Yakima—The Markets, LLC Grocery & Meat
Contract Ratified!
Our contract offer was ratified Tuesday, August 1.
Questions? Please contact a member of our Bargaining Team or Union Rep Raul Zaragoza @ 509-850-2975
Our bargaining team met with PCC management on July 26 to respond to their earlier proposals and bring forward some of our own, including:
IMPROVING CAUCUS COMMITTEES: We proposed building more structure, efficiency and communication for all parties involved in the Worker Caucus Committees (WCC) to make them more effective.
EXPANDING LEAVE: We proposed an expansion of Leave of Absence (LOA) language so we get at least as much LOA time as other Union grocery store workers in the area—including staff with less than 18 months of service with PCC, who also need and deserve protected leave.
VACATION BIDDING & APPROVAL CHANGES: We reached a Tentative Agreement on an improved vacation bidding process and a clear timeline for approval!
We presented our Declaration of Demands signed by nearly 80% of PCC workers! Yasab, Marlin, and Allison of our Bargaining Comittee spoke to PCC representatives about the importance and strength of this petition.
Take action to build power in your workplace:
Wear a Union button!
Attend CAT meetings regularly and stay connected with co-workers.
Our Bargaining Committee wants to hear from you, look for them in the store and give them your feedback!
Any PCC member is invited to RSVP to observe our bargaining sessions with PCC. See you there!
Contact: Tom Geiger, UFCW 3000, 206-604-3421
For Immediate Release: July 26, 2023
Today, essential workers from Albertsons-owned grocery stores reacted to the company's first quarter fiscal results, as well as the outlandish payouts planned for corporate executives in the event the company’s proposed merger with Kroger were approved. The workers are members of local unions within the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, the largest union of grocery store and food production workers in the country.
“My work, and my coworkers' work, is helping Albertsons to produce billions of extra dollars. We are hardworking people, we respect our jobs, and we just ask that respect back in the form of equal pay for equal service,” says Gerald Gates, an employee at an Albertsons-owned Pavilions in the LA area and UFCW 770 member. “During the pandemic food prices went up and consumers continued shopping at the stores. After all that money is out there, one wonders why they entertain a megamerger of $25 billion and potentially divest hundreds of stores across the country, especially in Southern California?”
Gerald’s concerns were echoed by another Albertsons worker in the Pacific Northwest. “We have been working hard for years to serve our customers and scrape by enough for ourselves and our families. Our work, and our customers’ purchases are what have made the profits of these companies. It should be illegal for these CEOs who already make tens of millions of dollars each year, to stuff their pockets full of millions more through this proposed merger," stated Yasmin Ashur, an Albertsons grocery store worker and UFCW 3000 Member in Washington State.
“I’ve worked hard day in and day out to make Albertsons a place customers want to come back to and shop for their special occasions,” said Judy Wood, a cake decorator at Albertsons in Orange, CA and member of UFCW 324. “That customer loyalty is what has made Albertsons’ billions in dollars of profits over the years. When I hear that those profits will be used to pad shareholders’ and executives’ pockets if they leave the company, it’s disheartening. Those profits should be going to fixing stores, lowering prices and paying workers more so they’re not homeless and food insecure.”
Similar concerns were made by Christina Duran, a General Merchandise Head Clerk at a Safeway store in Sunnyvale, CA and member of UFCW 5. “I’m worried about stores closing and people losing their jobs. The impact of the merger could leave people jobless who have invested years into the company." Safeway was bought by Albertsons in 2015.
BACKGROUND:
More than nine months ago, Kroger and Albertsons announced their proposed plans to merge and create the largest traditional grocery store chain in America. Immediately, calls of concerns were aired across the US from labor, community, legal, food justice and many other organizations.
Today, Albertsons released their financial results for the 1st quarter of their fiscal year. In a statement released by Albertsons in advance of the results, the company stated, “In light of the Company’s entry into an Agreement and Plan of Merger with The Kroger Co., Albertsons Companies will not be hosting a conference call or providing financial guidance in conjunction with its first quarter of fiscal year 2023 results.”
Earlier in the month, financial news reported the massive amount of money that the CEOs of both companies would make if the merger were approved. And just this past weekend, the two CEOs of both companies did an exclusive interview with The Denver Post in response to the growing criticism facing the proposed deal.
