Grocery East Bargaining Update

Our union member Bargaining Committee had our second bargaining session with the Employers to fight for a safer workplace, maintain and strengthen our benefits, and improve wages.

Over the two days of bargaining, we came to several Tentative Agreements:

• Greater Workplace Safety. We secured an agreement for a Master Safety Committee, which will allow us to raise safety issues that are not being addressed at the store level, up to the corporate Management level. We also established yearly walk-through trainings for emergency situations, including natural disasters and active shooter situations.

• Increases to Leaves of Absences for personal illness/pregnancy from 6 months to 9 months.

• The ability to keep our information updated so that we can get critical information about our wages, benefits and working conditions.

We continued to trade proposals over important contract language items, including:

• Funding for Workforce Training, so we can get the training we need and expand the Meat Cutters Apprenticeship Program around the state of Washington.

• Worker Severance and Retention language to ensure that, in the event of any merger or sale of the companies, the Employer must retain workers for a set period and compensate workers fairly if there are lay offs or terminations.

• Allowing workers to accept tips from customers.

We also proposed the following IMPROVEMENTS to our contract:

• Improve vacation accruals and lower qualifying threshold for vacation. We proposed vacation accruals be based off the average of hours worked in the previous 12 months. This will help ensure that no worker gets less vacation per week than they normally work per week. Additionally, we proposed to lower the threshold to qualify for vacation from 1000 hours to 800 hours worked in a year.

• Increased scheduling notice so we can better plan our lives.

• Add Presidents Day as an additional holiday.

• Align past experience credit among all contracts so workers can claim more hours upon hire.

We proposed the following UPDATES to our contract:

• Align notice of technological changes in the store with other UFCW 3000 grocery store contracts.

Finally, we made a comprehensive economic proposal that would:

• Create Journey wage increases of multiple dollars over the life of the contract.

• Institute one wage scale for all UFCW 3000 Eastern Washington, Oregon and Northern Idaho and the same journey wage rate across all grocery scales.

• Gain ground on Puget Sound clerk wage rates, because the cost of living is high everywhere!

• Create raises of multiple dollars for Journey Meat Cutters over the life of the contract, a proposed dollar premium for Head Meat Cutter, and new designation of Head Butcher Block.

• Increase the amount between steps from $0.10 above minimum wage and $0.05 between steps to $0.25 and above the minimum wage and between steps so that every step sees an increase as the minimum wage increases with cost of living.

• Reduce the length of our wage scales so our coworkers can reach the Journey rate sooner.

• Maintain our strong healthcare plan and coverage and improve benefits without increasing employee premiums.

• Fund our pension and increase contributions and benefits for future earned benefits.

• Institute resort store pay premiums for Chelan, Leavenworth, Sandpoint and CDA.

• Award $800 longevity bonuses for workers with more than 10 years of service.

• Create premiums for short staffing & Person-In-Charge pay.

• Make a quicker path to Journey for Meat Cutters that complete the Meat Apprenticeship program.

• Ensure full back pay to date of expiration.

Next bargaining dates: January 10, 11 and 12

Join us and show our unity in fighting for a strong contract!

• Sign a Strike Pledge Card.

• Remember to fill out the Worker Research Committee survey about the state of safety and operations at your store. >>

• Wear your union buttons at work!

• More information:

• To get updates and join the fight to Stop the Mega-Merger, go to nogrocerymerger.com

• For information about your health care plan with Rehn go to www.ufcwhealth.com or call  800-872-8979

• If you have questions about the Pension and the Sound Health and Wellness Trust contact Zenith at soundretirmenttrust.com or call 800-225-7629

PCC Preparing to be Strike Ready

PCC workers are preparing for a possible strike if we are unable to reach a tentative agreement during our next bargaining session on January 23 and 24. If we do not reach an agreement that is recommended by our Bargaining Committee on January 23 and 24, then we plan to hold a strike authorization vote on January 26. At this vote workers will be able to review PCC’s most recent offer, vote to accept or reject the offer, as well as vote on whether to authorize a strike or not.

