Coleen Dahlman holds a deep passion for helping her community. At work, her passion drives her as a CT Tech—a trained imaging specialist doctors depend on to diagnose patients—in the Radiology Department for Kaiser Permanente Olympia Medical Center. Outside of work Coleen loves to quilt and donates her quilts to people in her community and coworkers.
Read MoreShelly Clark has worked for Safeway for almost 8 years and in that time has become a leader at the Cheney store (just Southwest of Spokane). Her fellow coworkers consider her the "Store Mom," and she happily takes that title. She keeps track of her coworker's birthdays to wish them a happy birthday, and keeps morale up with her positive energy and sense of humor. She has worked in several different positions for Safeway, including cashiering, file maintenance, night stocking, and is currently the head bookkeeper.
Read MoreSumitra (Sam)Zoller is a Health Unit Coordinator/Certified Nursing Assistant at Lourdes Medical Center in Pasco Washington. She has been a loyal employee and has been with the organization for over 15 years and helped organize the union in 2020/2021 and then served on the first contract bargaining committee.
Read More
Shop Steward Matthew Kendrick
Matthew Kendrick has been the shop steward at the Bremerton Fred Meyer for 4 years. As he has gotten more involved in helping and advocating for his coworkers, he decided to get trained to represent union members during investigatory meetings that could lead to discipline. Recently, he put that training to use when a coworker was being investigated around a shoplifting incident at the store.
Union members have the right to ask for representation before they answer questions that the member reasonably believes could result in discipline. This is often called Weingarten Rights (named after the 1975 Supreme Court case confirmed them), and they are key to ensuring that your right to “just cause” (due process) before employers issue discipline to union members.
The most important thing for union members to know is that they have to request representation before, or during, an investigatory meeting, management doesn’t have to. That is precisely what happened when a coworker contacted Matthew to represent them in an investigatory meeting!
Before the meeting even starts, Weingarten Stewards will make sure that the member understands that they have to answer questions, but that if management is asking leading or unfair questions, the steward can step in to object and advise the member on the best way to respond. Stewards and members also have the right to pause the meeting and find a private place to talk. Most of all, the steward takes notes on the member’s behalf and works with union staff to ensure that management is being fair both in its investigation and in any discipline issued.
Matthew did just that for his coworker and then advocated for reducing the discipline from termination to a written warning. Shoplifting policies are often very tough; terminations are often upheld even when the union files a grievance. But because shoplifting has become so widespread, blatant, and sometimes aggressive, UFCW 3000 reached an agreement with grocery store employers that termination is NOT always the right answer.
When discussing the incident with management, Matthew pointed out that his coworker had been with Fred Meyer for decades and had always been a model employee, sometimes spending more waking hours at Fred Meyer than at home. While there was a policy violation, the worker was acting to protect their coworkers and the place where they all spent so much of their lives, and a warning would correct the problem. Management agreed to reduce the discipline to a written warning instead of automatic termination!
Matthew used an important shop steward skill in this situation: negotiation and persuasion. Grievances and arbitrations are important to hold employers to account when there is no other choice when defending union members’ rights, but informally solving problems in cooperation can often get better results more quickly for workers when they are in a jam.
Matthew’s story is a great example of the difference that union representation can make in an investigatory meeting. And it happened because the worker requested representation!
If you would like to find out more about your rights as a union member, are interested in becoming a shop steward, or want to further your steward education, contact your rep or sign up for training here on our website.
August SIlva
August Silva (she/they), is a Patient Access Center Representative and Shop Steward at Planned Parenthood Tacoma. As a trans woman, she has faced a lot of challenges at her previous jobs, many of them coming behind the boss’s door:
I knew I wanted to work for Planned Parenthood because when I started transitioning in the Fall of 2021 and I couldn't think of a place that'd be more accepting of trans people like me than the place I get my hormone replacement care. My previous employer felt like I was taking "too much time off for frankly unnecessary office visits" and I applied the very next day! I love working with transgender patients.
August completed her first steward training this spring, and sees her work at Planned Parenthood and organizing her coworkers as being two sides of the same coin:
I want to do whatever sort of work I can for employees and patients to make sure there are equitable practices for everyone within the organization, and I think being a part of UFCW [3000] gives me the safety to be a voice for transgender employees in states that aren't unionized.
