Bellingham grocery workers win their fight for a $4/hour hazard pay mandate

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The Bellingham City Council voted 5 to 2 last night (May 10) to mandate $4 per hour hazard pay for frontline workers at large grocery chain stores in the city. Last night’s vote was a final procedural step, following initial approval of the ordinance two weeks earlier. The ordinance will go into effect at 12:01AM on May 25th. It will cover unionized employers, including Fred Meyer, Safeway, and Haggen, as well as some non-union stores such as Whole Foods.

Chris Vincent, a veteran produce worker at Bakerview Fred Meyer, helped organize co-workers to send emails and give public comment at multiple City Council meetings. Upon hearing of the victory, Vincent offered words of celebration:

“We fought an honorable fight for an honorable cause to give the hard-working people on the front lines what they deserve in these hazardous times. I want to personally thank the Bellingham City Council for recognizing the hazardous conditions we work in and for their support in compensating us for it. When we stand together, we win together!”

The Northwest Central Labor Council, led by Secretary-Treasurer Michele Stelovich, and Whatcom County Jobs With Justice, led by Betsy Pernotto, provided crucial support to UFCW21, engaging Council Members and mobilizing supporters to send messages of support and provide comments at several meetings.

Speaking before Council on March 8, the Labor Council’s Stelovich lauded frontline grocery workers:

“They stepped up, they went to work, and they made sure that we had food on our tables. So I just wanted to thank all the grocery workers that have done that. You know that some of the grocery stores have made huge profits… So these are things that they can afford to be able to give their workers… and reward them for being good employees that came to work under very difficult conditions.”

The Whatcom County DSA also mobilized supporters to speak up for grocery workers at multiple Council meetings.

The Northwest Grocery Association and Fred Meyer sent representatives to Council to speak against the ordinance, but there was little opposition, otherwise.

The City Council’s action last night was the culmination of a nearly year-long campaign by Bellingham grocery workers to demand continuation of hazard pay, after Albertsons and Kroger discontinued it last Spring. Members and community supporters held multiple protest actions to educate the public and sent hundreds of messages to City Council once the issue moved into the legislative arena in February.

Throughout the campaign, UFCW 21 members have also emphasized the need for improved COVID safety in their workplaces.

City Council Member Lisa Anderson shepherded the hazard pay ordinance to victory over several months, never backing down in the face of the grocery industry’s legal threats and misinformation.

The hazard pay ordinance covers workers at companies that employ at least 500 employees worldwide and at least 40 in Bellingham. At these companies, hazard pay will be required at stores that are over 10,000 sq. ft. and primarily sell groceries for offsite consumption or which are over 85,000 sq. ft., with 30% or more of their floor space devoted to groceries.

Thank You to the Bellingham City Council members who voted to support grocery workers: Lisa Anderson, Hannah Stone, Michael Lilliquist, Hollie Huthman, and Daniel Hammill

These Bellingham City Council members voted against grocery workers: Gene Knutson and Pinky Vargas

UFCW 21 Statement in Response to Today’s Guilty Verdict in the Trial of George Floyd’s Killer

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While we are gratified that the Floyd family and the community of Minneapolis received a form of justice today with a guilty verdict, we recognize that one verdict cannot fix a racist justice system. Nor can it bring back the life of George Floyd, nor the countless other Black, Indigenous, and People of Color whose lives and opportunities have been lost to racialized policing and systemic racism in its many forms. 

UFCW 21 stands for economic, political, and social justice in our workplaces and in our communities. We know that racism and white supremacy keep us separated from each other and undermine our collective power, and that the best way to defeat these systems of oppression is to work in solidarity to build a diverse working-class movement. We believe in working together toward the future we want to see. 

Over the past year, UFCW 21 members have continued our fight for racial justice in bold new ways, including demanding police accountability in the labor movement, attending many Black Lives Matter events, trainings, and protests, and fighting for the right to wear Black Lives Matter insignia at work, as well as standing in solidarity with nonunion workers fighting for these same rights.  

We are working within our labor movement and our communities to place racial justice at the heart of our plans for the future. 

To sign up to be connected with resources on how our Washington State labor movement and local Labor Councils are working for racial justice, click below: 

Want Black Lives Matter buttons for your workplace? Text your name and work location to (803) 820-2121. 

Read what UFCW 21 membership and leaders shared at the time of George Floyd’s death in 2020. 

April Telephone Town Hall Calls

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As COVID restrictions make it more difficult to meet in person and members face increased risks and concerns around COVID safety and other issues, we are continuing regular Telephone Town Hall calls for members to get important updates, ask questions of union leadership and special expert guests, and come together to plan how we can keep each other safe and fight for fairness at work even during this ongoing crisis.

