Fred Meyer QFC Bargaining Update

"Today, we offered Fred Meyer & QFC multiple opportunities to work with us to improve safety and provide fair compensation. They showed us again that we must stand together and fight for what we need and deserve.” -Fred Meyer and QFC Bargaining Team

Today the Bargaining Teams for UFCW 21 and Teamsters 38 met with both Fred Meyer and QFC for the third time this year to bargain over our working conditions and hazard pay throughout the pandemic. The Employers decided to start bargaining off by dismissing most of our previous proposals, including proposals around increased availability of PPE like masks, gloves and facemasks. Our bargaining team came back with counter proposals on Hazard Pay, masks, capacity limits, moving Clicklist and Pharmacy Techs to Appendix A and other creative solutions on COVID safety and Hazard pay. We are committed to continue to fight for Hazard and safety measures.

Our initial proposal included:

• Reinstatement of $2 per hour Hazard Pay.

• Stronger enforcement of safety measures, including enforcement of masks and store capacity limits.

• Better notification to workers when COVID exposures occur.

• Moving Clicklist and Fred Meyer Pharmacy Techs to the higher Grocery A scale.

• Added pay including: Premiums for safety certifications, support for added childcare costs and compensation for off the clock hours after work spent keeping safe.

• Adding hours to the store to address increased need for sanitation and to enforce social distancing.

• Extending our previous agreement allowing for two-week replacement pay for COVID infections and quarantine.

At last month’s bargaining session, the employers agreed to more prompt notification of workplace COVID infections and premium pay of an extra $1 per hour for Pharmacy workers through end of March.

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
Faye Guenther, President UFCW 21
Joe Mizrahi, Secretary Treasurer UFCW 21
Samantha Kantak, President Teamsters 38
Steven Chandler, Secretary Treasurer Teamsters 38
Tammi Bradey, Recording Secretary Teamsters 38
Jim McGuinness, Attorney

Organize for Hazard Pay in your city 

Join us on Thursday, February 11 from 6pm – 7pm for a webinar on how to introduce a Hazard Pay Ordinance in your city. 

We have seen the organizing efforts of our members pay off in Seattle and Burien to pass hazard pay for essential grocery workers. We will be hosting a webinar to talk about how to start this process in your city, how to get your coworkers involved, and hear from some of the members who are doing the work now.

MultiCare - Get to Know Your Bargaining Team

The Bargaining Team is made up of workplace leaders who have been selected to represent you during negotiations with MultiCare. The team is responsible for creating and responding to proposals, campaign planning, and will ultimately decide when to vote to approve a contact or authorize a strike. 

Please reach out to one of your Bargaining Team members if you have any questions regarding contract negotiations.

Alexis Dotts
Tacoma General Hospital
Food Service Worker
“I have amazing co-workers and want them to have the best contract possible.”

Glen Steele 
Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital
Biomed Equipment Tech
“I’m on the bargaining team because it’s important to have a contract that works for all our members. To have a safe work place with good wages to support our families.”

Gregg Barney
Tacoma General Hospital
Press Operator
“Fighting side-by-side with my Union sisters and brothers for a fair contract.”

Heidi Strub
Tacoma General Hospital
Respiratory Care Practitioner
“Here to make sure everyone’s voice is heard and we have a fair, competitive contract. 

Jamie Fenton
Multicare Clinic - Covington
Perioperative Tech
“I joined the bargaining committee to ensure fair contracts regardless of which building you are in.”

Julianna Van Enk
Tacoma General Hospital
Pharmacist
“As a pharmacist, I want to take the best care of our patients as possible. We can’t do that without employees taking care of each other.”

Kelly Gusman
Tacoma General Hospital
Surgical Tech
“I’m on the bargaining team because I love my co-workers and we need a great contract.”

Kurtis Chaffin
Tacoma General Hospital
Mechanic
“Here to expand worker’s rights and paychecks.”

Patricia Brown
Tacoma General Hospital
Licensed Practical Nurse
“I am on the bargaining team to make sure my voice and my co-workers voices are heard”

Rochell Brummer
Tacoma General Hospital
CV Tech
“I joined the bargaining committee to give voice to my fellow Union members.”

Ryan Boyd
Multicare Clinic - Covington
MRI Tech
“I’m here to make sure everyone has a voice at the table to create a better contract”

Sammy Bainivalu
Allenmore Hospital
Patient Registrar
“All for one and one for all!”