Outside of work, August enjoys listening to Jazz and helping provide mutual aid to unhoused people with Serve The People Tacoma. August is a great example of solidarity in action.
Terry Lakes, UFCW 3000 member & GROCERY STORE WORKER AT FRED MEYER
It’s #MemberMonday, and today we’re spotlighting Terry Lakes, who currently works at Fred Meyer in Auburn, where she’s worked for the past 33 years!
Terry is originally from Iowa, but moved to Auburn, WA at a young age and considers both places her home. While Terry started her career in healthcare, working in a nursing home, she has been in the grocery industry for so many years because of her bond with her coworkers and customers. For Terry, her coworkers are like family! Terry is always ready to greet you, whether you’re a customer or a coworker, with a warm smile.
Terry’s solidarity with her coworkers has also motivated her to be a leader in her workplace. Since 2015, she’s been a shop steward, and in recent years, she’s also been active in getting coworkers, customers, and community members involved in contract campaigns.
When she’s not working, Terry loves to read and tend to her home. We are so grateful to Terry for the knowledge, expertise, and compassion that she brings to not only her store but our entire Union. Thank you Terry!
It’s #MemberMonday, and today’s spotlight is on Maureen Williams, who currently works at Fred Meyer in Covington, WA. Maureen has been working in the grocery industry since she immigrated to the U.S. from her homeland of Guyana in South America.
Originally, Maureen was a seasonal worker and cashier. Through the years, she has worked her way up and is now head of her department! In fact, Maureen is now contemplating retirement in the near future.
Maureen is a proud union member and strong worker-leader. She has been a shop steward since 2017. Most recently, Maureen attended the 2022 Safety Summit and has taken what she learned back to her store & their safety committee.
Maureen says that one of her main motivations for wanting to advocate for her coworkers is the history of the Labor movement in Guyana. One such example is Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow, also known as the founding father of the Union Trade Workers in Guyana. Inspired by this history, Maureen believes it’s a necessity to stand up at work for her rights and for her coworkers who might otherwise feel powerless. In her words, being an engaged union member and workplace leader is important because “if there’s not a body of people representing the vulnerable and underdogs, we would be taken advantage of.”
Thank you Maureen for your leadership and strength! It is truly inspiring to witness you connect the organizing we need in our workplace with global movements for justice.
Nancy pyanowski, UFCW 3000 member and medical laboratory dispatcher at Labcorp
It’s #MemberMonday and today we’re spotlighting Nancy Pyanowski, a proud UFCW 3000 member who works as a medical laboratory dispatcher at Labcorp.
Nancy has a big heart & a fighting spirit; she cares deeply about her patients and her coworkers! Nancy works tirelessly to advocate for her coworkers and safety at her job. Her colleagues point out that Nancy is always ready to share her experience & knowledge, especially when it comes to their rights at work.
Nancy has really stepped up as a worker-leader, too, as she’s actively involved as a shop steward and bargaining team member for her unit. As she says: “We are the union; when we’re united & resolved, we have the power to win!”
When she’s not working, Nancy enjoys cooking & working out with her personal trainer. Nancy — thank you for your leadership at work and for reminding us how important it is to safeguard our rights at work so we can better enjoy our lives off the clock!
Ralph Stumbo, UFCW 3000 member and worker at Kaiser Permanente, with his grandkids
#MemberMonday is here and today’s spotlight is on Ralph Stumbo, who is currently an Alliance Partnership Representative at Kaiser Permanente. Ralph has worked at KP (formerly Group Health Cooperative — GHC) for almost 35 years!
Ralph grew up in Federal Way and went to college in Portland. After he graduated, he had the opportunity to return to Washington State and began working at Group Health as a respiratory therapist. Ralph loves working in healthcare and says he works hard because it is so rewarding for him to help patients and his coworkers.
Within a few years of starting at Group Health, Ralph attended training sessions and became a shop steward for his workplace. Through the years, he has been actively involved with contract negotiations and helping to advocate for his coworkers. In fact, Ralph is currently serving as part of the Labor Management Partnership (LMP) and continues to center his patients through that work.
