UFCW 3000 Joins Labor & Community Allies in Calling on Ostrom Mushroom Farms to Recognize Their Workers' Union & Negotiate a Contract

UFCW 3000 joins United Farm Workers, our union siblings, and community partners in calling on Ostrom Mushroom Farms to recognize their workers' union & to negotiate a contract that addresses unfair wages, dangerous working conditions, and harassment in the workplace.

As a union with over 32,000 grocery store workers, we are committed to safe, healthy working conditions all along the food supply chain. We support these courageous workers advocating for basic rights and dignity in their workplace. Join us by signing the petition in support of Ostrom Mushroom Farm Workers today:

Richland Fred Meyer Community Action

This community has our back! Give us a fair first contract!

Show your support for Richland Fred Meyer workers, join us on the sidewalk outside the Richland Fred Meyer to demand a first contract for workers at the Richland Fred Meyer.

Friday, October 7 @ 1PM

Richland Fred Meyer workers organized at the end of last year and have been bargaining with the company since early spring for a first contract.

25th Anniversary Refuse to Abuse 5K is July 17, 2021

UFCW 21 members and staff participating in the Refuse to Abuse 5K in 2017, when we could all do it in person at the Mariners’ stadium in Seattle. This year, most people are participating virtually by walking or running a 5K in their neighborhood with friends, family, coworkers, or by themselves.

Once again UFCW 21 is partnering with the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WSCADV) to raise awareness of domestic violence and fundraise for WSCADV at the Refuse to Abuse 5K. This year, the 25th anniversary of Refuse to Abuse, there is an option to participate in this 5K fundraiser from your home or neighborhood and support WSCADV.

There are three main reasons why UFCW 21 members participate in this annual event: 

1. WSCADV is a UFCW 21 partner organization working to end domestic violence, which impacts members and our families in our workplaces and communities 

2. Anyone on our union Sound Health & Wellness Trust gets their event registration fee reimbursed and HRA credit for participating in the 5K

3. It’s fun to take part in events with fellow UFCW 21 members! 

Want to join us? Contact Community Organizer Faviola Lopez for more information (flopez@ufcw21.org), or just sign up for our team:

At this year’s Refuse to Abuse 5K on July 17, you will join other UFCW 21 members and thousands of others across the state walking or running a 5K with friends or coworkers, by yourself—even on a treadmill. WSCADV will send you your race swag for participating in the mail after the event. If you want to print a race bib to wear while you participate in your own 5K, you can download those from WSCADV here.

Your entrance fee, which will be reimbursed for anyone on the Sound Health & Wellness Trust, supports WSCADV and their work to end domestic violence. This event also raises awareness about domestic violence, and WSCADV will be interacting across social media on race day. Want to spread the word on social media? Here’s their toolkit of images.

For more about the event, see our event page or the WSCADV event page, or call your Union Rep.

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Domestic Violence is a Union Issue! 

We work with Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence because domestic violence is an issue that affects UFCW 21 members. One great way to celebrate this event even if you can’t participate is to familiarize yourself and your coworkers with workers’ rights around domestic violence. We’ve fought hard to pass laws in Washington State that protect us from work if we face threats of violence, stalking, or sexual assault.

If your employer is not respecting your rights as a survivor, contact your Union Rep for help. 

UFCW 21's Statement in Solidarity with Our AAPI Community

“We must stand together in solidarity against the hate and ignorance that is going on, today more than ever.” -Kyong Barry, UFCW 21 Executive Board Member

As we saw last week, with the murder of six Asian women in their places of work in Georgia, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities are targets for violence which has gone up over 150% in the last year. UFCW 21 AAPI members, in additional to putting their lives at risk in the middle a pandemic to feed and care for us, have faced verbal threats and physical violence from customers, patients, and colleagues in their workplaces. Customers have also attacked AAPI customers in our grocery stores.

“Our Asian American communities in Washington State are vital parts of the fabric of our society. My neighborhood of White Center is vibrant because of the diverse Asian American communities who live here. These are my neighbors, my customers, and my friends, and I am committed to ensuring that they are safe walking in our neighborhoods and coming into our grocery stores.” -Jeannette Randall, UFCW 21 Executive Board Member

UFCW 21 is committed to confronting and ending racism in all of its forms. We believe that until everyone is safe at work, no one is safe, and we all need to be part of making that real. We take our lead from Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), API Chaya and other AAPI-led partner groups. The UFCW 21 executive board encourages everyone to attend the upcoming United Against Hate-APALA workshop to learn our history, so that we can take action in our present.