UFCW 21 Member Telephone Town Hall
Monday, April 19 at 6:30 PM
☎️ 888-652-2664 Meeting ID: 5853

 All you have to do is pick up the phone when it rings between 5:30-5:40pm on Monday, or if you don’t receive a call, just use the call-in number and Meeting ID above.

UFCW 21 Health Care Member Telephone Town Hall
Monday, April 19 at 7:30 PM
☎️ 888-544-2310 Meeting ID: 5854

All you have to do is pick up the phone when it rings between 5:30-5:40pm on Monday, or if you don’t receive a call, just use the call-in number and Meeting ID above.

COVID Vaccine Information for UFCW 21 Members

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Many UFCW 21 members have already been vaccinated to protect against COVID-19. Many other members have questions about eligibility, how to find accurate vaccine information, and what we can do as a union to advocate for our right to vaccine access. Here’s the basics: 

ELIGIBILITY

NEW April 15, 2021: Everyone in Washington State who is 16 years or older is now eligible for the vaccines that protect against COVID-19. The vaccine is free, does not require a co-pay or insurance, and can protect you and your loved ones from catching and spreading COVID-19.

GETTING VACCINATED

There are multiple options for people seeking vaccines in Washington State. UFCW 21 is working closely with partners at the city, county, and state level, along with our employers and our health care trust, to make free vaccines accessible to all members as quickly as possible. Here are the main ways you can get vaccinated right now:

  1. Through your union: Speak with your Union Rep for information about vaccine appointments available to you through the union. We have held vaccination events at our union hall, and are working with partners across the state to make appointments available to UFCW 21 members at pop-up vaccination clinics, mass vaccination sites, and in our workplaces so members can access vaccines at convenient locations and times. If you have questions or need help, you can also contact us by email at vaccine@ufcw21.org.

  2. Through your employer: Your employer may be able to vaccinate staff at work, either through a pharmacy or clinic in the workplace or a vaccination event on-site. We have worked with many employers to ensure that everyone gets access. If your employer is vaccinating people at work and you have any questions or concerns about the process, contact your Union Rep.

  3. Through a city, county, or state-run mass vaccination site:

  4. Through a vaccine provider near you: Anyone who is eligible for a COVID vaccine can make an appointment at a provider in your area. This tool collects all available vaccine appointments in one place:

Need Help?

UFCW 21 members on the Sound Health & Wellness Trust can contact our Guardian Nurse service for assistance making COVID vaccine appointments by calling (877) 362-9969 and selecting option 2 (8am - 5pm).

You can also contact your Union Rep (just call our main office at 1-800-732-1188 to be connected to your Union Rep) or email vaccine@ufcw21.org.

KING COUNTY: Anyone who lives or works anywhere in Seattle or King County can call the Seattle Customer Service Line at 206-684-2489 from Monday through Saturday, between 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. for assistance. In-language assistance is available over the phone.

STATEWIDE: Call the state COVID hotline at 1-800-525-0127, then press #. You can request help making a vaccine appointment.

VACCINE INFORMATION 

There are three approved vaccines for COVID-19: one made by the company Pfizer (sometimes called the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine), one by the company Moderna, and one made by the company Johnson & Johnson (sometimes called Janssen). Currently, the Pfizer vaccine is authorized for people ages 16+ and the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are authorized for ages 18+. There are more vaccines in late-stage trials and in earlier phases of development and testing. On April 13, the CDC recommended states pause in administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine while they evaluate it further, and Washington State vaccine providers have complied.

There is a lot of information out there about COVID vaccines. We encourage members to look at the verified scientific information about these vaccines and be thoughtful about the sources of the information you rely on for a decision like this. Getting vaccinated is a choice, but it is a choice that affects your health and safety and our whole community, and it can help bring an end to a global health crisis. 

Here are some places to start: 

UNION ADVOCACY 

Our local and our international union feel strongly that essential workers have served our communities throughout this crisis and many of us are facing high risk of exposure at work, whether from the public or from close contact with coworkers. We have been advocating at the federal and local level from the very beginning of vaccine prioritization discussions for priority vaccine access for all frontline workers, including those in health care, grocery stores, meatpacking and food processing, and any other frontline essential workers. 

UFCW 21 Named to Washington’s Vaccine Command Center 

Our state has formed a partnership with companies, organizations, and unions that have the expertise to help ramp up our state’s ability to vaccinate people safely and quickly. We will ensure frontline workers have a voice in the broader plan for vaccination throughout this process, along with our role ensuring a high level of training and coordination. 

Protections in Washington State for High-Risk Workers

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NEW April 8, 2021: The proclamation protecting high-risk workers has been updated in the face of increased vaccination of Washington’s population, the length of the COVID-19 pandemic, and updates to the CDC’s categories of at-risk people. The information on this page has been updated to reflect the new modifications to these protections.