Teri Kruse
Tacoma General Hospital
CT Tech
“I’m excited to focus on collaboration with the team to make sure all voices are heard”

Yvette Broeckel
Multicare Clinic - Fife
Medical Assistant
”I’m on the bargaining team to help win a fair contract for all.”

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Update Your Information

It is very important that your personal contact information is correct in the union database to be sure you receive updates on bargaining as well as contract vote information. Please verify that your contact information is correct through the link below.

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Join the UFCW MultiCare Facebook Page 

Get the latest news on contract negotiations by joining our Facebook page. Bargaining updates, upcoming actions, member stories, and more will be regularly updated on the page!

Summit Pacific Medical Center - Bargaining Moves to Mediation

“I took the leap to join our Bargaining Team to fill in for our team members that have been pushed out by Management. Like a lot of you, I have many commitments outside of work, but this is important. We deserve a fair contract with better pay and to be treated with respect by Management.”

— Your newest Bargaining Team member, Jessee Bednarik (RN, ED)

Last Friday, we responded to Management’s latest economic proposals. We have made fair compromises to focus in on our core issues of wages, pay equity, staffing and PTO. Unfortunately, Management does not think we have compromised enough and they told us they will not be making any more economic proposals to us at the bargaining table.

What does Mediation mean?

An impartial mediator will be assigned by the WA-Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) to help both sides define our issues, explore solutions, and reach a mutual agreement. The mediator can help us come to resolution, but their recommendations are non-binding. We will still get to vote on our contract.

“We are disappointed in Management’s decision to put up roadblocks in this process. We are open to mediation and any path to a fair contract for Summit Pacific workers.”

— Your Bargaining Team member, Barb Ford

Did you see our letter in the Daily World?

PCC Bargaining Update: Let's Be Clear About Hazard Pay

As you may have heard, your member bargaining team received a proposal from PCC to extend hazard pay beyond Seattle and Burien.

We believe real hazard pay shouldn’t come with strings attached. Unlike the hazard pay that we won for grocery workers in Seattle and Burien, PCC only proposed paying the $4/hr to workers for 5½ weeks, a small fraction of the time we won in Seattle and Burien.

In exchange, PCC is demanding that we make permanent changes to our rights and job protections:

Your PCC Bargaining team: Atsuko Koseki, Greg Brooks, Keith Allery, Quinn Ráo, Scott Shiflett, Yasab Pfister

• Bring back U-SCAN/Self Check without going through the bargaining process

• Implement new technologies in the stores at PCC's discretion without workers having a voice in the process

• Push work to lower paid classifications when offering curbside delivery services

• In addition, PCC has failed to propose quarantine pay for workers that are exposed to COVID.

“The bargaining team is committed to fighting for hazard pay to acknowledge our hard work and sacrifice throughout the pandemic. The last week has seen both workers and customers across PCC demand $4 hazard pay, and denounce attempts made by company leadership to thwart meaningful grocery worker legislation. Now, PCC wants us to agree to long-term concessions in our contract in exchange for reinstating short term ‘hazard pay.’ We insist that hazard pay should not come with strings attached.”

-Quinn Ráo, Ballard Front End, bargaining team member

Your PCC Bargaining Team

Atsuko Koseki, Edmonds Deli

Greg Brooks, Fremont Meat

Keith Allery, Greenlake Village Deli

Quinn Ráo, Ballard Front End

Scott Shiflett, Redmond Meat

Yasab Pfister, Burien Front End

Ashley House BX - A Little More to Go

We met with Management on Wednesday, February 3 to continue negotiations. We had a lot of discussion around healthcare and an education fund. We are close to an agreement but still have some details to decide on. We have another bargaining session scheduled for Friday, February 19 where we hope to reach a final agreement. 

Due to the Pandemic all voting will take place via secure email ONLY!

To vote we MUST have a Valid personal email address for you on file. If you have unsubscribed from UFCW 21 email lists or do not currently have a personal email address, please consider rejoining or creating a new address if you would like to receive a ballot and cast your vote! 