Also, it is important to note that earlier in the year, Albertsons made a $4 billion payment to wealthy shareholders that had been proposed as a part of the proposed merger deal last fall. That fleecing of the company’s assets was strongly opposed by many local unions, several states attorneys general and was challenged by many US Senators in a hearing in November.
Yakima The Markets Grocery/Meat Contract Vote Scheduled!
Highlights include:
Affordable Healthcare
Retirement Security
If you have questions please reach out to our Union Rep: Raul Zaragoza at 509-340-7391
Kelly Shaffer
Kelly Shaffer knows that being part of a union means having a collective voice on the job that the boss just can’t match, “Without our labor a business can’t operate, we effectively are the store.” Her sense of solidarity comes from how she was raised:
I'm from a working-class family, and my siblings are in unions too (shout out to the electrical workers and the teamsters!), and it's a genuine joy to be able to give back in my own workplace and look out for my fellow grocery workers.
So much of labor history is forgotten, and a lot of people don't realize that their basic rights as workers, the 8-hour day, their breaks, and weekends, are things that were literally fought for. It's important to me to honor that sacrifice and protect the things we might otherwise take for granted.
When Kelly is at work and organizing her coworkers she enjoys painting, drawing, video gaming, and tending to her vegetable garden. Sounds like a well-rounded life and a great shop steward!
TUESDAY, JULY 25: 1:00PM – 2:00PM
BELLEVUE LIBRARY ROOM 4
1111 110th AVE NE, BELLEVUE, WA 98004
TUESDAY, JULY 25: 12:00PM – 1:00PM
SEATTLE LIBRARY: COLUMBIA CITY BRANCH
4721 RAINIER AVE S, SEATTLE, WA 98118
WEDNESDAY, JULY 26: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
SEATTLE LIBRARY: UNIVERSITY BRANCH
5009 ROOSEVELT WAY NE, SEATTLE, WA 98105
WEDNESDAY, JULY 26: 6:00PM – 7:00PM
KINGSGATE LIBRARY
12315 NE 143RD ST, KIRKLAND, WA 98034
FRIDAY, JULY 28: 4:00PM – 5:00PM
ISSAQUAH LIBRARY
10 W SUNSET WAY, ISSAQUAH, WA 98027
FRIDAY, JULY 28: 4:00PM – 5:00PM
SEATTLE LIBRARY: WEST SEATTLE BRANCH
2306 42ND AVE SW, SEATTLE, WA 98116
Meet Indy Mendoza, who works as a meatcutting apprentice at PCC Community Markets. Indy has completed his first year of his apprenticeship and loves working at PCC where he has worked since 2020. Prior to that, he worked as a chef in the restaurant industry. When the pandemic hit, he decided he wanted something more stable than restaurant work could provide…
Read More
We met with PCC representatives on June 20. Our Union Bargaining Committee made proposals addressing:
Workplace Safety—including violent intruders, de-escalation training, sexual harassment, domestic violence, and security escorts
Hours and Scheduling—to make sure workers can get more hours when we need to
Critical Staffing Minimums—including extra pay for short staffing periods
Pension for Retirement—including increasing the employer contribution and securing the continuing funding needed to keep our pension plans healthy
WeTrain Workforce Development—to establish an employer-funded training and workforce development fund
Vacation Bidding—to establish more consistent and timely approval for vacation requests
In addition to these proposals, we had productive conversations with PCC around Annual Personal Development Reviews (APDR) as well as private employee spaces for lactation, religious observations, and self-medical checks.
Any PCC member is invited to RSVP and join us to observe our next bargaining session with PCC, July 26 @ 9:00AM. See you there!
Our Union Bargaining Team also discussed the plan to win the best PCC contract possible, including how we can take collective action. This starts with asking our coworkers to sign on to the PCC Workers Declaration of Demands and do whatever it takes to achieve these demands. bit.ly/coopworkerspledge ▸
Don’t miss out on important bargaining updates, action alerts, and contract information: Make sure your personal contact info is up-to-date! Go to: ufcw3000.org/update-your-information
Talk to a Steward or Union Rep to get the dates and times for our June CAT meetings.
