Puget Sound Allied Grocery Stores - Hands Off Our Healthcare! (And Heads Up about the Contract Vote!)

Ten thousand people.

Even after back-to-back days of bargaining, ten thousand people is the conservative estimate for the number of workers that Kroger and Albertsons wants to kick off our health care plan by killing automatic insurance enrollment and increasing the number of hours needed to qualify for it. For more than a decade, our union has fought for and secured high-quality, affordable health care that our coworkers love and have worked hard to protect and improve. We're not about to give that up now.

"We have what you call 'good health insurance.' I've had three surgeries on my right eye. If I didn't have the insurance I have with this job, I wouldn't have been able to afford that care with what we get paid."

— Sam Dancy, bargaining team member and front-end manager at the Westwood Village QFC

If these corporations have nearly $16 billion to blow on Wall Street—plus nearly a billion to throw away on a failed merger—then they have the cash to keep our healthcare trust whole and pay us what we deserve.

Contract Extended, Vote Announced!

We have another three days of bargaining early next week, and another three days in May. After that, we'll vote on the contract in early June.

How the employers behave in these next rounds of bargaining will decide whether we recommend a "yes" or "no" vote.

Be on the lookout for future updates with vote locations and times, and then join us to make your voice heard!

Next bargaining dates: April 28, 29 and 30. May 19, 20 and 21.

Demand more from the employers!

Step up: Join a brief workplace leaflet and sign a strike pledge card if you haven't already. Contact your union steward or union rep for more information.

Speak up: File a staffing report at nogrocerylines.org

Dive deeper: Read more information about our negotiations on our website! ufcw3000.org/better-staffing

Our Union Bargaining Team:

Back row (L-R): Debra Rix, Callow Ave Safeway; Dan Howes, Crown Hill Metro Market; Roger Yanez, Bella Bottega QFC; Sam Dancy, Westwood Village QFC; Cliff Powers, Anacortes Safeway; Bryan Gilderoy, Kent Fred Meyer; Kyle Doherty, Stanwood Haggen; Kevin Flynn, Marysville Albertsons; J'Nee Delancey, Ballard Town and Country; Teamsters Local 38 E-Board Member Caprii Nakihei; Kim Hayes, Everett Safeway; Teamsters Local 38 E-Board Member Caprii Nakihei; Teamsters Local 38 Joel Palabrica; Todd Heuer, Ballard Fred Meyer. Front row (L-R): Yasmin Ashur, Port Orchard Albertsons; Daisy Hannelore, Benson Plaza Fred Meyer; Joseph Baltz, Anacortes Fred Meyer; Jeff Smith, Fred Meyer; Princetta Woodhouse, Redondo Fred Meyer; Kyong Barry, S Auburn Albertsons; Amy Dayley Angell, Ballard QFC.

Member Story: After Confronting Management Over Armed Robberies, Members Continue Fight for Safer Safeway

Pine Hurst Safeway activists Jane Wynn, Annette Wilde, Lailanie Stamper, Maria Austin, and Kalen Wright

Working the self-checkout area ranks as one of the toughest jobs in our grocery stores, mostly because running these departments with skeleton crews forces cashiers to serve multiple customers and to deal with multiple problems at the same time. The working conditions are more than just frustrating—they can be dangerous, too.

Safeway cashiers Lailanie Stamper and Maria Austin experienced this problem firsthand. One October morning at the self-checkout stands, a man displayed a gun and then demanded that Stamper open the cash drawer, she said. In the same store’s liquor department just a few months later, a man flashed a knife at Austin and demanded alcohol.

These interactions shook their confidence in the company’s ability to keep them and their co-workers safe.

"It's not safe anymore, working alone in the morning," Stamper said.

"I'm scared to come to work," Austin added. "I feel hopeless. I need the money, so I need to work, but I am afraid this is going to happen again.”

Rather than wait for the company to get around to maybe doing something about safety in the stores, after the knife incident the two workers decided to take action. They tapped UFCW 3000 Shop Steward Kalen Wright and other coworkers to start a petition demanding in-store security during all open hours, increased staffing on the front end, and a new system that alerts workers to any incident involving a weapon within 24 hours.

Union workers taking action at Pine Hurst Safeway for a safer store

After gathering the signatures of more than 80% of the store’s workers, they presented their petition to Store Director Brenda Swarts. Shortly after that, management increased the store’s security.

Unfortunately, Safeway has since pulled out the extra security. The Pinehurst Safeway crew isn’t giving up, though. They’re continuing to fight for a safer Safeway. UPDATE: Safeway has once again put in store security back in the store. But this fight is ongoing at this and every retail location.

In addition to helping them in this struggle, the rest of us can lighten their load by fighting for a contract that ensures better staffing throughout our stores, particularly in self-checkout areas. According to one recent Harvard University study, compared to traditional checkout, self-checkout machines increase negative interactions with customers by 40%. These machines also increase chronic understaffing in stores by 26%.

That study—and our lived experience—shows us that the path to safer stores runs right through better staffing. To win it, we need to communicate with each other, stand together, and take action.

Central Co-op Update- New Contract Ratified!

Our Union Bargaining Team is happy to announce that our new Collective Bargaining Agreements for both the grocery and meat units were ratified this past Tuesday by an overwhelming majority of those voting!

The terms of the contract are now in effect while the Negotiator works through the post-vote process of review and approval of Local 3000’s President Faye Guenther’s signature. In the meantime the “redline” draft of the contracts showing all deletions and additions in red will be available online within a few business days.

If there are questions or concerns please speak with a Bargaining Team member or call our Member Resource Center at 866-210-3000 so that we may have the appropriate person get back to you.