EVENT: Hate Crimes and the AAPI Community: Standing up to Racist Attacks by White Supremacists and the Far Right

DATE/TIME: Saturday, March 27, 1 pm (PT)

UFCW 21 signed on to a solidarity statement by Asian Americans Advancing Justice, and United Against Hate encourages all to sign on.

ACTION: Sign on to “A Community-Centered Response to Violence Against Asian American Communities”

Providence Centralia Hospital Community Letter

Dear Community & Patients of Providence Centralia Hospital,

We are the Technical Unit at Providence Centralia Hospital, serving you, our patients in a variety of different ways including Ultrasound, Echo, MRI, Interventional Radiology (IR), CT, X-ray, Respiratory Therapy (RT), and Pharmacy. Our jobs are very fulfilling, but also at times stressful, as we face chronic staffing shortages and now a global pandemic. We also know that it’s important for Tech workers to come together to voice our shared concerns, and to collectively advocate for the work conditions that we need for ourselves and our patients. That is why we voted to join UFCW 21 and are now meeting with management to bargain our first contract. We have joined the RNs at Providence Centralia Hospital and other Techs, Service, Dietary, and EVS workers throughout the Providence system in Washington State.

However, since we started the bargaining process, it has become clear that Providence Centralia Hospital does not respect our Technical Unit. While the RNs have an annual leave and sick leave bank, the Tech unit has an extended illness bank (EIB) and paid time off (PTO) bank. As of January 2021, Providence has taken away our extended illness bank, which acts as a short-term disability plan during medical leaves of absence. Providence has implemented a lesser short-term disability plan and is benefiting from the WA Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML) program, which is funded by the State and WA workers. Instead of providing more time off to frontline workers during a pandemic, Providence is decreasing sick time and PTO and saving money by using the State’s PFML program.

In addition, they offered us barebone proposals and are not agreeing to memorialize several important policies such as leaves of absence and PTO. They are undermining our good faith effort to advocate for time to be with our families and to get the time off that we need to do our jobs well.

We know that we will need to take actions to show Providence Centralia that healthcare workers and community are aligned in advocating for basic needs in our hospital. We hope that you will join us. Please let us know if you have upcoming meetings we can attend and give an update, or if there are other ways of connecting our struggle with other advocacy campaigns on access to healthcare and basic human needs such as housing and food.

We are so honored to be your healthcare team and look forward to better care for all our patients.

Sincerely,
Providence Centralia Hospital Bargaining Committee:
Jennifer (Mammography), Jamie (RT), Verity (Pharmacy), Jennifer (CT), Kathy (RT)

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Tell PCC Administration: Stop Undermining Our Co-Op Democracy!

PCC administration is trying to block the union and community advocates from gathering signatures to nominate PCC workers to serve on the co-op’s Board of Trustees, which we believe violates the democratic process and the values of our co-op. Over the last several months PCC administration has:

• Obstructed workers’ access to comprehensive election information.
• Refused to allow workers to collect signatures electronically, even as COVID surges in our community.
• Banned signature-gatherers from being outside PCC.

PCC members deserve a fair process that values the voices of essential workers. Two longtime PCC workers, Donna Rasmussen and Laurae McIntyre, are currently running for Board seats and need thousands of signatures to earn their nominations. Please sign their petitions to get them on the ballot!

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

Call the PCC office at 206-547-1222 and tell them:

“I’m a PCC shopper, and I’m asking the CEO to stop blocking workers from running for the Board of Trustees. Give Laurae and Donna a fair and safe process to get on the ballot and let workers collect signatures electronically.”

You can also file a customer comment online at: pccmarkets.com/contact-us

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STANDING WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Many of UFCW 21’s community partner organizations are facing unprecedented financial stress as they seek to support some of the most vulnerable people in our communities: those who are in detention centers, people who don’t have homes, those experiencing domestic violence, and others.

Spring is the typical fundraising season for these organizations, some receive a sizable part of their yearly budget during these events, however, to keep us all as safe and healthy as possible they have been forced to cancel them, jeopardizing their ability to sustain their work.

But you can still help. 

In addition to the annual support UFCW 21 members collectively offer these organizations, we are encouraging you if possible, to consider supporting their vital efforts.  

All of these community organizations are non-profits and receive funding from government agencies, foundations, and donations from individual supporters.  While funding from the government and private foundations is drying up, individuals can still help.

