Crossroads - Bargaining Team & LMC Update!

Our current contract is set to expire on April 7, 2025, and negotiations for the next agreement are approaching. Bargaining surveys will be sent out by email within the week - please make sure to check your emails and give feedback about your priorities! This is our opportunity to meet at the bargaining table and fight for the wages, benefits, and working conditions that you want to see at Crossroads. Our bargaining team is also looking for passionate and dedicated coworkers to join the committee. If you’re interested in joining or want to learn more about the process, please call your union rep Allison Hanley at (206) 436-6586.

Labor Management Committee Meeting Update

Your Labor Management Committee met with management on Monday, January 27, to discuss workplace concerns about safety, scheduling, and store maintenance. Updates on these issues are included below.

Hours Agreement

The Employer heard concerns from the members about the impact of reduction of hours below the hours agreement. The expectation is to have advanced notice for any changes beyond what was communicated. The Employer was agreeable to elaborate on the impact of winter sales on labor hours for future provided hours agreements. The Employer will consider additional methods to keep staff informed, like a publicly posted notice or check-in during team meetings.

Vent Maintenance

The Employer acknowledges that even with proper upkeep, dust seems to collect quickly due to the building and the product being sold. They have already purchased some air purifiers to help with the issue and have agreed to get additional air purifiers for the register and POS area. The Union and the Employer agreed to follow up later about previous duct maintenance to see when the next cleaning would be in order.

Alias Name Tags

The Employer heard that general safety around name tags and gender identifiers was a concern for staff. They maintain that some form of identification is necessary to verify possible transaction issues. Employees are free to change their work alias as often as they want, as long as the Employer can verify whose alias belongs to whom. The Employer encouraged any staff with safety concerns about being identified to meet with Melissa to work out alternate solutions.

The Employer maintained that members could display or omit pronouns on name tags. They were open to posting signage similar to HotCakes’, which encourages customers to use gender-neutral pronouns for all staff members.

Fitting Room Policy

The Employer heard feedback about the bag check policy and whether it was helpful to create a safe environment in the fitting rooms area. The Employer agreed to discuss this in upcoming staff meetings to decide if this policy works for everyone moving forward.

Lighting

The Employer heard concerns about the bright fluorescent lights causing headaches in the darker winter months. Since changing the warmth settings of the lights would require a technician, the Employer was willing to cycle through the other settings and assess them if a technician should be scheduled for maintenance.

PCC Meet our new Labor-Management Committee!

Emily Weisenburger, PCC Issaquah; Kelly Campbell, PCC View Ridge; Chloe Jett, PCC Bellevue; Scott Norman, PCC West Seattle; Scott Shiflett, PCC Redmond; Scott Jue, PCC Central District (Alternate); Kerry Hudson, PCC Burien (Alternate)

“The LMC will be able to make recommendations to the PCC Board of Trustees on various issues including staffing, scheduling, workflow and finances. We will have a voice in ensuring that the co-op thrives for workers and customers. I’m happy and honored to serve on this new committee. Open to hearing your ideas!” -- Scott Shiflett, PCC Redmond

After winning historic language during contract negotiations for a voice in the workplace, we, the PCC workers, democratically nominated 10 candidates for our Labor Management Committee (LMC). Those nominated were presented to the PCC Governance Board and Membership Committee for final selection.

Next steps: The LMC will write out their charter. The LMC charter will be developed by its members for review and approval by the Board of Trustees. The LMC will then meet 4 times a year and report deliberations to us, the PCC workers.

PCC Nominations for the new Labor Management Committee are open!

Nominations for the new Labor Management Committee are open!

As a democratic union, we know that when we all come together and actively participate in the decision-making processes that have direct impacts on our workplace then we win better outcomes, safer workplaces, and a more fulfilling work environment. One crucial way we can have direct impact is through the election of PCC workers to the Labor Management Committee (LMC), which will play a key role in representing our collective interests and ensuring a fair and respectful work environment for all.

The LMC's purpose is to study and make recommendations on important matters to the PCC Board of Trustees or Leadership Team. These recommendations will cover various issues that are important to workers and members at PCC like, profit sharing structures for unionized staff, fostering understanding of the co-op's business and financial model, workplace enhancements and improvements, staff training needs, productivity improvements, financial performance, and the member/shopper experience. 

Our participation in this election is vital to ensuring that the voices and concerns of PCC workers are addressed. By electing five representatives who truly understand and advocate for our needs, we can work together to create a stronger and more inclusive workplace for everyone. Read more about the LMC in our union contract FRS (page 23) here.

Are you interested in nominating yourself or a co-worker for the Labor Management Committee? 

The best potential candidates should fit the following criteria:

  1. You are a PCC employee in good standing.

  2. You can represent diverse ethnic groups, backgrounds, and positions within PCC.

  3. You are willing to commit the time needed to the LMC (3 year term) to have the greatest impact for co-workers.

Once all the nominations are in, we will hold a democratic online vote to choose the five new LMC members!

The deadline to submit LMC nominations is April 27, 2024 at midnight.

Nominate yourself or a co-worker for the LMC here>>

Make sure you can participate in the vote! Once all the nominations are in, we will hold a democratic online vote to choose the five new LMC members! You are encouraged to learn about the candidates, and to cast your vote. Your vote matters, and your involvement in this process will help to strengthen our union and build a better future for all of us. To participate in the online vote make sure your personal contact information is up-to-date, go to ufcw3000.org

Join the next Contract Action Team Meeting

4/15, 4/17, 4/18, 4/22, 4/24, 4/25 @ 6pm via zoom >>
Meeting ID: 871 1956 3836 Passcode: 095974 
Contract Action Team (CAT) meetings are a time for us to get together, talk about workplace issues and our plans for the future! If you have questions about nominations for the LMC wring those questions to the next CAT meeting!