Our Bargaining Team (left to right): Chris Paine, Interim Produce Manager; Andee Taylor, Grocery Clerk; Eddie Parks, Interim Assistant Deli Manager; Dylan Lindquist, Meat Cutter [not pictured]

January Contract Action Team Meetings

Monday, January 20

• Monday, January 22, 2024 11:30am - 12:30pm Capitol Hill Library 425 Harvard E Seattle, WA 98102 

Tuesday, January 21

• Tuesday, January 21, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm Kent Panther Lake Library, 20500 108th Ave SE, Kent

• Tuesday, January 21, 2025 10:15am - 11:15am Fairhaven Branch Library, Meeting Room: Northwest Room- 1117 12th St, Bellingham, WA 98225

• Tuesday, January 21, 2025 6:30pm - 7:30pm Burien Library 2nd floor meeting room 400 SW 152nd St. STE 100, Burien, WA 98166

• Tuesday, January 21, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm Bothell Library - 18215 98th Ave NE, Bothell, WA 98011

• Tuesday, January 23, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am  Ballard Branch Library - Main Rm. - 5614 22nd Ave NW Seattle, WA  98107

• Tuesday, January 21, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm Bellevue library, 110th ave ne, bellevue WA

• Tuesday, January 21, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am  Alexa's Cafe, 10115 Main St., Bothell, WA 98012

• Tuesday, January 21, 2025 10:30am - 11:30 am Port Orchard library, 87 Sidney Ave, Port Orchard, WA 98366

Wednesday, January 22

• Wednesday, January 22, 2025 4:30pm - 5:30pm Alfy's Pizza - 19121 US-2, Monroe, WA 98272

• Wednesday, January 22, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm Auburn Library: 1102 Auburn Way S, Auburn WA  98002

• Wednesday, January 22, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm Issaquah Library, 10 W Sunset Way, Issaquah, WA 98027 

• Wednesday, January 22, 2025 5:00pm - 6:00pm Kirkland Library Meeting Room 308 Kirkland Ave, Kirkland, WA 98033 

• Wednesday, January 22, 2025 6:00pm - 7:00pm Ferndale Public Library, Meeting Room: Ferndale Conference Room- 2125 Main St, Ferndale, WA 98248

• Wednesday, January 22, 2025 12:00pm-1:00pm White Center Library 1409 SW 107th St, Seattle WA 98146

• Wednesday, January 22, 2025 5pm-6pm Shoreline Library - 345 NE 175th St, Shoreline, WA 98155

• Wednesday, January 22, 2025 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Capitol Hill Library 425 Harvard E Seattle, WA 98102 

Thursday, January 23

• Thursday, January 23, 2025 5:30 PM Olympia Timberland library, Olympia room,313 8th Ave SE, Olympia, WA98501

• Thursday, January 23, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am  UFCW 3000 Silverdale office

• Thursday, January 23, 2025 10:00am - 11:ooam Mount Vernon Office 1810Nth 18 ST, Mount Vernon ,WA 98273

• Thursday, January 23, 2025 2:00pm-3:00pm Des Moines Library, 21620 11th Ave S, Des Moines

• Thursday, January 23, 2025 2:00pm-3:00pm Des Moines Library, 21620 11th Ave S, Des Moines

• Thursday, January 23, 2025 6:30pm - 8pm  Zeek's Pizza, 4309 196th St SW, Lynnwood, WA 98036

• Thursday, January 23, 2025 4:00 PM Covington Library, 27100 164th Ave SE, Covington, WA 98042

• Thursday, January 23, 2025 5:00pm Mount Vernon Office 1810 Nth 18th S, Mount Vernon, WA 98273

Spokane Rosauers Pharmacy Technicians and Assistants Ratify Contract

Pharmacy Technicians and Assistants at Rosauers grocery stores in Spokane Washington ratified their new contract this past Monday, December 23, 2024. They achieved significant pay increases, added security to their pension, and increased their vacation benefits. Congratulations.

Grocery East Contracts Ratified!

This week we ratified 10 contracts by an overwhelming majority! 

It was a great week of voting in Lewiston, Clarkston, Walla Walla, Moses Lake, and Ephrata and sharing our new contract that won:

• Strongest journey wage increases in any past Grocery Store negotiation! We increased our Journeyperson wages by $4.00/hr or more over the term of the contract. 

• Won an “All Purpose Clerk” scale with historic pay raises for many departments —some will see an over 25% wage increase over the term of the contract. 

• More than quadrupling our wage escalators —that means strong wage increases throughout the pay scale when minimum wage goes up and when workers are moving through the apprentice rates.  

• Healthcare benefit improvements with NO increases to healthcare premiums or deductibles. Healthcare eligibility will now be based on all compensable hours.  

• Benefits Holiday for healthcare premiums – For Safeway/Albertsons the holiday months are: June, July, August, and September. For Kroger the holiday months of: May, June, July, and August. 

• Major improvements to our vacation banks that will ensure that we get vacation based off of hours worked.  

• Automatic pension funding increases that go up every time wages increase.  

• Dedicated money to fund training and workforce development to ensure that we get the training we need to do our jobs and prepare for the future of the industry.  

• Stronger safety language to address top issues we face in our stores.  

This is our first union negotiations for these contracts since we became UFCW 3000 and our combined strength has helped us win record wage increases and major contract improvements. In the midst of a proposed grocery mega-merger, we’ve sent a clear message —We have power in our communities, we have a voice in our workplace, we have a strong new contract that will be the backbone for our future, and we are going to continue to fight for more! 

If you have any questions about our new contract please reach out to your Union Representative.