Governor Inslee has issued and extended a proclamation protecting working people who may be at higher risk for serious illness or complications from COVID-19. This proclamation is in effect through the end of Washington’s state of emergency, or until otherwise amended or rescinded. There is no set date for the expiration of these protections.

Workers who are covered by this proclamation are called “high risk employees,” and the term means anyone defined by the Centers for Disease Control as being more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19, as outlined on the CDC’s website listing risk factors and medical conditions that current science says may make someone more likely be hospitalized, need intensive care, require a ventilator to breathe, or even die if they were to contract COVID-19. Click the button below for the CDC’s list of these conditions.

In Washington State, your employer is required to provide accommodations to you at work that protect you from risk of exposure to COVID-19 if you are a high-risk employee and you request accommodations. These accommodations can include, but are not limited to: 

  • telework

  • alternative or remote work locations 

  • reassignment 

  • social distancing measures 

If your employer determines that an alternative work arrangement is not feasible for you, they must permit you to use all your available accrued leave options or unemployment insurance, in any sequence and at your discretion, and they cannot retaliate against you for doing so. If you use up your paid time off, your employer still cannot permanently replace you at work for exercising your rights under this proclamation.

Effective April 23, 2021, your employer can require medical verification to confirm you are covered under these protections. According to the Governor’s new order, they are required to follow the same interactive process required by state and federal disability laws, which means you should have a reasonable amount of time to respond. You or your employer can start the process of providing medical verification as soon as April 9, 2021, but your employer can’t mandate that you start this process before April 23, 2021.

Also effective April 23, 2021, your employer does not have to maintain your employer-related health insurance benefits unless you are otherwise eligible for Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) status or an extension of your benefits is covered by your contract or other condition of employment.

If your employer wishes to terminate your health benefits or change your alternative work arrangement, they must give 14 days notice in writing. They are still required to utilize all available options for alternative work assignments to protect you from exposure to COVID-19 if you are a high-risk worker and you request protections. These protections are in effect for both public- and private-sector workers. There are no exceptions.

If you would like to exercise your rights under this proclamation, and your employer doesn’t allow you to do so, connect with your Union Rep for help.

UNEMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY

Worker successfully made the case for some updates to our state’s unemployment insurance system, and that has included making high-risk workers’ eligibility for unemployment insurance during public health emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic part of state law. Thank you to the workers who fought for these protections and the lawmakers who listened. Read more about this state law here.

As of April 4, 2021, an unemployed person who has left work voluntarily and is high risk or lives with someone who is high risk is eligible for unemployment benefits in our state. Speak with your Union Rep to discuss your options for workplace accommodations that will protect you and unemployment insurance benefits if you are on leave.

Scroll down for a list of answers to Frequently Asked Questions on our state’s high-risk worker protections and a list of health conditions that may put you at higher risk for serious COVID-19 complications.

Further Reading:

Frequently Asked Questions About High-Risk Worker Protections

You can find the state’s answers to Frequently Asked Questions, updated to reflect the changes made in April 2021, by clicking here.

Are health care workers, essential workers, or any other category of workers excluded from these protections?

No. There are no exclusions. Regardless of your job, if your health care provider determines you are a high-risk employee, your employer must offer you accommodations and protections under this proclamation.

What kind of verification do i need to provide to my employer to show that I am a high-risk employee?

Your employer can require medical verification from a health care provider who assesses your medical condition, vaccination status, and the circumstances of your job or workplace to determine whether you are high risk and whether you can return to the workplace with additional accommodations to protect you from exposure. If your employer is not accepting documentation you think is sufficient, contact your Union Rep for support.

Can my employer contact my doctor or health care provider without my permission?

No. Providing your employer with documentation of your status as a high-risk employee does not give a health care provider the right to share further information about your health with your employer, unless you have given them explicit permission to do so. (If you signed a document releasing your medical information, check carefully to see what it allows your provider to share.) Sharing medical information without your consent could be a violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and if it happens you should contact your Union Rep to determine next steps that protect your privacy and your right to accommodations.

If my employer offers accommodations that I don’t think are good enough to keep me safe, do I have to accept them anyway?

No, you have a say in what accommodations are safe for you. The governor’s proclamation says decisions about this “cannot be left solely to the employer.” Again, if your employer is not offering acceptable accommodations, talk to your Union Rep.

My employer wants me to telework, but I would rather take leave. Can I do that?

You may be able to choose leave instead of telework, but it’s not a guarantee. You should request what you think is safe and fair, and get support from your Union Rep to make it happen if your employer refuses to accommodate you. The state has asked employers to be flexible with employees and respect requests for leave, and gives you a say in what you consider safe. Your employer may be able to argue that telework is appropriate.

can my employer force me to return to work if i am vaccinated, or because i have been working from home or on leave for a certain period of time?