Next Bargaining Date: 
February 19, 2021

MultiCare Update - Bargaining Continues

MultiCare Update - Bargaining Continues

“This is just the beginning, but we are moving forward constructively.”
— Your Bargaining Team

(Glen Steele, Yvette Broeckel, Kelly Gusman, , Julianna Van Enk, Gregg Barney, Patricia Brown, Alexis Dotts, Heidi Strub, Jamie Fenton Kurtis Chaffin, Rochelle Brummer, Ryan Boyd, Sammy Bainivalu, Teri Kruse, Wanda Rodriguez-Ramos)

Your Bargaining Team met with management again on February 1 to receive their first counter proposal. While they were unable to respond to all our proposals, management did show a willingness to engage with our concerns and have a thoughtful discussion.

We were able to make progress on some basic contract clean-up, straightened grievance language, and improved employee rosters to be sent to the Union.

Management did reject some of our proposals such as our request that schedules be posted 14-days in advance (in all contracts), which they countered instead by asking us to increase management’s authority to change members schedules. Unacceptable.

We are still cautiously optimistic with the minor progress that has been made after only two bargaining sessions. However, we know this is only the beginning… the Bargaining Team is preparing for the worst to ensure were ready to fight for a fair contract if necessary!

Our next bargaining date is next Monday, February 8, followed by the 10, 16, 22, and 26.

You’re Invited! Please join our next virtual MultiCare Campaign Update meeting on Wednesday, February 17 @ 7:30AM or 6:30PM. Hear the latest directly from your Bargaining Team:

Wednesday, February 17
7:30AM or 6:30PM

Contact your Bargaining Team or Union Rep for call-in details. Details will be also emailed out.

Join the UFCW 21 MultiCare Page for the latest updates! facebook.com/UFCW21Multicare

If you have any questions, please contact your Union Representative @ 800-732-1188

Providence St. Peter Hospital - Heated discussion over EIB and PTO!

On February 2, we met with Providence and discussed EIB/PTO, retirement plan, health insurance, seniority, lay-offs, and leaves of absence. We are getting close to an agreement on seniority and leaves of absence. Seniority is the years of service you have within a bargaining unit job classification and is specific to union contracts. “Seniority” is an example of the UNION DIFFERENCE!

Union contracts often times memorialize current workplace practices, but they also have better benefits than those non-represented/non-union employees receive. Also when benefits and workplace conditions are spelled out in a union contract, Providence cannot make changes without first bargaining with the Union. This is the UNION DIFFERENCE! As a non-represented employee, Providence can change all workplace conditions without any employee input.

We organized to keep our EIB/PTO, to better workplace conditions, and to stop Providence from changing policies. We have been making proposals with this in mind. Providence lost their cool in the last session and showed us that they are not interested in our need for stability and want to continue changing policies like EIB/PTO. They want to take away our ability to “demand to bargain.” We will continue to demand better contract language and better workplace conditions, but we need your support!

We are circulating a financial transparency petition, which demands that Providence share financial information with us.

We ask that everyone sign this petition, which will pressure Providence to give us more financial information and will show that we are united! You can sign this petition online or sign in-person with one of the Bargaining Team members.

Our next bargaining date is February 11 and we have a couple of dates in March. If you have bargaining questions or workplace issues, please contact Erin McCoy (union representative) emccoy@ufcw21.org.

In Solidarity, Your Tech Bargaining Team: Josh Wood (CT), Shapel Morgan (X-ray), Rae Lynn Korpi (RT), Colleen Castaneda (Cath Lab)

Dynacare LabCorp - Tentative Agreement Reached

Your Bargaining Team met with Management on January 25 to negotiate a new contract.

“We worked very hard all through the night and reached a settlement around 1:30AM, that we can be proud of. Make sure to update your contact information with UFCW to get your ballot and have your vote counted.” 

— Shelby Tyner 

Some of the improvements we won include: 

• Market Adjustments for Key positions

• Competitive wage increases each year of the contract.

• Maintained BCBS medical plan and Mitigated healthcare increases; plus added a “Healthy Value Plan” option

• Several improvements to strengthen and clarify the contract language

• Pandemic safety language 

• Stronger Staffing language 

• Enhanced grievance rights

• Ratification bonus of $750.00 (if employed before May 31, 2020)

More information and the full contract will be available once ballots are sent out. UFCW 21 members in good standing are encouraged to attend a virtual vote meeting, ask questions, and vote on the contract.