As part of our preparation for a possible strike PCC workers met last Thursday at 6pm virtually, including members of our bargaining team, to discuss how we can best prepare for a possible strike. We discussed what a strike could be like, the importance of having Strike Picket Captain trainings at our next round of Contract Action Team (CAT) meetings, strike benefits and more. Our Bargaining Committee plans to hold regular Thursday virtual open meetings at 6pm going forward. Feel free to drop by and ask any questions or share any ideas you have about the bargain, the contract and strike authorization votes and more.

Next Steps:

• Join our drop-in Q&A meeting every Thursday at 6pm

• Contract Action Team (CAT) meetings next week: January 8-12 attend a CAT meeting, where we will be going over the Strike Picket Captain training. The training will help PCC workers get more prepared for a strike and allow for time to go over any questions you may have.

• Next Bargaining dates are January 23 and 24. At the Federal mediation and Consolatory Service office located at 2001 6th Ave #2500, Seattle, WA 98121. If you plan to attend bargaining you must RSVP by January 15 to make sure you are on the list and can attend as an observer. You will need to RSVP with your name as it appears on your government ID and supply a good email address. When arriving you must have a government ID to check into the building.

Preparándonos para la Huelga 

Los trabajadores de PCC estamos preparándonos para una huelga posible si no podemos lograr un acuerdo tentativo durante la próxima sesión de negociaciones del 23 y 24 de enero. Si no logramos el acuerdo recomendado por el comité de negociaciones, tenemos planeado una votación de autorización de huelga el día 26 de enero en donde los trabajadores podrán revisar la oferta más reciente de PCC, votar por aceptar o rechazar la oferta, y además votar por hacer huelga o no. Como parte de la preparación para la posible huelga, los trabajadores de PCC, incluidos los miembros de nuestro comité de negociaciones, nos reunimos virtualmente el jueves pasado a las 6pm para hablar de la mejor manera de prepararnos para la posible huelga. Hablamos de cómo podría ser la huelga, de la importancia de realizar capacitaciones de Capitanes de Piquete de Huelga durante la próxima ronda de reuniones del Equipo de Acción por el Contrato (CAT por sus siglas en inglés), de las prestaciones en caso de huelga, y de otros temas más. Nuestro comité de negociaciones tiene planeado realizar de aquí en adelante reuniones abiertas por medio virtual todos los jueves a las 6pm. Se les invita asistir a las reuniones y hacer cualquier pregunta o compartir cualquier idea que tengan acerca de las negociaciones, el contrato, el voto de autorización de huelga y más. 

Los Próximos Pasos:  

Asista a nuestra próxima reunión de Preguntas y Respuestas (Q&A) este jueves, 4 de enero a las 6pm

La próxima semana, del 8 al 12 de enero se le invita asistir a las reuniones del Equipo de Acción por el Contrato (CAT) donde vamos a repasar la capacitación de Capitanes de Piquete de Huelga. Este taller ayudará a los trabajadores de PCC a estar mejor preparados para la huelga y permitirá tiempo para repasar todas las preguntas que puedan tener. 

Las próximas fechas de Negociación son el 23 y 24 de enero en la oficina del Servicio Federal de Mediación y Conciliación ubicada en el 2001 6th Ave #2500, Seattle, WA 98121. Si piensa asistir a estas negociaciones tiene que confirmar su asistencia para el 15 de enero en el. Para garantizar que esté en la lista y que pueda asistir como observador tiene que confirmar su asistencia (RSVP) con el nombre que aparece en su credencial de identificación emitida por el gobierno y tiene que incluir una dirección válida de correo electrónico. Cuando llega debe presentar su Identificación emitida por el gobierno para registrar su entrada al edificio. 