If your medical provider has verified that you are a high-risk employee and should not return to the workplace, your employer cannot require you to return by threatening to terminate your position, and they must continue to provide you with accommodations that protect you against exposure to COVID-19.

What kinds of paid leave can I use if my employer can’t protect me from exposure at work?

You can use any accrued leave you have, including vacation, sick, compensatory time, exchange time, personal holiday, or federal Emergency Paid Sick Leave. You can also use Unemployment Insurance during your time away from work, even though your employer is not allowed to permanently replace you.

How do I use Unemployment Insurance for this purpose?

When you file for unemployment, your employer should provide the state’s Employment Security Department with appropriate documentation to support your unemployment claim. If you need help applying for unemployment, contact your Union Rep or get in touch with our partners at the Unemployment Law Project.

Do I have to use all my accrued leave first before filing for unemployment?

No. Under this proclamation, workers in high-risk categories are allowed to use accrued leave or unemployment insurance in any order and at your discretion. Your employer cannot force you to use up your accrued leave before you file for unemployment.

CDC List of Potentially Higher-Risk Conditions

The CDC has altered the way they categorize the risk factors and medical conditions that can put people at increased risk for severe illness if they were to contract COVID-19. There is no longer a distinction between “at increased risk” or “might be at increased risk.” Instead, they list all health conditions or health histories that current science says may contribute to a person’s higher risk of COVID complications, and they provide links to the science they rely on to make these decisions. The CDC list is regularly updated, and includes a link at the top of the page so you can see the last time they made an edit to their list. As of April 13, 2021, here are some of the health conditions that are included:

  • Cancer or a history of cancer

  • Chronic lung or kidney disease

  • Dementia or other neurological conditions

  • Diabetes

  • Down syndrome

  • Heart conditions

  • HIV

  • Weakened immune system (being immunocompromised)

  • Liver disease

  • Body Mass Index over 25 (being overweight or obese)

  • Pregnancy

  • Sickle cell disease or thalassemia

  • Being a current or former smoker

  • Solid organ or blood stem cell transplant

  • Stroke or cerebrovascular disease

  • Substance use disorders (such as alcohol, opioid, or cocaine use disorder)

UFCW 21 Endorses Council Member González for Seattle Mayor

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For Immediate Release: Monday 4/12/21 | Contact: Tom Geiger, UFCW 21, 206-604-3421

SEATTLE, WA —  Today, UFCW 21, the region’s largest labor union, announced its endorsement of Council Member Lorena González for Seattle Mayor. The working partnership with our worker-led union goes back nearly a decade —  a decade of both great progress and great strife for working people in our city. The Mayor of Seattle can be a major force for leading change and our belief is that González is the best candidate for our city and that she will help meet the potential to reduce inequity, reduce racial injustice, and improve the rights and daily lives of working people. UFCW 21 has been at the center of efforts for over a decade to forward workers’ rights and lead the nation.

González reacted to the news: “I’m proud to have the support of UFCW 21's 46,000 hard-working members. Their workers are vital to our city's economy and have been on the front lines during the COVID-19 pandemic. I'm proud to have worked with UFCW 21 on the city council to establish the Office of Labor Standards, protect workers from scheduling instability and to provide hazard pay for grocery store workers during the pandemic. As Seattle's next Mayor, I will continue to work with our essential workers to ensure the safety and health of working people and to create good-paying jobs."

Our city was one of the first to pass a dramatically higher minimum wage, paid sick days, secure scheduling, and most recently hazard pay for essential grocery store workers. González has been there with us all along the way, providing savvy, principled and progressive leadership.

"Council Member González was a great partner in the fight for the Secure Scheduling law to help us have more control over our schedules at work and to better plan time with family. As a grocery store worker and elected board member of UFCW 21, I'm very happy she has our full support to become Seattle's next mayor," said Maggie Breshears who works at Fred Meyer in Greenwood.

"Last year, after continued problems and the Seattle Police Officers Guild’s refusal to meet community demands for major police reform and accountability, UFCW 21 heard the community’s demands, and we took a leadership role in the Labor community and fought for and succeeded at having SPOG removed from the MLK Labor Council.  Everyone, people of all races and economic levels need police justice and should have equal access to that justice in our communities. Seattle has a lot of work to do along these lines and we feel Council Member González can help lead that work as Mayor," said Sam Dancy, a longtime QFC worker in West Seattle and elected Executive Board member of UFCW 21.

As an at-large member of the council, González has been elected by voters across the city. And as an attorney and advocate, she has a long record of caring, action and success for the working people of the city and beyond. Her own story combines the hard struggle of an immigrant family, a farmworker family. She understands firsthand the trials of racism, the inequality in our economy, as well as the benefits of getting a strong public education and the importance of getting organized and involved in community.