Your Bargaining Team: Shelby Tyner, Sam McVay, Nancy Pyanowski, Steph Royce, Eli Lanczos, Fredel Albritton 

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Due to the Pandemic all voting will take place via secure email ONLY. To vote we MUST have a Valid personal email address for you on file. If you have unsubscribed from UFCW 21 email lists or do not currently have a personal email address, please consider rejoining or creating a new address if you would like to receive a ballot and cast your vote! 

Follow this link to update your contact info by February 9.

Ballots will be emailed out by a third-party administrator on February 11. Voting will close at Midnight on February 16, 2021 (2/16/21). Ballots will be counted on Febuary 17. 

Have questions about the contract and why we recommend a YES vote? Join your Bargaining Team at the Virtual Vote meetings:  

Thursday, Febuary 11
6:30PM-8PM

Saturday, Febuary 13
8AM-10AM

Sunday, Febuary 14
2PM-3:30PM

Tuesday, Febuary 16
6:30PM-8PM

Contact your Bargaining Team or Union Rep for call-in details. Details will be also emailed out.

PCC pushes to cut workers out of new hazard pay law!

Support Essential PCC workers’ Demand for Hazard Pay 

Grocery stores have seen increases in sales during COVID but most grocery employers have failed to share their profit windfall with the frontline workers who are taking all the risk to keep stores open. 

PCC cut hazard pay in July and refused to reinstate it, despite persistent demands from workers. 

In an unprecedented move, the new PCC CEO, a former Kroger executive, is pushing Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan to kill the grocery store hazard pay mandate approved by Seattle City Council last week. 

This move is out of step with the values that have made PCC a success. 

Hazard pay is not just about safety, but about the respect and dignity of essential workers. We are 1500 workers currently bargaining to reinstate hazard pay and implement much needed quarantine pay when we are exposed to or diagnosed with COVID.  

We demand that PCC reinstate hazard pay for ALL essential workers in all PCC stores and publicly withdraw their request to the Seattle Mayor and City Council. 

Lourdes Counseling Center- Contract Vote is Scheduled

Providence Sacred Heart Tech - Protect Your Frontline, Not Your Bottom Line! Put Families First!

We have had 7 session of bargaining and are making progress in many areas but we are focusing our fight for fair wages and you to be able to continue to take care of yourself and YOUR FAMILY. Providence has proposed the elimination of your EIB benefits which for a full-time person would eliminate 64 hours from your Extended Illness Bank.

Please look out for the SAVE OUR EIB petition to show Providence that we are united in the fight to save our EIB.

Please reach out to your bargaining team with questions or concerns or contact your Union Representative Maureen Hatton at 509-340-7370.

OUR BARGAINING TEAM: Lisa Aker, Surgical Tech; Angela Holmes, Surgical Tech; Teresa Bowden, Respiratory Therapist; Laurie Trudeau, Respiratory Therapist; Sam Zabala, Respiratory Therapist; Miriam Critelli, Pharmacy Tech; Kevin Lange, Mental Health Counselor; Shane Sullivan, Peds Sonagrapher; Aaron Bryant, IR Tech; Derek Roybal, CV Tech; Jason Van Curler, EP Tech

MultiCare - Bargaining Begins

Your Bargaining Team, Left to Right: Glen Steele, Yvette Broeckel, Kelly Gusman, Julianna Van Enk, Gregg Barney, Patricia Brown, Not Pictured: Alexis Dotts, Heidi Strub, Jamie Fenton, Kurtis Chaffin, Rochelle Brummer, Ryan Boyd, Sammy Bainivalu, Teri Kruse, Wanda Rodriguez-Ramos

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Your Bargaining Team met virtually with MultiCare Management for the first time on Wednesday January 27. After months of preparation including the bargaining survey, extensive market research, and the kick-off event, the team passed to Management our first bargaining proposal!

While there are many issues your Bargaining Team plans to address, our initial proposal focused on non-economic issues and standardizing language between contracts. 

Here’s a sample of what we proposed:

• Successorship: Proposed strengthened language that would ensure our contract would survive any potential sale or transfer of ownership.

• Staffing: Proposed a streamlined process for reporting staffing issues to MultiCare executives, removing existing roadblocks to finding staffing solutions. 

• Schedules: Proposed that hard copy schedules be posted in each department at least 14 days in advance of the schedule’s effective date.