PCC January Contract Action Team Meetings

Tuesday, January 9, 6:00pm – 7:00pm @ Kingsgate Library 12315 NE 143rd St, Kirkland, WA 98034

Tuesday, January 9, 4:00pm – 5:00pm @ Bellevue Library 1111 110th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004

Wednesday, January 10, 2:00pm – 3:00pm @ Seattle Library: Columbia City Branch 4721 Rainier Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118

Thursday, January 11, 9:00am – 10:00am @ Lynnwood Library 19200 44th Ave W, Lynnwood, WA 98036

Thursday, January 11, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM @ Seattle Library: University Branch 5009 Roosevelt Way NE Seattle, WA 98105

Join Zoom Meeting >> Meeting ID: 871 1956 3836 Passcode: 095974

This is a recurring meeting at the same times as the in person meetings listed.

UFCW 3000 Member Stories: Sheila Sloan-Evans

SHeila SLoan-Evans in the deli

Here is Sheila Sloan-Evans’s story in her own words:

Prior to the pandemic, I was a job coach with Northwest Center in a high school transition program. I so enjoyed training a client in his new grocery job that I realized grocery might be a fit for me too! I have been a PCC member for many years, but during COVID, the Redmond PCC was my go-to store, always a safe and welcoming place with quality products.

I began work at PCC on October 4th, 2022. I take customer service and food safety seriously but also have fun in the process. I enjoy helping people in both French and English--and attempting to learn Spanish from my coworkers!

In late May of this year, Sheila became injured off the job and had to apply for a leave of absence. It was here that her story took a troubling turn:

I provided Redmond PCC and HR a return-to-work letter for July 7th, 2023; Redmond staff and managers were very supportive. PCC human resources called me en route to surgery to terminate me as ineligible for the 6 weeks off and inform me that my insurance coverage would end the next day as well. It was devasting.

Sheila reached out to her rep and the Member Resource Center, who filed a grievance for her termination. After some meetings with PCC, they agreed to restore her employment and bring her back to work!

I truly love this job. I say that every day and am genuinely surprised by that, as it is an unexpected joy to work with these great people in grocery who have so much to teach me. The support of the union was essential. Having strong union advocates really helped me focus on healing and getting back to work. Thank you!!

Swain's General Store - Negotiations Commence

On Wednesday, December 20th, our Bargaining Team met with Swain’s Management for our first day of negotiations. Initial proposals were put forth by both teams on economic and non-economic issues and tentative agreements were reached on the duration of the contract, establishing a safety committee, and allowing Union Stewards or Union Representatives time with new hires to introduce them to our Union!  

While the Employer did not present any proposals on economics, we are hopeful they will be able to in our next negotiation session (we are still working to establish more dates after the holidays). Our team was able to present some proposals around economics but given that this was late in the day the Employer did not have time to respond on these issues.  

We are hoping to have a swift and productive contract negotiation when we reconvene in January, but also are hoping to speak with our coworkers before the next session at a Contract Action Team meeting. We want to continue to keep everyone engaged so that we can be united in winning the best contract we can. Please stay tuned for details about this in the New Year! 

"The Swain's bargaining team is negotiating for a better tomorrow!"
- Robert Sommers

Our Swain’s Bargaining Team: Robert Sommers, Michael Nichols, Shawn Price, Richard Drake

PCC Update - Take Action! Info Pickets on Tuesday!

In our last session, your union bargaining team put forward a proposal. It included, among other improvements, the following demands.

• To maintain the best of our healthcare plan!

• To give us industry leading wages and a shortened path to Journey!

• To develop lasting worker representation in the governance of PCC as well as a path to a worker ownership that would give us a share of future PCC success!

Unfortunately, despite our efforts to come up with creative ways to achieve a good contract, PCC was unwilling to offer a response to our proposal. As a result, we have requested to go to mediation for our next bargaining sessions. PCC has agreed to this option.

With months of bargaining behind us, where PCC has been unwilling to offer wages that even match what others in the industry achieved years ago, it is time that we show PCC how serious we are about securing a great contract!