UFCW 21 Member Chris Navarrette awarded Key to the City of Federal Way

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Chris Navarrette, Cheese Monger at Fred Meyer #111 Federal Way accepting the Keys to the City of Federal Way

Chris Navarrette, Cheese Monger at Fred Meyer #111 Federal Way accepting the Keys to the City of Federal Way

This week, UFCW 21 member and Fred Meyer worker Chris Navarrette was given the Key to the City of Federal Way, on behalf of the Federal Way grocery store workers who have served our community throughout the pandemic.

Chris was also honored for his work on a hazard pay ordinance in the City of Federal Way. After speaking up about hazard pay in a video for union negotiations with Fred Meyer, Chris attended a UFCW 21 webinar on what it takes to organize around hazard pay at the city level. He helped spur negotiations for a Federal Way hazard pay ordinance, which is now being considered by Federal Way City Council, and he testified at a city council meeting.

Here’s what Chris had to say at his Key to the City ceremony:

“Good evening, I am honored to accept this key to the city on behalf of all grocery workers in Federal Way. Since the start of this pandemic, grocery workers have gone to work every day, putting themselves and their families at risk in order to keep our communities fed. I am grateful that the Mayor and the City Council are recognizing the hard work of grocery workers during this unprecedented time. I am also pleased that the city is going to consider hazard pay for grocery workers. While I am the individual that is accepting this award, it is truly deserved by each and every grocery worker in this city. Thank you again for this honor, and it is a privilege to participate in this ceremony with so many other essential workers.”

Want to organize around workers’ rights in your area or get involved in local politics where you live to help make sure working people have a voice? Talk to your Shop Steward or Union Rep about how to get involved!

United Actions calling out Kroger for Store Closures and Bully Tactics

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450x900px BLOG Social Share Image UNITED ACTIONS- UFCW Locals 21 324 and 770.jpg

MEDIA ADVISORY for Thursday, April 8, 2021 at 11 AM

For immediate release: April 7, 2021

CONTACT: Tom Geiger, UFCW 21, 604-3421

Grocery Store Workers and Community in Long Beach, LA, and Seattle To Call Out Kroger for Bullying and Store Closures   

The Kroger Co. Announced Closures of Seven Neighborhood Stores to Avoid Paying Workers a Temporary Wage Increase After Profiting $2.6 Billion During the Pandemic, Investing Earnings on Stock Buybacks Instead

Seattle, WA – On Thursday, April 8th, essential frontline grocery workers, community members, and supporters in California and Washington will host a symbolic “donation collection” in front of stores set to close, to help raise funds for the top supermarket chain in the country to pay its workers temporary hazard pay and call on Kroger Co. to keep stores open. 

In a theater performance style, workers and community members will ask shoppers to donate pennies in a collective piggy bank to pitch in and help pay essential workers to shame Kroger over its greedy behavior.

Kroger owns the California Ralphs and Food 4 Less stores and Washington QFC stores slated to shut down. The corporation falsely claims that these supermarkets are closing as a result of hazard pay when in reality it was a clear effort to intimidate workers, the community, and elected officials in an attempt to discourage any additional hazard pay ordinances from passing. 

Thursday’s actions will symbolize the extreme disparity between the company’s windfall COVID profits and its decision to cut workers’ pay since May 2020, despite persistent elevated sales and risk to employees.  

WHO:   Workers, customers, and community members in Long Beach, Los Angeles, and Seattle 

WHAT: Simultaneous demonstrations in LA, Long Beach & Seattle. Workers and community members impacted by the store closures will call out Kroger’s bullying and the greed that is driving their retaliatory actions closing stores that workers and communities depend on.

WHEN:  Thursday, April 8, 2021, at 11 AM

VISUALS: Blow-up piggy bank, jumbo pennies, and donation stand in front of the store

WHERE:  Wedgwood QFC at 8400 35th Ave NE, Seattle           

BACKGROUND: Local hazard pay ordinances have been passed in cities across California and in Washington, honoring workers for the sacrifice they make coming to work in a pandemic while others can work from home. In response to these temporary ordinances, Kroger Co. is the only grocery company announcing they will close stores instead of complying with the laws. Numerous requests for injunctions by the grocery industry challenging the hazard pay laws have been denied.

According to a Brookings Institution analysis, many of the United States’ top retail companies have earned record-breaking profits during the pandemic, but this increase in profit has not made its way back to workers. Grocers nationwide instead used their excess pandemic profits to buy back shares all the while threatening to close down stores and misleading the public that hazard pay would have to be passed onto consumers. 

Grievance filed over KP pay issues — what you can do to support

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We wanted to update all KP members about the problems many people are experiencing with their paychecks and KP’s recent demands for repayment of incorrect pay amounts.