This is only the beginning—your Bargaining Team is currently working on additional proposals regarding wages/economics, healthcare, PTO/EIT, COVID-19 safety, and so much more. We want to get some of our less contentious proposals resolved before the larger issues—which will require a fight—dominate the table. 

Our next bargaining date is next Monday, February 1, followed by the 8, 10, 16, 22, and 26.

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You’re Invited! Please join our next virtual MultiCare Campaign Update meeting on Wednesday, February 17 @ 7:30AM or 6:30PM. Hear the latest directly from your Bargaining Team:

Wednesday, February 17
7:30AM or 6:30PM
Contact your Bargaining Team or Union Rep for call-in details. Details will be also emailed out.

Summit Pacific Medical Center - The Employer Produces Another Shameful Economic Response

“The frustrating thing is that we are proposing a fair economic package and Summit doesn’t want to even meet us at our reasonable demands.” 

— Angi Swinhart, Clinic Resource RN

On Friday, January 22, the employer made many flip-flop arguments regarding current policy; it seems like when it is financially beneficial to them, they’d like to stick to current policy, yet when it benefits employees, they’d like to get rid of it. For example, SPMC would like to deny pay raises to employees they issue discipline to, which they justify by citing existing policy; yet they also want to eliminate paid lunches for ED RN’s which has long been standard practice at SPMC. 

Other highlights from last Friday include:

Education Leave—The union has proposed to expand paid educational leave for Tech and Service, but the employer continues to reject this proposal.

“I would think SPMC would want to support and encourage their staff to move up the ranks especially if they plan on working within the organization.” 

— Bailey Walczak, BSN, RN, DNP-S

Wages—the Employer produced another shameful wage proposal which is nowhere near area competitor’s wages with minimal movement to slightly increase Hospital RN’s wages and only in year one of the three-year deal. Most employees would only see a 4.5% increase over the course of 3 years in the employer’s most recent proposal, well below what most other area hospitals have been offering.

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“We are the employees that go into the trenches with these patients and put our health and safety on the line for this company. We are what makes Summit Pacific what it is. Many of your employees are scared to express how they feel and how disconnected they feel administration is. Stop stalling on fair and doable changes!” 

—Mandy Jo, Ultrasound Tech

We are still asking for you to join us at our next board of director’s meeting and to share our stories; this has been a powerful way to make sure our voices are heard and will help hold the administration accountable. 

Join Us Thursday, January 28 

@ 6PM (via Zoom) 

Contact your Bargaining Team or Union Rep for call-in details. Details will be also emailed out.

Even if you can’t attend the board of director’s meeting, share your stories here:

Willapa Harbor - 100% “YES” VOTE! Willapa Harbor RN Contract ratified on January 14

We were able to win respectful wage increases that keep us on par with area hospitals. We were also able to win a new bilingual premium and improvements to vacation scheduling language and retirement contributions while maintaining our health benefits.

Your Bargaining Team: Jan Ritzman, Paula Gonzalez, Robyn Taylor

Planned Parenthood- Bargaining and COVID Safety Survey

Safeway Albertsons Haggen Bargaining Team meets with management

Today the bargaining teams of UFCW 21 and Teamsters 38 met with the employers for Albertsons, Safeway, and Haggen to bargain over our working conditions and hazard pay throughout the pandemic.

"Since the beginning of the pandemic we have taken on the risk of working everyday while producing huge profits for the companies we work for. We are standing up to keep our workplaces safe not just for our coworkers but also for our communities and families. We deserve to have the respect of hazard pay and safe stores."

-Albertsons/Safeway Bargaining Team

Today our proposals to the employers included:

• Reinstatement of Hazard Pay.

• Stronger enforcement of safety measures, including enforcement of masks and store capacity limits.

• Better notification to workers when COVID exposures occur.

• Moving .COM to the higher Grocery A scale.

• Added pay including: Premiums for safety certifications, support for added childcare costs and compensation for off the clock hours after work spent keeping safe.

• Adding hours to the store to address increased need for sanitization and to enforce social distancing.

After a few clarifying questions, the employer said they would need some time to analyze our proposal and get back to us with another date to meet.