To demonstrate strength of our solidarity, we want every available worker to join us on December 19 from 1:00pm – 3:00pm at the various locations where we are holding Informational Pickets:

• Columbia City 3610 S Edmunds St, Seattle, WA 98118

• Issaquah 1810 12th Ave NW, Issaquah, WA 98027

• Green Lake Village 450 NE 71st St, Seattle, WA 98115

• Edmonds 9803 Edmonds Way, Edmonds, WA 98020

• Redmond 11435 Avondale Rd NE Suite 101, Redmond, WA 98052

• Central District 2230 E Union St, Seattle, WA 98122

Update on Proposed Kroger/Albertsons merger

To all of our members and #StopTheMerger coalition partners and allies:

We wanted to share a brief update with you on where things stand with the proposed Kroger/Albertsons merger and our collective efforts to stop this harmful deal.
 
First off, we want to clarify where things stand right now. Despiterecent news reports to the contrary,the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) does not need to make a decision this week.
 
The bottom line is this: based on the information we have now, we expect the FTC to make a decision on the proposed merger early in the new year. This is consistent both with our understanding of the process and with public statements made by FTC chair Lina Khan.
 
Once the FTC has completed its investigation of the merger deal, there are three possible outcomes:

1. The FTC can seek to stop the transaction by filing a preliminary injunction in federal court and the case will go to administrative trial. We believe our campaign has in part made this the most likely outcome and the trial will take many months to conclude.
   or

2. The FTC can enter into a negotiated consent agreement with the companies and allow the deal to go forward under certain conditions, e.g.divestitures. This is how past mergers of this kind have been treated under previous administrations, but we believe it is unlikely in this case under the Biden administration.
   or

3. The FTC closes its investigation and allows the deal to move forward unchallenged. We believe this is the least likely scenario.

Secondly, we’d like to draw your attention to some recent activities and developments:

• A new report was issued by economist MarshallSteinbaum from the University of Utah demonstrating how the deal could dampen labor power and thus lead to devastating outcomes for workers. You can download the report and view our press release highlighting it, which was picked up in a few media stories.

• This week, our union siblings at the Teamsters International union have come out against the companies’ plans to divest hundreds of stores to C&S. You can read their press release here.

• Last month, our friends at American Economic Liberties Project hosted a great virtual event on the “disaster in the making” that is this merger, featuring workers, independent grocers, farmers, and consumers that the proposed merger would directly impact. Check out the video on YouTube.

• Today, UFCW members in Southern California will meet with California Attorney General Rob Bonta and shared their stories about previous mergers in the grocery industry and their concerns with the proposed merger between Kroger and Albertsons.

Lastly, we’d like tothank all of you for being a part of this effort to protect workers and our communities from the devastating impacts of this proposed mega-merger.As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions or suggestions.
 
In solidarity,
#StopTheMergerCoalition
www.nogrocerymerger.com

Congratulations 2023 Essential Workers Organizing Academy Graduates!

In April 2023, we began our first Essential Workers Organizing Academy (EWOA) cohort, hiring eight full-time and one-half time “apprentice organizers.” Candidates were drawn from UFCW 3000 members in healthcare and grocery, as well as from external organizing campaigns and a general applicant pool.​

The program was broken up into three distinct phases: training, internal organizing, and external organizing/preparing for strikes. ​Training included exercises and readings about how to conduct organizing conversations and campaigns, learning about the history of unionization and organizing workers, presentations from guest speakers, and visits to both union and non-union worksites. Apprentice organizers supported on campaigns that included Macy’s, Bartell Drugs, Fred Meyer(s), PCC, Providence-Everett, as well as political and community projects. ​

Congratulations to the EWOA class of 2023!

Post-EWOA, our goal is to help every apprentice organizer who wants to continue in the labor movement to find a job either with this union or another movement organization. 