Here’s what we’re doing right now: 

  • We have sent a cease & desist letter to KP ordering them to immediately cease demanding any repayment of past wages they believe are incorrect, unless and until they offer all necessary information and can accurately document and verify the basis for their demands.

  • We have filed a grievance over this issue and an extensive information request, including a request for a full audit to determine if members were under- or overpaid, a clear explanation of their basis for demanding repayments, and copies of all of their communication with staff over this issue.

  • The National Alliance is involved in investigating and addressing this matter with KP at the national level.

  • UFCW 21 is fully investigating this matter here in Washington with our Union Rep, UFCW 21 bargainer, and UFCW 21 legal team, and assessing our contractual and legal options to make sure everyone is protected from pay errors and any overreach on the part of KP.

Here’s what you can do right now to exercise your rights and support this grievance and each other: 

  1. File a Workers’ Rights Complaint with the Washington State Dept. of Labor and Industries

  1. Submit your experiences with any pay issues, including any documentation you have, to UFCW 21

We all deserve to be paid for our work, paid accurately and on time, and for any discrepancies to be well-documented and explained. This is unacceptable behavior from KP and we will be working together to make it right and hold them accountable if they continue to mistreat KP workers. 

UFCW 21 stands in solidarity with the members of Local 7 in Boulder Colorado

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The 46,000 members of UFCW 21 stand in solidarity with the members of UFCW local 7 who are mourning the killing of grocery store workers and others in Boulder yesterday. All workers, including those of us in grocery stores, deserve a safe place to do our jobs. We urge all who would like to learn more to read the statement issued by UFCW local 7:

http://ufcw7.org/2021/03/23/local-7-mourns-tragic-deaths-of-several-victims-after-active-shooting-at-a-king-soopers-store-in-boulder-co/

UFCW 21's Statement in Solidarity with Our AAPI Community

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“We must stand together in solidarity against the hate and ignorance that is going on, today more than ever.” -Kyong Barry, UFCW 21 Executive Board Member

As we saw last week, with the murder of six Asian women in their places of work in Georgia, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities are targets for violence which has gone up over 150% in the last year. UFCW 21 AAPI members, in additional to putting their lives at risk in the middle a pandemic to feed and care for us, have faced verbal threats and physical violence from customers, patients, and colleagues in their workplaces. Customers have also attacked AAPI customers in our grocery stores.

“Our Asian American communities in Washington State are vital parts of the fabric of our society. My neighborhood of White Center is vibrant because of the diverse Asian American communities who live here. These are my neighbors, my customers, and my friends, and I am committed to ensuring that they are safe walking in our neighborhoods and coming into our grocery stores.” -Jeannette Randall, UFCW 21 Executive Board Member

UFCW 21 is committed to confronting and ending racism in all of its forms. We believe that until everyone is safe at work, no one is safe, and we all need to be part of making that real. We take our lead from Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), API Chaya and other AAPI-led partner groups. The UFCW 21 executive board encourages everyone to attend the upcoming United Against Hate-APALA workshop to learn our history, so that we can take action in our present.

EVENT: Hate Crimes and the AAPI Community: Standing up to Racist Attacks by White Supremacists and the Far Right

DATE/TIME: Saturday, March 27, 1 pm (PT)

UFCW 21 signed on to a solidarity statement by Asian Americans Advancing Justice, and United Against Hate encourages all to sign on.

ACTION: Sign on to “A Community-Centered Response to Violence Against Asian American Communities”

Judge Dismisses Lawsuit – Hazard Pay Prevails

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UFCW 21
For immediate release: 3.18.2021,  12:35 PM
Contact: Tom Geiger, 206-604-3421 ( c )

In an effort to provide some compensation for the hard work and sacrifice of grocery store workers during the current health crisis of COVID 19, Seattle passed a hazard pay ordinance that went into effect on February 3rd. The industry quickly filed a lawsuit attempting to reverse this new law. Today the judge ruled against the industry. The city’s hazard pay law will remain in place.

Faye Guenther, President of UFCW 21 stated in response to the judge's decision:

“We have pushed for hazard pay for essential grocery store workers since May when the corporations running the stores decided, without even giving a reason, to cut the hazard pay that had been in place. The city’s hazard pay ordinance is a good law that provides temporary additional pay to the frontline workers in our grocery stores who have been putting their health and safety on the line every day since the pandemic began. The pay provides some additional income for these workers as their jobs have increased risk, increased demands, and increased hazards. And these workers’ labor is what has allowed the rest of the us in the community to get access to the food and other necessities we need and has resulted in the huge increased profits for the grocery store corporations.”

“This is a big win for grocery store workers who deserves this hazard pay and also a big win for all the other municipalities out there considering passing their own hazard pay ordinance that these laws are legal and will withstand the bullying lawsuits of the industry.”