JOIN THE FIGHT: Sign up if you are interested in taking action at your workplace for Essential Workers, Hazard Pay, and Safety. Sign up for actions here >>

SPEAK UP: Why is hazard pay important to you and your coworkers? Share a quick video or written message! Share why hazard pay is important to you >>

TESTIFY: These days, speaking before city council can be done from your own home or break room because meetings are held online. Live or work in Seattle or Burien? Sign up for more information, and we’ll connect with you when there’s a city council hearing you could speak at! Sign up to speak at a council meeting >>

START SOMETHING: Do you want to bring up a hazard pay ordinance in your city or county? Sign up and a UFCW 21 organizer will connect with you for a training on how to move an ordinance through your city! Sign up for a training on organizing for hazard pay ordinances >>

SPEAK UP: Why is hazard pay important to you and your coworkers? Share a quick video or written message! Share why hazard pay is important to you >>

Our Bargaining Team:
Kyong Barry, Albertson (S Auburn)
Sue Wilmot, Safeway (Bainbridge Island)
Naomi Oligario, Safeway (Port Orchard)
Richard Waits, Haggen (Burlington)
Maroot Nanakul, Safeway (Bear Creek)
Cliff Powers, Safeway (Oak Harbor)
Jeannette Randall, Safeway (Roxbury)
Faye Guenther, President UFCW 21
Joe Mizrahi, Secretary Treasurer UFCW 21
Samantha Kantak, President Teamsters 38
Steven Chandler, Secretary Treasurer Teamsters 38
Tammi Bradey, Recording Secretary Teamsters 38
Jim McGuinness, Attorney

PRMCE RN - Providence Rejects Better Scheduling Language!

On January 20, we met with Providence. We proposed increases to annual wage increases, shift differentials, certificate pay, weekend pay, stand-by pay, and callback pay. In the past year, short-staffing has been rampant throughout the Hospital. It is clear to us that Providence is having difficulty hiring and retaining nurses.

Also from your feedback in bargaining surveys and contract action team meetings, we have heard that wages and proper staffing are the two things we should be fighting for. Until this date, Providence has continued to pushback on our contract changes. Our goal is to win better contract language which gives us the opportunity to give feedback to Management regarding staffing, unit restructures/mergers, and scheduling.

Providence will not agree to our language unless we pressure them. One way to pressure them is through legislation in Olympia. UFCW 21 along with other healthcare unions are lobbying to pass a financial transparency bill which forces hospitals to be transparent with their finances. We have launched a financial transparency petition to support this bill and are using this petition to hold Providence accountable for the COVID-19 government relief money they received in 2020.

We are asking that you please sign onto this petition and take a stand with Providence caregivers from Centralia and St. Peter’s. We will have a contract action team meeting to discuss bargaining on January 26 at 8pm.

If you have any questions, please contact your Union Rep, Anthony Cantu—acantu@ufcw21.org or 206-436-6566.

In solidarity, Your RN Bargaining Team: Juan Stout, ER; Kimball Conlon, ER; Betsy Bourg, Glasgow; Cindi Dyson, Float Pool; Jenney Gannon, L&D; Madison Hamilton

Dynacare Labcorp - Bargaining Continues

Your Bargaining Team met with Management on Wednesday, January 20 to continue negotiations.

“There was major movement at the table today. We reached agreements on several items and hope to continue this momentum at our next bargaining session. We are down to wages, healthcare, and a few language items.” 

— Eli Lanczos

 Your Bargaining Team: Sam McVay, Steph Royce, Eli Lanczos, Shelby Tyner, Nancy Pyanowski, Fredel Albritton

Update Your Information!

As we get close to a deal, it is very important that we have your correct home address and home email address. Voting will be done completely remotely and ballots will be sent either by US Mail or Personal Email.  Update your contact information today!

Next Bargaining Date: 

January 25

Bartell Drugs - Bartell’s Allowing Little Progress on the Main Issues of Pay, Healthcare, and Retirement

We met with the employer last Friday on January 15 to bargain. While there was some important progress, there has been little progress on the main issues of pay, healthcare, and retirement. Here’s what happened:

• The employer tentatively accepted the idea of having severance pay if there is a store closure. But Bartell’s (Rite Aid) does not want to recognize people who have over 10 years of service. Your bargaining committee thinks that is too low, so we proposed an extra week of severance for workers at or above 15 years of service.