We know it will take all of us to overcome this.

Each month we will share information on all the organizations that are holding fundraisers and/or who have reached out for support.

Please consider donating to at least one of these organizations this month. Click on the organization name and you’ll be redirected to their donation page.

GIVE to Y-WE

Y-WE cultivates the power of diverse young women to be creative leaders and courageous changemakers through transformative programs within a collaborative community of belonging. We envision a society rooted in social justice, where all young women live their truth, achieve their dreams, and change our world.

GIVE to API Chaya

API Chaya empowers survivors of gender-based violence and human trafficking to gain safety, connection, and wellness.  We build power by educating and mobilizing South Asian, Asian, Pacific Islander, and all immigrant communities to end exploitation, creating a world where all people can heal and thrive.

GIVE to One America

OneAmerica advances the fundamental principles of democracy and justice at the local, state, and national levels by building power within immigrant communities in collaboration with key allies.

GIVE to Real Change

Real Change exists to provide opportunity and a voice for low-income and homeless people while taking action for economic, social and racial justice.

Any amount, big or small, makes a difference! 

Thank you for supporting local communities!

UFCW 21 Working for Health in Our Workplaces and Our Communities

Many UFCW 21 members are serving critical roles during the coronavirus/COVID-19 outbreak here in Washington State.

Right now UFCW 21 members are:

• Providing and facilitating quality care for people ill with COVID-19

• Cleaning and disinfecting patients’ rooms

• Processing COVID-19 tests in labs

• Feeding our customers and making sure they have medicine and cleaning supplies in grocery stores, retail stores, and pharmacies

• Ensuring airport travelers are as comfortable as possible

Most of our jobs cannot be done from home and are essential to the safety and health of our communities.

Some of us are also quarantined after being exposed to COVID-19 in our workplaces or communities. We are worried about the health and safety of our families and communities and if we get sick how we will be able to support ourselves if we are unable to work. We share these concerns with millions of workers throughout our industries and our state.

Advocacy Efforts

UFCW 21 is working with state and local government to advocate for workplace safety and ensure access to the paid leave and benefits people need to safely stay home if they are in a high-risk group, sick, or under quarantine. We are also working to ensure necessary supports, such as child care, for health care, pharmacy and grocery store workers who remain at work on the front lines of the crisis, providing essential services to our community.

• We are working with public health agencies to maintain recommendations for the safest level of personal protective equipment for front-line health care workers. While this virus is still being understood, health care workers deserve the highest level of assurance that caring for patients will not put them, their families, and their community at unnecessary risk.

• We have worked with state agencies to increase workers’ access to benefits and leave when they are affected by this outbreak, and they are moving to do so by opening up access to workers compensation and unemployment insurance.

• We are working with city governments to prevent utility shut-offs for those impacted by the crisis, as Seattle is doing.

• We are working with city governments to prohibit or limit evictions during the crisis.

• We are asking our employers to follow public health guidelines for employers so that everyone who needs to work can be safe, and everyone who needs to stay home can do so. No one should be forced to choose between making rent and keeping their co-workers and community safe.

• We are working with public health authorities to ensure that all of our employers, including grocery stores and other retailers, understand and implement industry-specific best practices for reducing the risk of transmission.

• We were a leader on the citizen initiative that passed paid sick leave statewide in our state, meaning that nearly a million workers in Washington have paid sick leave who did not have it before.

Here is what you can do:

Practice Zero Tolerance for Discrimination

UFCW 21 Asian Pacific Islander (API) members and community are being targeted. We at UFCW 21 have no tolerance for discrimination, racism, and xenophobia. There is no basis for assuming someone’s risk of illness or exposure based on their race, nationality, language, or country of origin. Misinformation and discrimination is harmful and makes it harder to contain this virus that threatens us all. For resources on how to prevent and respond to discrimination, go to Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance or King County Public Health.

Take Care of Yourself

We’re all doing our part to be healthy and safe. Please help us, and all workers who serve the public, by staying home when you are ill, alerting your health care provider if you are planning to come to a clinic or hospital with COVID-19 symptoms, practicing social distancing and following all public health recommendations.

Use your Union Power to protect yourself, your co-workers, and our community

As union workers we have the right and responsibility to speak up for health protections that will make us and our community safer.

Do you feel unsafe at work?

Do you have questions about what your employer and co-workers should be doing to minimize risk?

Do you feel under pressure to put your health at risk in order to protect your income during this crisis?