-up.
Central Co-op has given us an abbreviated explanation of their current financial situation, and then at our next session gave us a brief summary of leadership’s plans to improve the business with more details promised in March after the board meeting. We appreciated the transparency and dialogue as we address our concerns about the current direction of the Co-op.
Last Friday, Co-op leadership made their economic proposals, and while we were happy that they proposed no cuts to our health care, they also proposed a 3-year wage freeze. We responded with our own wage proposal that gives Tacoma better equity, a ratification bonus for Seattle, and will get us back to the bargaining table to go after better wages in 18 months instead of 3 years. We also proposed stronger language to ensure that current employees’ experience is recognized on the wage scale.
We are also continuing to bargain over other issues like:
Safety on the job and during this pandemic
Improving retirement
Clarify PTO cash outs
New and expanded leaves
A free shift meal
Severance for store closure
We will be bargaining next on February 16, stay engaged and wear your stickers and union gear!
Our Bargaining Team:
Gordon Greenwood III - Seattle, Veronica Armstrong - Tacoma, Sydney Stenquist - Seattle, Chris Paine - Seattle, Kate White - Tacoma, Anne-Marie Cavanaugh - Secretary Treasurer UFCW 367, Lauren Vanwormer - Union Rep UFCW 21, Andy Heyman - Bargaining Rep UFCW 21
Today we met with Central Co-op management for the first time and made initial proposals for:
Increased PTO time, and prompt responses to time off requests
New Holidays and new Holiday Language to offer premium pay for the first time
New and expanded leaves and protections
New Safety and Vaccination language including paid time-off for recovery from COVID or vaccination
A free meal for all shifts of 5 hours or more
We also talked about:
Interim Positions
Clarifying PTO payout
Scheduling and Staffing Issues
We are expecting to hear responses from management at our next bargaining session on January 21, 2022. We will also be discussing the Co-op’s finances so that we can make proposals for wages, retirement, and healthcare.
“For management to take our proposals seriously we need to send a clear message of solidarity.”
—Veronica Armstrong
Tacoma Store Receiver
We will have stickers for us to wear in a show of unity for a fair contract soon! Please keep an eye out for distribution in our stores.
Your bargaining team,
Gordon Greenwood III - Seattle, Veronica Armstrong - Tacoma, Sydney Stenquist - Seattle, Chris Paine - Seattle, Kate White - Tacoma, Anne-Marie Cavanaugh - Secretary Treasurer UFCW 367, Lauren Vanwormer - Union Rep UFCW 21, Andy Heyman - Bargaining Rep UFCW 21
The momentum of Seattle City Council passing the Hazard Pay Ordinance for large grocers inspired workers at smaller employers to organize. Central Coop Union members acted collectively and demanded that Central Coop reinstate hazard pay.
While we hoped that co-op leadership would have matched the pay mandated in the Seattle law, they knew they had to respond to us. Central Coop members are frontline workers and deserve this pay!
By wearing buttons, we created visibility with the public and by collecting signatures from our coworkers we ensured that the Co-op would step up to the plate and do what is right.
Central Coop members won $2.00 an hour in hazard pay, taking effect on February 10 with no expiration date.
When we fight, we WIN!
After meeting to bargain over the healthcare plan, Central Co-op and the Union reached an agreement to switch to the UFCW National Fund Healthcare plan. The Co-op has sent information to the new provider to make sure that the change takes place by July 1st. The new plan has no cost increases to workers and provides the same level of benefits as previously provided.
The next step is for the Fund prepare detailed benefit books for all eligible workers. They will be sent out as soon as they are printed.
Anytime there is a switch in healthcare plans and providers, questions and concerns always arise. Be sure to talk to your manager, shop steward, or union representative, Ariana Davis 206-436-6586 when they do.
Healthcare
As many of you are aware, recently the employer attempted to unilaterally implement healthcare insurance that would have required all Central Co-op employees to switch to an HMO only plan that could limit what doctors you could choose to see. In previous discussions between UFCW locals 21 and 367 and Central Co-op, the Employer had informed the Union that the Co-op was “staying with Kaiser, so that staff don’t have to change doctors.”
When workers were told of the change, they contacted their stewards and union representatives, and took action to hold the Employer accountable for not bargaining this change. After hearing from their workers, Central Co-op apologized for the “oversite,” extended the current benefit plan through the end of June, and agreed to return to negotiations with the Union locals. This will make sure everyone’s benefits are maintained during the resumed negotiations.
Previously the Union locals had discussed a PPO plan with Central Co-op that maintained benefits levels and out of pocket costs to workers. That plan is back on the table currently. We will update you as soon as there is more news and details of what healthcare options we have.
Instacart Grievance
On May 7, 2020 UFCW 21 filed a grievance over Instacart shoppers coming into Central Co-op to fill orders, this is a violation of your union contract. Previously UFCW 21 grocery workers had exclusively done that work. Recently the Employer sent out a communication to workers saying that the grievance was to “eliminate Instacart” at Central Co-op. That is just not accurate, the grievance was filed to protect the work of Co-op employees by preventing leadership from outsourcing it to an outside corporation. Any information union members can provide about Instacart shoppers, in the store should be passed on to your shop steward or union representative to help protect our work.
If you have questions or concerns make sure to contact your shop steward or call your union representative.
Seattle • Ariana Davis
206-436-6586
Tacoma • Anne-Marie Cavanaugh
253-906-8273
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