PRESS RELEASE: UFCW Locals 5, 7, 324, 400, 770 and 3000

Economist Report Goes Deep into Economic Analysis of Proposed Mega Grocery Store Merger and the Harms to Working Communities

A new report issued by economist Marshall Steinbaum from the University of Utah delves into the proposed mega-merger of Kroger and Albertsons in ways that have not been fully looked at over the past year. This is important information for any people involved in researching, reporting upon, or assessing the potential impacts that such a mega-merger could have.

• Marshall Steinbaum’s new research paper, utilizing a large database of posted job offers, demonstrates that the Kroger-Albertsons merger would reduce individual worker’s bargaining power as well as their union’s power.

• The paper shows that increased employer concentration has negative effects on both earnings and work hours.

• Importantly, the paper shows that union workers receive higher pay when there are two bargaining counterparties in a given labor market as opposed to when there’s only one.

The Presidents from UFCW Locals 5, 7, 324, 400, 770, and 3000 who have been leaders in the efforts to oppose the proposed merger since it was announced over a year ago provided support for the report:

“Our ability to raise wages and standards in general depends on our ability to pit these companies against one another at the bargaining table—threaten to strike one while directing customers to the other,” the presidents called out. “If these two companies were to become just one company, that power would go away and that harms workers as well as customers.”

The full report, entitled: Evaluating the Competitive Effect of the Proposed Kroger-Albertsons Merger in Labor Markets, can be found here:  https://marshallsteinbaum.org/assets/kroger_albertsons_labor.pdf

Workers across the country have experienced the impacts described in the report:

“In our most recent contract negotiations we were able to leverage one company’s fear of losing market share to their competitor and we used that to get improvements in our contract that they wouldn’t have agreed to otherwise. That helped us get historic raises that would never happen if there were just one company,” says Rachel Fournier, a Los Angeles, CA Ralphs employee.  

“I feel this merger would only bring a negative impact on the workers. Staffing, safety, and our seat at the bargaining table would all come under threat while the corporations reap the benefits from our hardship,” echoed Rena Zagala-Fondren, a Safeway worker from Los Gatos, CA.

A Seattle area worker had an additional response. “For years we have been facing reduced staffing levels in our stores – during and after COVID. Our experience is that this would only get worse if the mega merger were allowed. We need to increase staffing, improve our schedules, and increase our leverage as unionized grocery store workers, not go the other way,” said Sam Dancy, a Front-End Manager at Kroger-owned QFC store in West Seattle, WA.

Jill Young, a just-retired grocery store worker from Grand Junction, CO stated, “I started in ’86, was on strike in ’93 and ’96. Over the years I have been injured more than a couple times and had to take off six months or more to get better. The company tried to cut the leave time to one month. Having a union that was organized, and willing and able to strike was part of what kept that benefit in place. There are young workers just starting out who deserve a future with a union workplace and the leverage I have had. This proposed merger threatens that future.”

Judy Wood, a cake decorator for Albertsons in Orange, CA raised several of her concerns, “The power we have when we bargain collectively leads to improvements in stores for both workers and customers. Workers have higher wages and stores are safer now because we have the power to fix hazards that we won through our last contract bargaining session. If this merger goes through, we will lose some of that power, putting the public in a worse position.”

Benjamin Blum, a night crew employee at Thousand Oaks, CA Ralphs added his thoughts: “Our unionized workplaces have competitive wages and benefits because workers have fought for and won them. If the proposed megamerger were approved, workers will lose leverage and be more vulnerable to a single massive employer that would bully and retaliate against workers.”

#-#-#

PCC Bargaining Update

Our PCC Bargaining Team met to strategize and discuss next steps after our successful NO vote on PCC’s last proposal that took place in November. With wage proposals that hardly account for inflation and still no pathway for workers to be permanently on the Board of Trustees, we still find ourselves apart. New bargaining dates have been set for December 11 and 14, we are hoping to come to an agreement at these sessions but if we are unsuccessful we will hold actions at various PCC locations!

