Help nominate PCC worker, Laurae McIntyre, to the PCC Board of Trustees!

Learn more about worker candidate, Laurae McIntyre, and what she stands for:

Laurae

I’ve been a member of PCC since the 1980s, and I have family whose porches used to be part of the co-op’s original network of drop-off spots in the ’50s! I came to work at PCC about 6 years ago, wanting to work somewhere that aligns with my values and where I get to interact directly with a lot of people in my community. Our role has only become more important now, during the COVID pandemic. For lots of people, coming to the grocery store is one of their only opportunities for community and connection, along with healthy food. I’ve been really humbled by this experience and the appreciation our customers have shared with us.

PCC is a community. People become members because of what we stand for. We support local producers instead of corporate ones, our food is clean and handled properly from its beginning to the store shelves. People work here because of what we stand for, too. As a union shop steward in my store, I get to welcome new people to our staff. We have a young and vibrant workforce that is pushing us to step up on racial equity, LGBTQ inclusion, and justice for workers all along the food supply chain—including the workers in our own stores.

I want to make sure my coworkers are represented on the Board of Trustees.

PCC has been expanding so fast recently, focusing on opening new stores and big remodels. That’s great, I’m happy for us to grow. But given that the people who are usually on the Board of Trustees are business focused, some with no retail experience whatsoever, PCC workers agree we need some representation on the Board. We’re the ones working in these stores day in and day out. We want to protect the core mission of the co-op, the reasons why we work here, and why our members shop here.

With a worker voice on the Board, the decisions that steer the future of our co-op can be informed by the people interacting one-on-one with our customers and working with the beautiful food our farmers provide. We’re ready to have a voice in shaping the values and direction of this community.

Help nominate PCC worker, Donna Rasmussen, to the PCC Board of Trustees!

Learn more about worker candidate, Donna Rasmussen, and what she stands for:

Donna

I’m a working mom, and my whole family is invested in the mission and success of PCC—in fact, my partner and two teenage sons all work for the co-op. In my 40 years of customer service, I think PCC has hands-down the best customers I’ve ever worked with.

As PCC focuses on its growth, many of my coworkers and I feel it’s time to again have a worker voice on the Board of Trustees to ensure that customers, workers, and our community are kept front and center in decision-making. Members helped build this co-op, and as someone who interacts with our members and customers every day, I want them to know we’ve got their backs and that they can trust us. I spend money here because I trust us and I believe our co-op can grow, while holding onto its mission, values, and connection to the community.

I’m passionate about fair trade, gender and racial equity, affordable housing, and community living. For 10 years now, I have lived in a co-op housing community, where I take an active role and hold a position in community leadership. I’ve been a grocery store worker and active member of my union (UFCW), since the 1980s, serving on the union bargaining team during the big 1989 grocery strike. I also worked for QFC for 12 years, before and after it was bought by Fred Meyer and then the national chain Kroger. I experienced firsthand what happens when a well-loved community grocery store strays away from and loses what makes it unique. I have proudly been at PCC for more than 6 years now.

I’m committed to helping PCC continue to thrive while staying focused on our mission. That means connecting authentically with the communities we’re moving into as we open new stores. It means making sure PCC workers can afford to shop at our stores and live in our communities. When PCC takes care of its frontline staff, we can better take care of our customers. It also means continuing to support our small farmers and local vendors, even if they can’t produce enough to get their product in every one of our expanding locations. After all, as a co-op, our stores should be a reflection of our communities.

Right now, 8 months into the pandemic it remains stressful for most people to shop for food. My coworkers, including my boys, and I have committed to provide our customers access to fresh, healthy food in a safe and sanitized environment. We do our best to hold each other up and try to stay healthy ourselves, while working during such difficult times.

If I ring up your groceries or pass you in the aisle, please be sure to say hi!

20/20 Looking Back and Looking Forward

Dear UFCW 21 members,  

At the start of a new year, we find ourselves looking back and looking forward. 2020 was an intense year for most of us, and we face 2021 still in the grip of a public health and economic crisis, alongside a reckoning on racial oppression and an assault on our democracy.  

But we also face this new year together, as a union of over 46,000 working people. Many UFCW 21 members put their lives on the line in 2020 to show up for work and keep our communities fed, supplied, and cared for. Thousands of you newly joined us in 2020, making our union stronger in the face of challenges. We have grieved together, celebrated together, and stood side by side fighting for fair pay and safe working conditions.  

Together in 2020 we: 

Settled 25 contracts, including 70 Memorandums of understanding with employers around COVID safety and benefits. 

