UFCW 3000 Member Story: St. Michael Medical Center Bargaining Team

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Susan Mayer, Pamela Reese, Vanessa RosaDino, and Christy Sammons

The bargaining team at Saint Michael Medical Center has been meeting with the Employer for over a month to negotiate a new contract working conditions for themselves and their coworkers. The bargain is now well into the economic parts of the agreement, and the committee is learning fast that their employer, Catholic Health Initiatives, needs to not just hear from them, but from everyone working at St. Michael Medical Center.

So, Susan, Pamela, Vanessa, and Christy are talking to their coworkers and collecting stories to share at the bargaining table about what would make their workplace better, and what effect of management’s proposals would have; because an injury to one is an injury to all.

UFCW 3000 Member Story: Madison Derksema

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Madison Derksema, pharmacy tech at Seattle Children's Hospital and UFCW 3000 member, poses for a photo. She is wearing a face mask and holding a tentative agreement announcement.

Madison Derksema, Pharmacy Tech at Seattle Children’s Hospital and UFCW 3000 Member!

It’s Monday, and that means it’s time for another #MemberMonday story! This week’s spotlight is on Madison Derksema, who is a pharmacy tech at Seattle Children’s Hospital.

Madison simply gets things done. Her coworkers agree: their department is a better place to work because of her efforts. Since starting her job in 2018, Madison has truly stepped up: first as a shop steward, then as a member of her department’s Contract Action Team (CAT), and most recently as a member of the contract negotiations team!

During contract negotiations, Madison pushed hard for two additional & specific pay differentials for her department. She also fought back against inequities in the advancement process, helped file grievances, advocated for COVID safety protocols, and is now working to streamline the vacation request process to include greater transparency. At the negotiations table, Madison always asked management the tough questions!

In addition to all of these fabulous accomplishments, she regularly informs her coworkers about their rights at work, benefits, and protections as union members. She also recently joined the Health Care Advisory Board (HCAB)! Beyond that, Madison is empowering her coworkers to come together to advocate for the solutions they need to make their workplace more fair and just for all.

Her leadership is making Seattle Children's Hospital an even better place for workers, patients, and our communities; Madison — thank you for all of your hard work!

Thank You! - from the Grocery Store Worker Negotiations Team

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Thank You! - from the Grocery Store Worker Negotiations Team

As rank-and-file grocery store workers, members of the UFCW 3000 bargaining committee, and leaders in our union, we know that our contract fight exemplifies union democracy.

This bargaining committee works in grocery stores every day. We come from many different departments. We are young and we are old. We are all genders. We are Asian, Black, White, and Latinx. We made all the key decisions at this bargain, and we are the ones who voted unanimously to recommend this settlement to the membership for approval. That is union democracy at work.

Read More

UFCW 3000 Member Story: Jessica Leon

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Jessica Leon, RN at Lourdes Medical Center and proud UFCW 3000 member, pictured with her family for one of her children's college graduation.

Jessica Leon, RN at Lourdes Medical Center and proud UFCW 3000 member, pictured with her family

It’s time for another UFCW 3000 #MemberMonday spotlight! Today’s story is about Jessica Leon, who currently works as an RN at Lourdes Medical Center in Pasco, WA.

Jessica is a dedicated nurse, mother, and leader in her workplace. Growing up, her parents imbedded in her the importance of helping others and of being mindful in relationships with family, friends, coworkers, and community members. These skills are constantly on display whether Jessica is at work or at home.

Jessica states that she is currently working on building relationships with her coworkers and encouraging them to organize together to bring about change in their workplace. In fact, Jessica stepped up as a leader this year by joining the bargaining team at her hospital. In her eyes, having a voice at the table has helped her encourage others to advocate for their rights at work.

Outside of work, Jessica is very close with her family, and spends as much time with them as she can. She is proud of the fact that her family comes together and works through challenges and goals as a team. Jessica wants to keep learning and growing as a worker-leader in her hospital so that she can help her coworkers have quality family time, since it is so important for her!

Jessica — thank you so much for your leadership in the workplace and in the community!

Our Bargaining Team meets to discuss bargaining priorities!

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Our Bargaining Team met yesterday in person to discuss the path forward for a strong, successful, and united grocery store negotiation and further develop our initial bargaining proposals. In the room was a diverse group of members from different job classes, work locations, employers, and backgrounds. Our team is hands on and experienced, they understand the importance and gravity of the issues we all face and how we are stronger when we work together.