Save the date! Tuesday, December 19 from 1pm—3pm

• Columbia City PCC 3610 S Edmunds St, Seattle, WA 98118

• Issaquah PCC 1810 12th Ave NW, Issaquah, WA 98027

• Green Lake Village PCC 450 NE 71st St, Seattle, WA 98115

• Edmonds PCC 9803 Edmonds Way, Edmonds, WA 98020

• Redmond PCC 11435 Avondale Rd NE Suite 101, Redmond, WA 98052

• Central District PCC 2230 E Union St, Seattle, WA 98122

Join your coworkers and be heard, even if we come to a deal!

Observe open bargaining on Dec. 11 & 14. RSVP here >>

Stay informed! Visit the PCC Contract page here >>

Our Union Member Bargaining Team Make Proposals to Improve Lives at Work, Kroger and Albertsons Propose Takeaways

Our Union Member Bargaining Team Made Proposals to Improve Our Lives at Work, Kroger and Albertsons Propose Takeaways

After preparing for months, our union member bargaining committee had our first bargaining sessions with the employer to negotiate a new contract. Kim Bristlin (Safeway 1159), one of the many grocery store workers on our bargaining committee, started our first session by sharing how the costs of living is up everywhere and that we need a new contract that respects the work we do to support our customers, our communities, and our stores.

Here’s a quick round up of the two days of negotiations. As a reminder, the way the bargaining process works is that our committee makes proposals, the employer makes proposals, and we work back and forth to try to come to an agreement. Typically we work on non-economic proposals first, and economics (like wages) next. Every member staying informed and involved during bargaining will help win the best improvements. In the end, you as union members will be the one to vote – that is part of being in our democratic union.

We made some big proposals to make our workplaces better including:

• Funding for workforce training for career pathways and development
• Greater workplace safety including a Master Safety Committee and in-store training for emergency situations.
• Union-led New Hire Orientations so our co-workers understand their union rights and benefits.
• Successorship language which would require a new employer to keep the union contract and the staff if the company is sold or merged.
• Worker severance and retention so if our company is sold or merged we keep our jobs for a period of time, and are compensated fairly in the event of lay-offs or store closure.
• Allow workers to accept tips.
• Improve vacation accruals and lower qualifying threshold for vacation.
• A 2-week scheduling notice so we can better plan our lives.
• Add Presidents Day as an additional holiday.
• Increase Leave of Absence time.
• Expand past experience credit for prior service.
• And other updates to our contract including moving Eastern Oregon workers onto the Spokane Healthcare Trust.

We also already won some early victories with tentative agreements on:

• Prior notification and bargaining over temporary J-1/Guest Workers.
• Allow for more union leave for union stewards.
• Greater Bereavement benefit so we can get time off work to grieve a family member even if there is no formal funeral service.

Unfortunately, Kroger and Albertsons proposed major takeaways on our first days of negotiations.

They proposed:

• Elimination of overtime after 8 hours.
• After a global pandemic, elimination of contractual sick leave banks.
• Adding more management to do our work.
• Elimination of weekly hour guarantees that protect our ability to get healthcare.
• Refusal to recognize past experience at hiring.

Kroger and Albertsons need to stop proposing takeaways and respect our work by investing in us.
 

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Here are three things you can do to take action and show your support for the bargaining team:

1. Come to a Contract Action Team Meeting!

Spokane, UFCW 3000 office
December 5 from 5:30 – 6:30 PM
2805 N. Market St.
 

Tri-Cities, UFCW 3000 Office
December 6 from 5:30-6:30 PM
2505 Duportail St, Suite D
Richland, WA 99352-4079
 

Wenatchee, UFCW 3000 Office
December 6 from 5:30-6:30 PM
330 King St, Suite 4

Yakima, UFCW 3000 office
December 7 from 5:30- 6:30 PM
507 S. 3rd St

2. Sign a Strike Pledge Card – please contact your store steward or Union Rep to add your name!

>> Filling out a survey from our Worker Research Committee about the state of safety and operations at your store!

