In this week’s meetings with Kroger and Albertsons/Safeway, our member-led Bargaining Team heard the first staffing proposal from Kroger. Unfortunately, their proposal fell well short of what we need to ensure safe stores for workers and customers.
Read MoreThe LMC’s purpose is to study and make recommendations to the BOT (or PCC’s Leadership Team, as appropriate based on the nature of the recommendation), for action on those matters on which it deliberates. Our focus will be on addressing important matters such as labor, staffing and workplace improvements, training needs and profit-sharing structures.
Read MorePine 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 Pine Lake Safeway crew isn’t giving up, though. They’re continuing to fight for a safer Safeway.
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.
Only days after Kroger’s CEO resigned for unknown ethical reasons, our bargaining team faced Kroger bargainers who seem hell-bent on stripping away workers’ rights.
Read MoreOn March 5 and 6, our Bargaining Team met with Safeway and passed proposals on staffing and scheduling, retail theft, immigration protections, PPE and safety, and other non-economic items.
Read MoreJoin your coworkers at a monthly Contract Action Team meeting—Let’s stay organized to win a strong contract this year.
Read MoreLast week, our union and Teamsters 38 held a webinar to discuss our proposals to ensure better staffing at grocery stores across the region.
Read More“Now is the time for the changes we have been pushing for: Kroger should stop investing in failed tech and mergers and instead invest in stores and communities with lower prices, more stores, and workers with better staffing and better wages,”
Read MoreOur 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]
The key to our success is staying unified and continuing to fight for better wages, better staffing, and better stores.
Read MoreJoin your coworkers at a monthly Contract Action Team meeting—Let’s stay organized to win a strong contract this year.
Read MoreRight now, nurses with Providence in Oregon and grocery workers with Kroger-owned King Soopers in Colorado are on strike for better staffing and safer workplaces. Join us and contribute to their strike and defense funds by using the links below. Donations help provide supplies like food, hot beverages, warm clothing, childcare, signs, and other needs as workers battle the cold rains in the PNW and the freezing temperatures in the Denver area. Their fight is our fight—and when we fight, we win!
After nearly six months of bargaining with Albertson/Safeway and Kroger for a new contract that respects our work, increases our wages, and improves our retirement and healthcare, we are holding a contract vote! This notice serves to inform all members that we will be holding contract vote meetings on February 19, 20, 21 and 25.
Read MoreAfter months of bargaining with Rosauers for a new contract that respects our work, increases our wages, and improves our sick leave, bereavement leave, and vacation. We are holding a contract vote!
Read MoreOn February 3 & 4, our Bargaining Team met with the Employers and focused on sharing stories about the impacts of low staffing on our workplaces.
Read MoreWhen Jessica Foster was told that she couldn’t leave the floral department at the North Bend QFC without having her payrate lowered, she contacted her union representative and pursued a grievance to protect her pay and further her career.
Read MoreOn Friday, January 24, our Bargaining Team met with Management for our second bargaining session. We are very pleased to announce that we arrived at Tentative Agreements for both the grocery and meat contracts that the team can fully recommend "YES" votes in favor of ratification!
Read MoreAfter months of bargaining with Rosauers for a new contract that respects our work, increases our wages, and improves our sick leave, bereavement leave, and vacation, we are holding a contract vote! This notice serves to inform all members that a critical contract vote meeting will be held on February 4 for members covered by the Rosauers Spokane Grocery and Spokane Meat contracts and on February 6 for members covered by the Rosauers Lewiston Grocery & Meat contract.
The Bargaining Team will present the tentative agreement received from the Employer. Members will have the opportunity to discuss the terms and implications of the offer before voting on the fully recommended settlement.
Any member covered by the Rosauers Spokane Grocery and Spokane Meat contracts or the Rosauers Lewiston Grocery & Meat contract that are in good standing are encouraged to attend a meeting, ask questions, and vote on their contract. Contact a Bargaining Team member or your Union Representative for any questions!
February 4, 2025
8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
4:00 PM – 8:00 PM
UFCW 3000 Spokane Office
2805 N. Market St. Spokane, WA 99207
February 6, 2025
8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
4:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Hampton Inn Lewiston
2701 Nez Perce Dr, Lewiston, ID 83501
Our Bargaining Team met January 21 and 22 to share our core concerns with the Employers. We focused on major issues like addressing under-staffing, U-SCAN usage, and store safety. We will begin to work on our wage, pension, and healthcare proposals with the goal of putting all our issues on the table in March.
Read MoreYour coworker-led bargaining committee met with Rosauers on January 8 and 9 and reached a fully recommended settlement with some great improvements.
We will send dates out soon!
Highlights from the new agreement:
Significant above-area grocery standard wage increases.
New pay scales for improving Appendix B, C, and D wage classifications.
Added pension benefits as well as improved vacation and benefit language.
An improved meat cutter apprenticeship program will be implemented to secure longevity in the industry and protect Meat Department work.
Improvements to sick leave, bereavement leave, vacation, and other benefits.
Improved opportunities for more Rosauers employees to join and grow the strength of our union for future negotiations.
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.
Copyright © 2024 UFCW 3000