Welcomed 8,378 new members into our union, including 1,023 members from 8 new units who organized unions at their workplaces for the first time! 
Welcome to our union: 

Providence St Peter Techs 
Summit Pacific Medical Center RNs, Techs, and Service 
Providence Centralia Techs and Service 
Lourdes Medical Center Service 
Seattle Children’s Hospital Medical Assistants 
Metropolitan Market Mercer Island 
PCC Central District 
14 QFC ClickList locations 
Kaiser Pharmacy workers 

Conducted 41 Telephone Town Hall calls with thousands of members. 

Came together and donated 141,867 pieces of Personal Protective Equipment to frontline workers including: 95,600 Gloves, 18,353 N95 Masks, 9,740 goggles, and 6,175 Surgical Masks. 

We awarded $42,000 to our 2020 Scholarship Recipients. 

2021 will certainly bring new opportunities to accomplish our top priorities, including:  

Hazard pay for all essential workers. 

Priority vaccine access for essential workers and vulnerable populations. 

Personal protective equipment wherever it is needed. 

Child care support for working families.  

Maintain workers’ right to safety, including enforcement of COVID safety requirements and our right to workplaces free from discrimination. 

Milestones in our training and workforce development programs. 

Passing a Worker Protection Act and a financial transparency bill for big health care systems in Washington State. 

We will win these at bargaining tables, through our city councils and state legislature, through outreach in the press, and directly in our communities and workplaces by speaking up for what we know is right, caring for each other so we can stay in the fight, and standing together in solidarity as a union family.  

If you have questions or concerns, do not hesitate to reach out. Join us at the Winter General Membership Meetings, check out all the resources on our union website at UFCW21.org, call us at 1-800-732-1188, and get involved however you can. If you need help, you can always file a safety report at safetyreport@ufcw21.org or reach the Rep of the Day at (206) 436-6578.  

In solidarity, Faye & Joe  

Faye Guenther, President, UFCW 21 

Joe Mizrahi, Secretary-Treasurer, UFCW 21 

Help nominate PCC workers to the PCC Board of Trustees!

Two longtime PCC workers, Donna Rasmussen and Laurae McIntyre, are currently running for seats on the PCC Board of Trustees, and need thousands of signatures to earn their nominations. If you are a member of PCC, please sign their petitions to get them on the ballot! You can find community members collecting signatures outside PCC stores this month, and if you work at PCC contact your Shop Steward to sign a petition.

Unfortunately, PCC administration has tried to block union and community advocates from gathering signatures. We believe this violates the democratic process and the values of the co-op. You can help these workers earn a spot on the ballot by calling the PCC office at  206-547-1222 and telling them: “I’m a PCC shopper, and I’m asking the CEO to stop blocking workers from running for the Board of Trustees. Give Laurae and Donna a fair and safe process to get on the ballot and let workers collect signatures electronically.”

You can also file a customer comment with PCC at: pccmarkets.com/contact-us

PCC worker Jared gathers signatures to support his coworkers getting on the pcc board

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Learn more about these worker candidates and what they stand for:

Donna

I’m a working mom, and my whole family is invested in the mission and success of PCC—in fact, my partner and two teenage sons all work for the co-op. In my 40 years of customer service, I think PCC has hands-down the best customers I’ve ever worked with.

As PCC focuses on its growth, many of my coworkers and I feel it’s time to again have a worker voice on the Board of Trustees to ensure that customers, workers, and our community are kept front and center in decision-making. Members helped build this co-op, and as someone who interacts with our members and customers every day, I want them to know we’ve got their backs and that they can trust us. I spend money here because I trust us and I believe our co-op can grow, while holding onto its mission, values, and connection to the community.

I’m passionate about fair trade, gender and racial equity, affordable housing, and community living. For 10 years now, I have lived in a co-op housing community, where I take an active role and hold a position in community leadership. I’ve been a grocery store worker and active member of my union (UFCW), since the 1980s, serving on the union bargaining team during the big 1989 grocery strike. I also worked for QFC for 12 years, before and after it was bought by Fred Meyer and then the national chain Kroger. I experienced firsthand what happens when a well-loved community grocery store strays away from and loses what makes it unique. I have proudly been at PCC for more than 6 years now.

I’m committed to helping PCC continue to thrive while staying focused on our mission. That means connecting authentically with the communities we’re moving into as we open new stores. It means making sure PCC workers can afford to shop at our stores and live in our communities. When PCC takes care of its frontline staff, we can better take care of our customers. It also means continuing to support our small farmers and local vendors, even if they can’t produce enough to get their product in every one of our expanding locations. After all, as a co-op, our stores should be a reflection of our communities.