• Bartell Drugs (Rite Aid) has still not made a counterproposal to us on wages since November of last year. They told us that paying workers above minimum wage and increasing that amount by years of service is so “far out” that they didn’t know where to begin. We told them, that editorializing about our proposal was not making their own. They need to make the move, because we aren’t bargaining against ourselves!

• They are rejecting the idea of Hazard Pay and many other safety protections we proposed during the pandemic.

• We did not let the subject of wages go at that. We we told them the story of a worker who has been with Bartell’s 30 years and has done just about everything in the store, including helping interview job applicants, and still makes under $15/hr. 

“When I heard this story, it sounds almost identical to mine. I’ve been trained to help with ordering, point of sale merchandising, Rx assistant, cashier, photo department, and just about anything to be done in the store. I am still making less than $15/hr, I can’t imagine working here for 30 years, and still be just above minimum wage! Bartell’s needs to do better for their employees!” 

— Kia Haggerty (Bartell Drugs Clerk and Union Bargaining Committee Member)

Letting the public know about our fight

We will be near the Lower Queen Anne Bartell’s this Friday at 3:30 PM to wave signs letting Seattle know about our fight for a fair contract, a living wage, and hazard pay! We will be outside, masked, and staying socially distant from each other to stay safe. Talk to your Union Rep or shop steward about the action.

Join the Drug Store Workers United Facebook Group

Want to get updates about bargaining, connect with other drug store workers, and build a stronger union? Join the Facebook group for drug store workers!

UFCW 21 and Teamsters 38 Bargaining Team Continue to Push for Hazard Pay

Today the Bargaining Teams for UFCW 21 and Teamsters 38 met with both Fred Meyer and QFC for the second time this month. Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have been pushing for hazard pay and safety protection. Taking action, filing grievances on the removal of hazard pay, demanding to bargain over the effects of COVID and joining with our community partners and other unions up and down the West Coast. Today, management rejected our proposal to reinstate hazard pay along with other proposals on compensation and ways to make the workplace safer. We will not stop until essential workers gain the respect they deserve.  

“Kroger expects the same level of service from its employees regardless of the steps needed in the current COVID environment. Extra work is required to make the safest possible shopping experience for customers and employees. Extra hours are not added to do the extra things needed! Safety steps seem to be overlooked due to pressure coming from upper Management. The priority has not been for safety but for profit.”  — Robin Hillistad, QFC, Uptown 

JOIN THE FIGHT: Sign up if you are interested in taking action at your workplace for Essential Workers, Hazard Pay, and Safety. Sign up for actions here >>

SPEAK UP: Why is hazard pay important to you and your coworkers? Share a quick video or written message! Share why hazard pay is important to you >> 

TESTIFY: These days, speaking before city council can be done from your own home or break room because meetings are held online. Live or work in Seattle or Burien? Sign up for more information, and we’ll connect with you when there’s a city council hearing you could speak at! Sign up to speak at a council meeting >> 

START SOMETHING: Do you want to bring up a hazard pay ordinance in your city or county? Sign up and a UFCW 21 organizer will connect with you for a training on how to move an ordinance through your city! Sign up for a training on organizing for hazard pay ordinances >> 

Next bargaining date: 

We will be meeting again with Fred Meyer and QFC on February 9 

Previous Bargaining Updates: 

Bargaining with Albertsons/Safeway is set for January 22 and we are continuing to pursue bargaining with other grocery employers  

Join us for a special Grocery Store Worker 
Telephone Town Hall! 
Tuesday, January 19, 6:30PM 

Call-in number: 888-652-0383 Meeting ID: 5662 
 
Join to discuss bargaining and hazard pay ordinances, get your questions answered, and connect with other union grocery store workers. Expect a call from us around 6:30, but if you miss the call or don’t receive one, just call in yourself with the number and meeting ID! 

 
OUR KROGER 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, QFC Uptown
Wil Peterson, Everett Fred Meyer
Jeff Smith, Snohomish Fred Meyer
Joanna Clapham, Benson Plaza Fred Meyer
Faye Guenther, President UFCW 21
Joe Mizrahi, Secretary Treasurer UFCW 21
Samantha Kantak, President Teamsters 38
Steven Chandler, Secretary Treasurer Teamsters 38
Tammi Bradey, Recording Secretary Teamsters 38
Jim McGuinness, Attorney