Our Union Bargaining Committee: Atsuko Koseki – PCC Edmonds – Deli, Scott Shiflett – PCC Redmond – Meat, Greg Brooks – PCC Burien – Meat, Allison Smith – PCC Kirkland – Meat, Cina Ebrahimi – PCC View Ridge – Grocery, Yasab Pfister – PCC Burien – Front End, Keith Allery – GLV - Night Crew Deli, Emily Weisenburger – HBC – Issaquah Stephanie Gil – Grocery – CD , Arlo Bender-Simon – Grocery – DT, Quil Freitas – West Seattle – Produce, Not pictured: Marlin Hathaway – GLV – Grocery, Madeline Olson – GLV – Grocery, Jordan Young – View Ridge – Grocery. Watch the video!
We met with PCC Representatives on June 6 and 8. Our Union Bargaining Committee made proposals that include:
To have direct elections of workers for the Board of Trustees (BOT), elected by the workers themselves. Ensuring we have permanent workers’ voices on the BOT.
Building more structure, efficiency and better communication for all parties in the Worker Caucus Committees (WCC).
To expand the Leave of Absence (LOA) language, to make it so we get at least as much LOA time or more as other union grocery store workers in the area. Including staff that have less then 18 months of service with PCC.
To embrace inclusivity and gender neutrality in our CBA.
Expanding bereavement leave to 5 days and including step siblings.
Proposed to increase staff discount.
Updating our Active Ballot Club (ABC) language for our political action committee that allows workers to make voluntary contributions to support pro worker legislation.
Made proposals around access to parking, guaranteed free Orca card access, private use spaces for medical and religious needs, as well as parameters around annual reviews.
Future bargaining sessions will include wages and benefits. We are committed to fighting for the best Grocery contract in the country establishing PCC as a leader in the industry with a Union Contract that reflects that.
“Our power is built together on the shop floor; it is only wielded at the bargaining table.” —Quil Freitas
Our Union Bargaining Team also discussed the plan to win the best PCC contract possible, including how we can take collective action starting with asking our coworkers to sign a Pledge of support by adding your name to the PCC Workers Declaration of Demands and sign on to do whatever it takes to achieve these demands. Add your name to the pledge: bit.ly/coopworkerspledge ▸
Don’t miss out on important bargaining updates, action alerts, and contract information: Make sure your personal contact info is up-to-date! Go to: ufcw3000.org/update-your-information
Talk to a Steward or Union Rep to get the dates and times for our June CAT meetings.
at Central District PCC on July 9 from 3:00pm – 5:00pm
Joey Kagan sits in his breakroom at Safeway.
Meet Joey Kagen who works as a courtesy clerk at the Enumclaw Safeway and is an athelete in Special Olympics Washington. Joey is a swimmer competing at state in the 25 meter freestyle. He loves putting himself out there to share his passions and experiences as a man with autism.
Joey will be competing next week, and would love UFCW 3000 members to consider supporting, volunteering, and even joining Special Olympics. Competition begins at 9am June 10th at the King Country Federal Way Aquatics Center. He recommends coming a little early for socializing and opening ceremonies.
Joey is an important part of his store, community, and union!
On Friday, May 26 our Union PCC Bargaining Committee met together to discuss many of the topics members suggested during the May CAT meetings, as well as the bargaining priorities collected from the Union Bargaining Surveys. We began the process of reviewing the major recurring topics and have started to formulate contract proposals for our first bargaining session with the Employer.
Top Union Bargaining Survey priorities included:
Winning better pay
Increasing retention
Safety at our stores
Keeping good affordable healthcare coverage
A democratic process for Members on the Board
Maintaining strong retirement
One wage scale for the same type of work at all stores
Addressing scheduling issues and building more power in the co-op industry
Our Union Bargaining Committee meets again for our first bargaining session with the Employer on June 6. We have confirmed bargaining dates with PCC for June 8, 20, July 26 and August 10. New button designs coming soon!
Our Union Bargaining Team also discussed the plan to win the best PCC contract possible, including how we can take collective action starting with asking our coworkers to sign a Pledge of support by adding your name to the PCC Workers Declaration of Demands and sign on to do whatever it takes to achieve these demands.