Right now, 8 months into the pandemic it remains stressful for most people to shop for food. My coworkers, including my boys, and I have committed to provide our customers access to fresh, healthy food in a safe and sanitized environment. We do our best to hold each other up and try to stay healthy ourselves, while working during such difficult times.

If I ring up your groceries or pass you in the aisle, please be sure to say hi!

---

Laurae

I’ve been a member of PCC since the 1980s, and I have family whose porches used to be part of the co-op’s original network of drop-off spots in the ’50s! I came to work at PCC about 6 years ago, wanting to work somewhere that aligns with my values and where I get to interact directly with a lot of people in my community. Our role has only become more important now, during the COVID pandemic. For lots of people, coming to the grocery store is one of their only opportunities for community and connection, along with healthy food. I’ve been really humbled by this experience and the appreciation our customers have shared with us.

PCC is a community. People become members because of what we stand for. We support local producers instead of corporate ones, our food is clean and handled properly from its beginning to the store shelves. People work here because of what we stand for, too. As a union shop steward in my store, I get to welcome new people to our staff. We have a young and vibrant workforce that is pushing us to step up on racial equity, LGBTQ inclusion, and justice for workers all along the food supply chain—including the workers in our own stores.

I want to make sure my coworkers are represented on the Board of Trustees.

PCC has been expanding so fast recently, focusing on opening new stores and big remodels. That’s great, I’m happy for us to grow. But given that the people who are usually on the Board of Trustees are business focused, some with no retail experience whatsoever, PCC workers agree we need some representation on the Board. We’re the ones working in these stores day in and day out. We want to protect the core mission of the co-op, the reasons why we work here, and why our members shop here.

With a worker voice on the Board, the decisions that steer the future of our co-op can be informed by the people interacting one-on-one with our customers and working with the beautiful food our farmers provide. We’re ready to have a voice in shaping the values and direction of this community.

State Hazard Alert for Preventing Spread of COVID-19 in Healthcare Settings

UFCW 21 members at CHI’s Harrison/St Michael Medical Center faced an outbreak at their hospital in August 2020, and after management did not address health care workers’ safety, members pushed back and stood up for a safer workplace for themselves and their patients. Their advocacy led the state’s Department of Labor & Industries and Department of Health to issue a special document called a Joint Hazard Alert, which addresses a special workplace issue brought to these departments’ attention.

The September 2020 Joint Hazard Alert specifies requirements of health care employers to keep workers and patients safe as we deal with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Employers must meet the requirements outlined in this alert, and can be held accountable to these standards by complaints filed with the state’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH). If your employer is not meeting these standards in any area, you should contact your Union Rep immediately or submit a safety report at safetyreport@ufcw21.org to get help filing a report.

The Hazard Alert covers specific safety requirements such as:

• “Disposable respirators and procedural masks must be replaced daily at the beginning of each shift for every employee and immediately upon employee request when soiled or damaged during the shift. Multiple shift use of disposable respirators/masks is NOT allowed.”

• “Hospitals must develop and implement an effective system to track N95/PAPR/CAPR training and testing that ensures every employee is supplied with appropriate respiratory protection.”

• “Staff must be provided a safe place to don and doff PPE prior to entering spaces where facemasks must be removed for eating and drinking. Staff should don a new facemask prior to returning to the unit.”

• “Provide adequate space and procedures for staff to physically distance at a minimum of six feet in break rooms, nurse stations, cafeteria and other places where staff congregate”

• “Prohibit staff from working or being on the premises if exposed to COVID-19, and all staff who test positive must be excluded from work and isolated according to CDC guidelines”

There are many more specifics in the Hazard Alert. Be sure to read the entire document to understand your rights to a safe workplace during COVID-19.

Again, if your employer is not meeting these standards in any area, you should contact your Union Rep immediately or submit a safety report at safetyreport@ufcw21.org to get help filing a report.

What Juneteenth 2020 Means to Us

Today is Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. This year, members have a lot to say about what this holiday means to us and what we’re thinking about on Juneteenth 2020. 

Thank you to UFCW 21 Shop Steward and Executive Vice President Wil Peterson for reaching out to fellow union leaders for their stories! 

Hearing about Juneteenth for the first time? You can learn more about Juneteenth at juneteenth.com, nmaahc.si.edu/events/juneteenth, or blkfreedom.org. 

Want to get involved in our union’s fight for racial equity and an antiracist labor movement? Sign up here. 