Our union Bargaining Team continued to focus on the priorities identified by thousands of members in the bargaining survey while they worked on our initial bargaining proposals. At the top of our discussions were wage increases―especially for those at the top of the scale, safety, staffing and scheduling, and how we can lift essential grocery store workers up through our contract negotiations. Top priorities include:

  • Win higher wages, especially at the top of our pay scales

  • Create more equity in pay between departments

  • Protect our high-quality, low-cost health care plan

  • Keep our pension funded and secure

  • Improve store safety and training

  • Improve recruitment and retention so we have the proper staff to help us get the work done

In 2019, successful contract negotiations resulted in the largest wage increases in our union’s history, improved safety language, stronger scheduling language, new workforce development and training language, maintained our health care benefits with no increase in costs, and perhaps the biggest win of all: secured and improved our retirement pension.

Thank you everyone for participating in an amazing bargaining kick-off! 

Workplace leaders and Union Reps visited over 250 of our union stores, handing out buttons and taking pictures with members. What happens in negotiations is important. If we want the Employers to Respect, Protect, and Pay us then we must be united and organized to win. Employers have shown over the last two years how much more they prioritize their record high profits over the safety and pay of essential workers. The only way we change that is through collective action. When we fight together, we win together.

The top things all members can do right now to help build for a successful contract negotiation:

  • Wear your “Respect, Protect, Pay” button! Show we are united and focused to improve our workplaces and get higher pay. If you need a button, talk to one of your workplace stewards or leaders, or contact your Rep!

  • Join your Contract Action Team to help organize and mobilize workers to fight for better pay and a better contract. Talk to a workplace leader or your Union Rep if you are interested.
    And join a Contract Action Team meeting this week >>

  • Don’t miss important bargaining updates, actions, benefits, and more. Make sure your personal contact information is up to date with our union:
    ufcw21.org/update-your-information

  • Join our private Facebook group UFCW 21 Grocery Store Workers 2022 tinyurl.com/2022grocerygroup

Our Union Bargaining Team:

Ames Reinhold, Metropolitan Market

Amy Dayley Angell, QFC

Aaron Streepy, Attorney

Budha Green, Safeway

Cliff Powers, Safeway

Cynthia Hill, Safeway

Caprii Nakihei, Safeway

Cosmo Villini, Safeway

Enrique Romero, Fred Meyer

Faye Guenther, UFCW 21 President

Heidi Odom, Fred Meyer

Jeannette Randall, Safeway

Jeff Alexander, Fred Meyer

Jeff Smith, Fred Meyer

J’Nee DeLancey, Town & Country

Joanna Clapham, Fred Meyer

Joe Mizrahi, UFCW 21 Secretary Treasurer

Kyong Barry, Albertsons

Maggie Breshears, Fred Meyer

Maroot Nanakul, Safeway

Naomi Oligario, Safeway

Richard Waits, Haggen

Roger Yanez, QFC

Sam Dancy, QFC

Sam Kantak, Teamsters 38 Secretary Treasurer

Shawn Hayenga, Metropolitan Market

Tammi Brady, Teamsters 38 President

Wil Peterson, Fred Meyer

Kroger agrees to meet with our Bargaining Team

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Kroger leadership has agreed to begin negotiations with our Grocery Store Bargaining Team on January 5, 2021, after months of prolonged pressure and actions from grocery store workers, our communities, and our union leadership. Our bargaining teams’ message is clear:

  • Essential grocery store workers need hazard pay now. We see now, more than ever how fundamental our grocery store workers are to the health and prosperity of our communities during a crisis. Whether it is a snowpocalypse or a pandemic, everyone relies on grocery store workers for food and supplies. It’s time to recognize and respect that essential work requires essential pay.

  • Enforce the safety measures mandated by the State and the CDC including sanitizing workstations and surfaces, controlling and enforcing occupancy limits on overcrowded stores, providing PPE for workers, and mandating PPE for customers in the stores.

  • Notify workers immediately when there is a COVID exposure and allowing workers to quarantine with pay. Workers should not have to choose between a paycheck and our health and safety (and the health and safety of the entire store).

  • A clear and equitable plan for vaccine rollout to grocery store workers who are on the front lines.

  • Fair pay equity for all departments and job classes. Workers in every department worked hard before this crisis and have continued to work selflessly and with great risk to ourselves and our families throughout this pandemic.

In the coming weeks we hope our other grocery store employers will decide to put safety and respect over profits and greed for the benefit of our grocery store workers and communities.


Keep on the lookout for the Billboard-mobile! Our roving billboard is driving all over Washington State calling for HazardPay and safer grocery stores, if you see it in the wild take a photo and share it!

Meet our Grocery Store Bargaining team! 