3. Wear a union button!
 

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More information:

1. To help Stop the Merger, go to nogrocerymerger.com
2. For information about your healthcare (Rehn):
   1. >> ufcwhealth.com
   2. Phone: 800-872-8979
3. For Pension Questions  (Zenith):
   1. 800-225-7629
   2. >> soundretirementtrust.com

 

Invitation to Join our Live Telephone Town Hall - 11/15/23

Good day to our grocery store members from east of the Cascades! We would like to invite you to join our live Telephone Town Hall on Wednesday November 15 at 4:30 PM to discuss our upcoming contract negotiations. We have been building our collective strength for several months – taking surveys, filling out updated contact information, and making commitments to do what is necessary to win better staffing and training, higher wages, protected health and pension benefits, and more.

When we call you at 4:30 on Wednesday, simply answer your phone to join the call.

If for some reason by 4:35 on Wednesday you do not receive a call, or your call gets disconnected, you can join us by dialing 888-652-0384 and entering Meeting ID: 7644.

We look forward to speaking with you on Wednesday and taking your questions live on the call.

PCC workers overwhelmingly voted NO on PCC’s latest offer

Yesterday, November 9, PCC workers overwhelmingly voted NO on PCC’s latest offer, with over 92% rejecting the contract. Our bargaining committee will be seeking more bargaining dates with PCC and continue fighting for the best contract possible. In the meantime, if we are unable to reach a deal that benefits all workers at PCC, we need to get ready to take action. Upcoming Contract Action Team (CAT) meetings are being scheduled and information will be sent out as soon as possible. It’s important to attend one of those meetings, as we will be prepping for informational pickets at various locations. 

Solidarity is key as we try to secure a contract that we hope will put us ahead of other union grocers in the region. You can stay updated by visiting our news & updates section on our website, reaching out to your union rep, or attending an open bargaining session when they resume.

It is important to get informed and stay informed during this process, It is your right to talk about these negotiations on the shop floor. You can always send a message to our PCC union bargaining team here >>

UFCW 3000 Member Story: Shop Steward Matthew Kendrick

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.

Newly elected Executive Board members are sworn in!

UFCW 3000 is a union that runs on democracy. Our Executive Board of over 40 members like you, and our union's top three officers (President, Secretary Treasurer, and Recorder), are all elected by the membership. Similarly, each member gets the opportunity to vote on their contract, which governs their wages, benefits, and working conditions.
 
On Tuesday, October 24, the top officers, President Faye Guenther, Secretary Treasurer Joe Mizrahi and Recorder Maria Milliron, and the rest of the Executive Board were sworn in to a new term. Under their leadership, our union is helping to lead the way in partnering with many other locals, community organizations, elected officials, and others to advance our rights and benefits and improve and enforce laws at the local, state, and federal levels. We are also excited and looking forward to pursuing the goals in our UFCW 3000 Strategic Plan for building a stronger union. 

Kim Cordova, President of UFCW Local 7 was our special guest to help with the swearing-in process. Local 7 and Local 3000 have been staunch allies through many fights and we thank Kim for helping us out! 

Get to know our elected Executive Board members >>

PCC Contract Votes Scheduled

Bargaining Team Recommends a NO Vote on Management’s Latest Contract Offer

After months of negotiations, PCC Management has put forth their latest offer, and our Bargaining Team wants all union members to see for themselves if this offer is really good enough. While many tentative agreements have been reached throughout negotiations, there is still division on key issues, including across-the-board wage increases, Board of Trustees language, and more. We believe PCC can do better, that is why our Bargaining Team is recommending a NO VOTE on this offer. 

Vote meetings have been scheduled on Thursday, November 9 for all PCC workers in good standing to review the offer from Management, ask our union member Bargaining Team questions, and vote on whether to accept or reject the offer.