Health care stories from the front lines

UFCW 21 Members on the Front Lines of the COVID-19 Outbreak in Western Washington 

Members of our union have been providing quality care to COVID-19 patients since the first case arrived in Washington. We are asking our fellow union members to stay strong, asking the public to support public health guidelines like staying home, and asking our employers and the government for safety and support. Here are a few of our stories. 

Health care workers need safety equipment to protect ourselves on the front lines of the COVID19 outbreak. It's time to get this equipment into our hands. Send a message to congress here.

Do you work at or own a construction company, medical or dental office, or other organization with an inventory of potentially life-saving personal protective equipment? Donate these much needed supplies here.

Stories collected by UFCW 21 member Wil Peterson

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“If we remember our training, we’ll get through this.” 

Kimball Conlon, RN, Everett 

Kimball Conlon, a registered nurse in Providence Regional Medical Center-Everett's Emergency Department, was literally a first responder when the country's first coronavirus case was identified in Washington. As part of the Biological Evaluation Safety Team that faced a mysterious, rapidly unfolding crisis in January, she quickly learned the importance of remaining cool under unimaginable pressure. 

Her primary goal is ensuring that she protects her patients and colleagues. "If we remember our training, we’ll get through this," she said. "I will do everything I can to prevent the spread of transmission.” 

Union intervention, she added, has been a valuable resource. "The Union is sort of being the vigilant ones for the membership – making sure that hospitals and grocery stores are doing everything they need to do to protect workers," Kimball said. "They've been good at disseminating information and expressing support for members." 

"I know that people are frustrated by what they see as a lack of support from the hospital," Kimball said of hospital employers. "But they can only do what they can do with the information that's given from our government." Fortunately, she said, the Centers for Disease Control is helping matters by releasing new details about the coronavirus. This information, which repeatedly recommends precautionary measures, provides guidelines that Kimball strongly endorses. 

"I think that if people who feel sick can stay home, stay home. Use good hand sanitation," Kimball said. "Don’t add to confusion by spreading misinformation. I think we need to rely on what we know." 

Despite current fears and concerns generated by the pandemic, Kimball remains cautiously optimistic about lessons that can be learned for dealing with future crises. "We need to allow ourselves grace, and the powers that be grace," she said. "Let's try to get through this, and then say, 'What can we do better?'" 

“All we can do is our best.” 

Jacob Kostecka, RN, Olympia 

Dealing with the coronavirus is a new experience for UFCW 21 member Jacob Kostecka, too, a registered nurse at Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia. He said his county – Thurston – reported its first case earlier this week. “There is no treatment for this, other than supportive care. So if people come in, all we can do is our best. In some ways, we just have to accept that it’s here and live our lives.” 

But prior to the first case, social panic was already evident at the hospital. Masks and toilet paper are in short supply, he said, in some cases because of theft. Remaining items are now locked up. “It’s devastating to us because we’re in desperate need of them. It’s a challenge for care providers to get what we need,” Jacob said. “The shortage will only get worse as the pandemic continues.” Further complicating matters, Jacob added, is receiving confusing and conflicting information from the Federal Government about how best to deal with the pandemic. 

Another challenge is trying to provide quality care while dealing with inadequate staffing, said Jacob, who compared the crisis to a slow-moving train wreck. “We’re all gonna get hit. This is not going away.” 

Jacob said he believes the Union’s role is to push for meetings with Gov. Jay Inslee and to ask Providence to cover any healthcare insurance and pay shortages of healthcare workers who lose wages because of the crisis. “The Union and the administration need to work cooperatively together for the best possible outcome for our staff and our patients,” he said. “And I believe we can do that.” 

“One thing we, as professionals, can do is care for patients under any circumstances – that’s just what we do.” 

Matthew Skews, RN, Everett 

As a registered nurse who works in Interventional Radiology Services at Providence Regional Medical Center-Everett, Matthew Skews has limited contact with patients. But he’s well aware of the challenges faced by other nurses in higher-volume areas during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Staffing is an issue, Matthew said, which is increasing as the nurse-patient ratio escalates. “One thing we, as professionals, can do is care for patients under any circumstances – that’s just what we do. But don’t make us do it short-staffed,” said Matthew, who referenced state legislation designed to protect nurses from experiencing fatigue. “That’s where we need the help.” Masks, gloves and other supplies necessary to help protect nurses and patient also are in short supply, he added. "We’re not sure if what’s there is enough." 

The cumulative effect of these shortages creates both frustration and exhaustion for Matthew. “Frequently we’re finding ourselves trying to keep up and catch up with what’s happening,” he said.