Don’t miss out on important bargaining updates, action alerts, and contract information: Make sure your personal contact info is up-to-date! Go to: ufcw3000.org/update-your-information
Misti Senn a shop steward in the meat department at the Lynnwood Fred Meyer. Misti has worked as a meat wrapper since 1998 and before that in the service deli. She has seen a lot of changes in that time, including the merger with local grocery QFC, and then Fred Meyer being acquired by the mega-national chain Kroger.
Those changes have shown Misti that having a voice on the job with her union is the only way…
Read MoreMarc Tabisula started with QFC in 2022, as Meat Service Counter Clerk. He attended the Meat Cutter Pre-Apprenticeship Program and credits it for getting him a meat apprenticeship with QFC. The Pre-Apprenticeship Program helps interested workers find out what it means to have a career as a meat cutter and gives them the knowledge that employers are looking for when hiring apprentices…
Read More
Location: Winco Foods Kennewick,
4602 W Clearwater Ave, Kennewick WA 99336
Date: Monday, May 22, 2023
Times: 10:00 AM—11:00 AM and 1:00 PM — 2:00 PM
Highlights Include:
Above area standard wage increases
Added Retirement Security
Affordable Health & Welfare
If you have any questions, please contact your Union Rep Rob Roundy at 509-943-8923.
Location: Ray’s Meats,
2113 S 3rd Ave, Yakima, WA 98903
Date: Tuesday, May 23, 2023
Times: 10:00 AM—11:00 AM and 4:00 PM — 5:00 PM
Highlights Include:
Significant Wage Increases
Affordable Health & Welfare
If you have any questions, please contact your Union Rep Pedro Nunez at 509-944-6036.
Meet Astrid Kryger from the North Bend QFC. Astrid has been getting more involved with her union recently after the announcement of the Kroger/Albertsons mega-merger. The impacts of that merger could cause food prices to further inflate, and cause stores to close displacing workers.
Read More
UFCW 3000 Press Release
For Immediate Release: May 3, 2023
Contact: Tom Geiger, 206-604-3421
Workers Win Case for Wearing Black Lives Matter Buttons on the Job –
Fred Meyer and QFC (both Kroger-owned stores) Must Allow Workers to Wear Their Buttons
In a clear statement of the rights of workers to wear buttons and other materials such as masks at work, as part of collective, concerted activity, the Administrative Law Judge, from the National Labor Relations Board Division of Judges in San Francisco today ruled in favor of UFCW 3000’s case for workers wearing Black Lives Matter buttons and ruled against Fred Meyer’s attempts to curtail that right.
Finding in favor of the Union’s core argument that the workers’ actions were protected under Federal labor law because racism is a workplace issue, Administrative Law Judge Mara-Louise Anzalone wrote in their decision that, “by collectively displaying the ‘Black Lives Matter’ message on their work uniforms, the employees in this case acted to advance their interest—as employees—to an affirmatively anti-racist, pro-civil rights, and pro-justice workplace.”
The judge’s ruling also struck down the Employers’ overly broad dress codes.
The ALJ’s decision essentially agreed with earlier findings in this case going back to the September of 2022 finding of Region 19 of the National Relations Labor Board (NLRB) that Fred Meyer and QFC violated federal labor law when they prohibited workers from wearing union-sponsored Black Lives Matter buttons. There was a lengthy trial before the ALJ when Kroger refused to reach a settlement agreement. The decision by the ALJ was issued today and is subject to appeal to the NLRB in Washington DC.
Sam Dancy outside of his QFC in the summer of 2020
“It feels good to win again! When we as workers speak out through these buttons and collectively say Black Lives Matter and then QFC and Fred Meyer said to take the buttons off, that was insulting and a violation of the law. We knew all along we had the right to call out social and racial injustice in the workplace and in our neighborhoods and this judge’s decision reiterates that right,” said Sam Dancy a Front End Supervisor at the Westwood Village QFC in West Seattle, WA who has worked for QFC for over 30 years.
UFCW 3000 President Faye Guenther concluded, “It is important that workers’ rights and legal standards be protected. Kroger, the owner QFC and Fred Meyer continues to be a problem and needs to do a better job of hiring and promoting workers who are Black at every level of the company and making it clear that it will not tolerate racism from customers or employees.”
Background
After Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd on May 25, 2020, many UFCW 21 members working in grocery and retail stores chose to express their opposition to racism at work and in the community by wearing face masks (otherwise worn for protection from COVID) or other items bearing the Black Lives Matter slogan.