Contract Votes for Thursday, November 9:

9:00am — 12:00pm

West Seattle PCC: 2749 California Ave SW. Seattle, WA 98116
Burien PCC: 15840 1st Ave. South, Burien, WA 98148
Green Lake Village PCC: 450 NE 71st St. Seattle, WA 98115
Bothell PCC: 22621 Bothell Everett Highway, Bothell, WA 98021
Fremont PCC: 600 North 34th St. Seattle, WA 98103
Bellevue PCC:  11615 NE 4th St. Bellevue, WA 98004
Ballard PCC: 1451 NW 46th St. Seattle, WA 98107
View Ridge PCC: 6514 40th Ave NE. Seattle, WA 98115

2:00pm — 5:00pm

Columbia City PCC: 3610 South Edmunds St. Seattle, WA 98118
Central District PCC: 2230 E Union St. Seattle, WA 98122
Downtown PCC: 1320 4th Ave. Seattle, WA 98101
Redmond PCC: 11435 Avondale Rd NE. Redmond, WA 98052
Edmonds PCC: 9803 Edmonds Wy. Edmonds, WA 98020
Issaquah PCC: 1810 12th Ave NW. Issaquah, WA 98027
Kirkland PCC: 430 Kirkland Wy. Kirkland, WA 98033
Greenlake PCC: 7504 Aurora Avenue N. Seattle, WA 98103

WeTrain Washington is seeking a qualified Fishmonger Apprenticeship Instructor!

WeTrain Washington is seeking a qualified Fishmonger Apprenticeship Instructor! 

The Seattle Puget Sound Meatcutters and Fishmongers Apprenticeship Program is a partnership between UFCW 3000, the State of Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I), retail grocery employers, and South Seattle College. The goal of the Seattle Puget Sound Meatcutters and Fishmongers Apprenticeship Program is to share industry knowledge, skills, and techniques to develop Apprentices into highly skilled Journey Meatcutters and Fishmongers. This Fishmonger Apprenticeship program is the first of it's kind in the U.S.

The Fishmonger Apprenticeship Instructor will teach aspiring Fishmongers in the Seattle Puget Sound Region, specifically in Snohomish and Kitsap Counties. The new instructor will need to work approximately one day per week between January and August of 2024. The application deadline is November 10, 2023. 

Learn more about, and apply to the open Fishmonger Apprenticeship Instructor position here! >>

Grocery East - Bargaining Update

“Me and my coworkers don’t expect to get rich working at Fred Meyer. We just don’t think we should have to make a choice between paying our utility bills or rent or mortgage. We deserve a better wage.” 

—Melissa Lozano, Richland Fred Meyer, Shoe Department Lead 

This week our union member bargaining team met to become more informed about our union pension, healthcare plan, and professional training fund.  Now we are ready to go out and educate and support our co-workers with this essential information. We are excited to fight to strengthen and protect our union benefits in bargaining. 

We also were briefed by the Director of WeTrain, our union’s first professional development training fund in the country for people working as meat cutters and in grocery stores.In contract negotiations, we are ready to push to expand this benefit to Eastern Washington, Idaho, and Oregon.  

Our committee discussed the proposed Kroger/Albertsons merger and the ways it would harm us as workers and consumers.Our union, in partnership with locals around the country, has been outspoken in our opposition to this proposed merger since it was announced over a year ago because it threatens jobs, communities and customers. We need Kroger and Albertsons executives to invest in us, not their pocketbooks.  

Join us by: 

• Coming to a Contract Action Team Meeting:

  • October 25 | 5:30-6:30 in Tri Cities-Wenatchee
    UFCW 3000 office: 330 King St, Suite 4

  • October 26 | 5:30-6:30 in Spokane
    UFCW 3000 office: 2805 N. Market St.

  • October 27 | 5:30-6:30 in Yakima
    UFCW 3000 office: 507 S. 3rd St

• Signing a Strike Pledge Card 

• Joining our Telephone Townhall on 11/15 at 4:30 PM (We’ll call you!) 

• Joining our Worker Research Committee, meeting on Monday, November 6 at 5:30 pm via Zoom!

  • >> Register here!

• Wearing a union button 

We plan to meet with the employers’ representatives at the end of November!