American Rescue Plan: How It Benefits Essential Workers

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On Thursday, March 11, President Joe Biden signed the COVID relief bill into law. This will provide millions of workers and families with the urgent relief they need as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. 

“In grocery stores and meatpacking plants across the country, millions of essential workers are on the frontlines as they face the daily threat of COVID infection to protect our food supply during this crisis. With the American Rescue Plan, these brave frontline workers will receive the support they have earned as they continue to put their own health at risk so that our families can put food on the table.” -UFCW President Marc Perrone

What’s in the American Rescue Plan for UFCW Members:

  • Relief Payments: Provides $1,400 in relief payments per person for individuals making less than $75,000 and married couples making less than $150,000. along with additional tax relief for working families with children. 

  • Childcare: Includes $15 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant and allows those funds to be used by essential workers. 

  • COVID Testing and Vaccine: Provides funding towards testing, contact tracing, PPE, and vaccine distribution.

  • Health and safety: Provides $200 million for pandemic-related worker protection activities at the Labor Department, half of which would go to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to support OSHA enforcement and worker training in high-risk sectors such as meat processing, health care, correctional facilities and agriculture.

  • Extends unemployment benefits: Extends pandemic-related unemployment assistance that was set to expire on March 14, including the current $300 supplement to unemployment benefits, for another six months through Sept. 6. Provides that the first $10,200 of unemployment benefits received by taxpayers making less than $150,000 will not be subject to federal taxation.

  • Retirement Security: Strengthens the entire pension system by helping pension plans that are in danger of failing.

King County passes $4 Hazard Pay for Grocery Store Workers

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This afternoon the King County Council voted 8-1 to pass a $4/hour Essential Grocery Store Worker Hazard Pay measure. This ordinance will cover large grocery stores in unincorporated King County, which are stores that are usually left out of city-level ordinances like those passed in Seattle and Burien. Grocery store workers at locations in unincorporated King County will now earn an extra $4/hour until the end of the county’s COVID state of emergency.

“Watching this ordinance pass today made me really emotional,” said Jeannette Randall, UFCW 21 executive board member and shop steward at the Roxbury Safeway, a store that would be covered by this ordinance. “This vote and passing of this ordinance shows that local government can help improve the lives of workers. This legislation passing shows that King County Council cares about the vital service grocery workers provide for our community."

Grocery store workers in unincorporated areas in King County organized to let the county council know what it’s been like to work on the front lines of the pandemic, maintaining our community’s access to food throughout this global crisis. Workers contacted council members and spoke out in public comment at council meetings, sharing stories of their own and their family members’ illnesses, the fear of showing up to work when it doesn’t feel safe, and the courage it has taken to face a constant risk of exposure just to keep our neighbors and families fed and supplied.

Grocery stores have made profits not just during the COVID pandemic, but because of it, as people’s shopping habits were forced to change while schools, restaurants, and many workplaces were shut down or limited. Today, King County Council Members like Rod Dembowski, who sponsored this ordinance, and Dave Upthegrove, who co-sponsored it, along with King County Executive Dow Constantine, have shown their support for the county’s essential grocery store workers.

Grocery Workers’ Voices at King County Council:

“It’s been so hard watching my dad’s health decline after contracting COVID-19. The hardest part is knowing I might be the one that exposed him to this disease because of my constant contact with people at work.” -Marcie Griffin, Roxbury Safeway

“I have severe lung damage due to COVID-19 and had to spend months on an inhaler to help with the symptoms. My daughter still coughs profusely and sounds like she’s been smoking for years. These are some of the impacts this pandemic has had on my family.” -Tiffany Melligan, Roxbury Safeway

“We all need help right now. We are barely making it on the wage we are given, and we need help to support our families where most of our children are not in school. We need the support of our companies.” -Lindsay Young, Kent Fred Meyer

Contact your councilmembers!

Voted in Favor:

  • Rod Dembowski: 206-477-1001, rod.dembowski@kingcounty.gov

  • Girmay Zahilay: 206-477-1002, girmay.zahilay@kingcounty.gov

  • Kathy Lambert: 206-477-1003, kathy.lambert@kingcounty.gov

  • Jeanne Kohl-Welles: 206-477-1004, jeanne.kohl-welles@kingcounty.gov

  • Dave Upthegrove: 206-477-1005, dave.upthegrove@kingcounty.gov

  • Claudia Balducci: 206-477-1006, claudia.balducci@kingcounty.gov

  • Pete von Reichbauer: 206-477-1007, pete.vonreichbauer@kingcounty.gov

  • Joe McDermott: 206-477-1008, joe.mcdermott@kingcounty.gov

Voted Against:

  • Reagan Dunn: 206-477-1009, reagan.dunn@kingcounty.gov

PCC Worker Candidates Qualify for the Ballot!