Ralph says that he did not set out with the intention of being a shop steward or any other kind of workplace leader. Rather, he says that his service to others, whether his patients or his coworkers, has brought him tremendous joy — and that joy is what motivates him every day.
“Shortly I will return to the pulmonary lab and once again be giving awesome care to my patients whom I have missed…Whether you work in healthcare, in grocery, food service, retail, etc., it doesn’t matter, you are serving your fellow humans and that is something for which you should be proud!”
Ralph — your generosity, humility, and joyfulness are so inspiring to witness. You are an incredible example of the UFCW 3000 members who step up every day as worker-leaders, advocating for their coworkers and for change in the workplace. Thank you for leading by example!
Christina Delgado, UFCW 3000 member and Pharmacy Tech at Kaiser Permanente
Happy #MemberMonday! This week’s spotlight is on Christina Delgado, who is a Pharmacy Tech at Kaiser Permanente. Christina has been a member of our Union for 35 years, having started her career at Pay N Save and a member of UFCW Local 1001!
One day, a fellow coworker and Pharmacist at her store talked to Christina about working in Pharmacy. Christina’s interest was piqued because she knows just how important getting the right medications can be for people to live healthier lives. Christina decided to attend Pharmacy Tech school and the rest, as they say, is history! She’s now been in Pharmacy for 22 years and prides herself on the quality of care and service that she’s able to provide for her patients.
Christina is a natural workplace leader. In fact, she has been a shop steward for many years and also became a contract specialist about 6 months ago. You can often find Christina making the rounds, meeting new members, and welcoming them to our Union. Christina talks to her coworkers about issues they may have in the workplace with the goal of identifying strong leaders and providing the training needed to resolve issues at a work unit level.
When asked why she’s stepped up as a worker-leader in her unit, Christina said: “It’s critical to have strong leaders in place, in each department, in each unit, making a difference in the clinic and providing a voice for all employees.”
Christina — thank you for all that you do on behalf of your patients and your coworkers & fellow members. We’re so inspired by your leadership, positivity, and hard work!
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!
Bryan Gilderoy, grocery worker at Fred Meyer in Kent, poses for a photo.
Bryan Gilderoy has worked in the grocery industry since 2000. In 2008, he started working at Fred Meyer in Kent. He is a proud UFCW 21 member and leader in his workplace.
In 2013, Bryan and his wife welcomed their daughter into the world. Bryan says that the night she was born was the night that he decided he would become a shop steward.
“For my daughter’s sake, I want to do my small part to help the world become a better place. For me, that’s being a shop steward and helping my coworkers as best I can. I know it makes a difference.”
Since becoming a shop steward, Bryan has done everything from helping his coworkers fill out paperwork, to organizing campaigns to get frontline, essential workers PPE and Hazard Pay, to knocking on doors in Missouri to fight anti-worker legislation!
As someone who has benefited from job security & medical coverage throughout his years in the union, Bryan would like to remind everyone to complete their PHA survey ASAP to earn funding for your 2022 healthcare reimbursement plan! The deadline to do so is September 30th, and you can use this link: https://soundhealthwellness.com/pha/
Bryan, thank you for all that you do!
#UnionStrong #MemberMondays
Members at PCC just won a new contract with increased wage scales, affordable accessible health care, improved scheduling practices, improved promotion language and many other improvements. The Stewards at PCC unified the groups of grocery and meat workers resulting in a great turnout for their vote and a good contract.
Read MoreSam Chase, a worker at the Renton Haggen, was nervous before she stood up to testify in front of state lawmakers. She’d never done that before. While she’s been a Steward at her store, she had never taken on an active speaking role in a more public way. But after she took the leap and testified for paid sick leave and a higher minimum wage she felt great and decided to continue her activist work...
We are the Union. The members of UFCW 3000 are over 50,000 members working in grocery, retail, health care, meat packing, cannabis, & other industries across Washington state, north-east Oregon, and northern Idaho. UFCW 3000 is a chartered member of UFCW International with over 1.4 million workers in North America.
To build a powerful Union that fights for economic, political and social justice in our workplaces and in our communities.