Although Kroger issued public statements expressing sympathy with the Black Lives Matter movement, managers at Kroger-owned stores in Western Washington started ordering UFCW 21 members to remove Black Lives Matter masks in August 2020.
UFCW 21 responded to the company’s Black Lives Matter ban by collaborating with Fred Meyer and QFC workers to distribute union-sponsored Black Lives Matter buttons with the UFCW 21 logo. When managers banned the Union buttons, UFCW 21 filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board. Kroger’s ban and the Union response received widespread local and national attention. In September of 2021, Region 19 of the NLRB ruled in favor of the UFCW 3000 grocery store workers. The case was unable to reach a settlement and therefore went to trial in April of 2022 before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) who today ruled in the favor of the workers and found Kroger’s Fred Meyer and QFC were in the wrong and had violated the workers’ rights. As a result of the ruling, the workers will be allowed to wear the buttons.
UFCW 3000 represents over 50,000 workers at grocery stores, retail, healthcare, and other industry jobs.
On Sunday, April 16 workers at PCC held community kick off events at Fremont and Edmonds PCCs, and the community showed up! Several community partners spoke at each event including Transit Riders Union, Washington CAN, MLK Labor, OWLS in support of our members’ desire for a strong and fair contract.
Our local community showed up and stood with PCC workers to help spread the word to our customers that we are gearing up for contract negotiations and we are asking for their support. Our Bargaining Committee is fighting to win better pay, increase retention, keep good affordable healthcare coverage, dedicated seats for workers on the board, and more.
Tuesday, May 9: 5:00pm—6:00pm
Seattle Library: University District 5009 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105
Tuesday, May 9: 6:00pm—7:00pm
Kenmore Library: 6531 NE 181st St, Kenmore, WA 98028
Wednesday, May 10: 6:00pm—7:00pm
Delridge Library: 5423 Delridge Way SW, Seattle, WA 98106
Wednesday, May 10: 6:00pm—7:00pm
Bellevue Library: (Room 4) 1111 110th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004
Thursday, May 11: Online Zoom Meetings
9:00am—10:00am & 6:30pm—7:30pm
Dalton was one of many grocry members participating in the stop the merger actions across the country recently.
Dalton Adams is a shop steward at the Downtown Bellevue QFC store and is active in many parts of our union. In January of this year, he went to Olympia to talk with Washington State Legislators about the increasing safety issues he and his coworkers face around organized retail theft and strongarm robberies. The political pressure forced Kroger and other employers to come to the table and work with our union on how to best protect workers.
Safety on the job is a big issue for Dalton and other shop stewards, last fall they came together with workplace leaders from 3 states at a Safety Summit to share stories, learn, and organize to make sure that workers are safer on the job.
Dalton and other stewards are also very concerned about what would happen to their jobs and communities if the Kroger/Albertsons mega-merger was allowed to go through. He and other grocery store workers took recently action recently across the country to inform customers of the perils of this monopoly-creating merger. Dalton asked customers and send a letter to the FTC via the No Grocery Merger Website, telling them to stop this merger from moving forward.
Dalton knows when workers organize, take action, and show solidarity with each other, what we can accomplish together is greater than what we could do alone.
On Tuesday, April 11 our Union Bargaining Team met for the first time. The committee discussed the upcoming bargain with PCC. We reviewed the Bargaining Survey Results from members and discussed the top priorities including: winning better pay, increasing retention, safety at our stores, keeping good affordable healthcare coverage, dedicated seats for workers on the board, maintaining strong retirement, addressing scheduling issues and building more power in the co-op industry. The Bargaining Committee meets again on May 26 to begin crafting bargaining proposals. We have confirmed bargaining dates with PCC for June 6, 8, 20, July 26 and August 10.
Join other PCC members this weekend for our PCC contract kick off actions at the Edmonds PCC and Fremont PCC stores Sunday, April 16 from 1pm-2pm.
Discuss with our coworkers and bargaining team what type of proposals should be made. CAT meeting times and location to be announced soon!
Don’t miss out on important bargaining updates, action alerts, and vote information: Make sure your contact information is up-to-date! Go to: ufcw3000.org/update-your-information
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.