Maggie Breshears, Greenwood Fred Meyer

Sam Dancy, Westwood Village QFC

Amy Dayley Angell, Ballard QFC

Irene Garcia, Auburn Fred Meyer

Christina Harris, Lake City Fred Meyer

Robin Hillistad, N. Seattle QFC

Wil Peterson, Everett Fred Meyer

Jeff Smith, Snohomish Fred Meyer

Joanna Clapham, Benson Plaza Fred Meyer


We continue to update ufcw21.org/covid with important resources like;
What to do if there is a positive or suspected case of COVID in the workplace, Resources for refusing unsafe work assignments, COVID FAQs, Grocery Store Report, and Washington State DOH reporting.



Grocery Store Member Bargaining Team Meets

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UNITED better jobs better lives graphic.jpg

Grocery Store Member Bargaining Team Meets

Contract Negotiations to Begin on March 12th

Our Union member bargaining team gathered this week to make final preparations for the 1st bargaining session with our employers in the upcoming contract negotiations that will begin in March.  These negotiations are our opportunity to improve and protect our wages, benefits and working conditions. Work over many months, meetings with members, getting a record number of member surveys, and holding a great kick off with leaders from stores across the region have all helped to pull together a strong bargaining team and to prepare a series of our initial proposals to improve our jobs in our union grocery stores. UFCW 21 and Teamsters 38 will be negotiating together again this year. The bargaining team is made up of members from across the region and from all banners, as well as a diverse representation of various departments, experience levels, and each of the contracts that will be renegotiated.

Actions:

You are all invited to join a live Telephone Town Hall on the evening of March 12th and we will relay what happened on the first day of bargaining and answer member questions. You will receive a phone call in advance with details.

Meet Your Grocery Store Bargaining Team:

Amy Dayley Angell, QFC #891 (Ballard), Front End Checker

Cassy Wolle, Fred Meyer - Port Orchard #655 (Grocery), CCK Checker

Scott Shiflett, QFC #838 (Inglewood), Meat Cutter

Christina Harris, Fred Meyer - Lake City #179 (Grocery), Bakery Clerk

Cliff Powers, Safeway #402 (Oak Harbor), Produce Clerk

Eleanor Knight, Albertsons #4483 (Auburn), 4th PIC

Irene Garcia, Fred Meyer - Auburn #19 (Retail), Home Clerk

Jeannette Randall, Safeway #1923 (Roxbury), Front End Checker

Jeff Smith, Fred Meyer - Snohomish #681 (Retail), Non-food receiving Clerk

J'Nee DeLancey, Town & Country #211 (Ballard), Beer/Wine Manager

Jordan Washington, QFC #803 (Meridian), Deli Clerk

Kyong Barry, Albertsons #483 (S Auburn), Front End Supervisor

Maggie Breshears, Fred Meyer - Greenwood #122 (Grocery), Personal Shopper

Maroot Nanakul, Safeway #464 (Bear Creek), Front End Checker

Michaela Strain, QFC #819 (Bothell), Meat Wrapper

Paul Ames Reinhold, Metropolitan Market #157 (Uptown), Cheese Kiosk Clerk

Richard Waits, Haggen #15 (Burlington), Deli Clerk

Robin Hillistad, QFC #858 (N Seattle), HR Specialist

Sam Dancy, QFC #825 (Westwood Village), Front End Supervisor

Sue Wilmot, Safeway #1252 (Bainbridge Island), Front End Checker

Wendy Garrett-Drake, Albertsons #469 (Mukilteo), Personnel Coordinator/Bookkeeper

Wil Peterson, Fred Meyer - Everett #95 (Grocery), CCK Checker

Todd Crosby, President, UFCW 21

Faye Guenther Secretary Treasurer, UFCW 21

Steve Chandler, Principal Officer Teamsters 38

Joe Mizrahi, Staff Director, UFCW 21

Mia Contreras, Executive Vice President, UFCW 21

Tammi Brady, Recording Secretary, Teamsters 38

Samantha Kantak, Executive Assistant, Teamsters 38

Jim McGuinness, Attorney, UFCW 21 and Teamsters 38

VOTE NO: MACY'S Bargaining Team Says

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It is important that Macy's members turn out for a vote meeting near them this week. The Bargaining Team members are urging a no vote to reject Macy' contract proposal and give more power to return to bargaining for a fair contract.

COME OUT TO VOTE
All Meetings start at 9 AM and 5 PM

**Bellingham**
Wednesday, August 19
Quality Inn-Baron Suites
100 E Kellogg Road, Bellingham WA 98226

**Alderwood & Everett**
Wednesday, August 19
Lynnwood Convention Center, Room 1D
3711  196th St. SW, Lynnwood WA 98036

**Downtown & Northgate**
Thursday, August 20
SEIU 775 Auditorium
215 Columbia St, Seattle WA 98104

**Southcenter & Seatac**
Thursday, August 20
SeaTac DoubleTree Hotel
18740 International Boulevard, SeaTac WA 98188

All Meetings start at 9 AM and 5 PM

All members must be in good standing and present to vote.