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A huge thanks to everyone that signed petitions in November and December to put Donna Rasumussen and Laurae McIntyre on the ballot for the PCC Board of Trustees elections! We have received official verification of those signatures from PCC, which means that workers will be on the ballot for the first time in decades.

Voting will be April 8-May 3; PCC will send ballots via email. To be considered an active member who is eligible to vote, you must meet the following requirements by today, March 4, 2021:

  • Your membership is paid in full.

  • You have purchased merchandise, cooking classes or gift cards using your PCC membership since March 5, 2020.

To learn whether you are currently an active member, log into your PCC website account and click “Membership.”


Learn more about Donna and Laurae:

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

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

Laurae.jpg

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!

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

Donna.jpg

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!

UFCW 21 Response to President Biden’s Changes to Vaccine Prioritization

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We have said from the beginning of our COVID-19 vaccine discussions that essential workers should not be pitted against each other for access to lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines. During the initial rollout of a limited supply of vaccine, we have been heartened to see Governor Inslee’s vaccination planning be guided by science and focused on equity. Essential workers like health care workers and food-supply-chain workers who have been maintaining our critical infrastructure must be prioritized in vaccine rollout, alongside older people who are most vulnerable to severe COVID-19 complications. Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) communities who have been hardest hit by COVID-19 must be given equitable access that acknowledges the reality of this pandemic and the ways it has disproportionately impacted them. Those continue to be the guiding principles of Washington State’s vaccine program.

Unfortunately, President Biden announced yesterday a major federal disruption to our state’s science- and equity-based vaccine program in an attempt to force teachers back into the classroom.

“Essential grocery store workers, food processing workers, and agricultural workers have spent a full year on the front lines of this pandemic and continue to face daily risks to our health and safety just to keep our communities fed,” said Samuel Dancy, QFC worker and UFCW 21 member. “We are still waiting for access to vaccines, and I was expecting any day to see the opening of our state’s next phase, which would start vaccinating me and my coworkers alongside teachers and childcare workers. I’m disappointed to learn President Biden is trying to prioritize vaccinations for teachers over all other workers.” 

“We pushed back against former President Trump when his COVID response was anti-science, and we will do the same with President Biden. The risks faced by grocery store workers and other essential workers over the past year have been enormous, and with new COVID variants arriving those risks have not abated. In addition, we know that one of the reasons BIPOC communities have been so heavily impacted by COVID is that people of color are overrepresented in dangerous front-line essential work.  Governor Inslee led with science and equity and we call on the Biden administration to do the same thing,” said Faye Guenther, UFCW 21 President.

UFCW 21 condemns this move from the Biden administration and we will do whatever we can to keep our members and all essential front-line workers in line for COVID-19 vaccines as soon as possible. We look forward to working with our labor and community allies to do exactly that.

March Telephone Town Hall Calls

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As COVID restrictions make it more difficult to meet in person and members face increased risks and concerns around COVID safety and other issues, we are continuing regular Telephone Town Hall calls for members to get important updates, ask questions of union leadership and special expert guests, and come together to plan how we can keep each other safe and fight for fairness at work even during this ongoing crisis.

Kroger, Fred Mayer, QFC Telephone Town Hall
Monday, March 1 at 5:30 PM
☎️ 888-544-2310 Meeting ID: 5734

All you have to do is pick up the phone when it rings between 5:30-5:40pm on Monday, or if you don’t receive a call, just use the call-in number and Meeting ID above.

UFCW 21 Member Telephone Town Hall
Monday, March 1 at 6:30 PM
☎️ 888-844-0776 Meeting ID: 5694

 All you have to do is pick up the phone when it rings between 5:30-5:40pm on Monday, or if you don’t receive a call, just use the call-in number and Meeting ID above.

UFCW 21 Health Care Member Telephone Town Hall
Monday, March 1 at 7:30 PM
☎️ 888-460-0109 Meeting ID: 5695

All you have to do is pick up the phone when it rings between 5:30-5:40pm on Monday, or if you don’t receive a call, just use the call-in number and Meeting ID above.

As Their Profits Soar, Kroger Announces Closure of Two Seattle Grocery Stores in Retaliation for Hazard Pay Law

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For immediate release: 2/16/21
Contact: Tom Geiger, 206.604.3421, or tgeiger@ufcw21.org

 

Statement from UFCW 21

As Their Profits Soar, Kroger Announces Closure of Two Seattle Grocery Stores in Retaliation for Hazard Pay Law

Today, Kroger publicly announced the closure of two QFC stores in Seattle, in a transparent attempt to intimidate other local governments from passing ordinances that would provide hazard pay to front line grocery store workers. Essential workers, our local government, and our communities will not be threatened by this corporate bullying.

The COVID pandemic has caused serious illness and taken lives, and at the same time the amount of work and the level of stress and risk for grocery store workers has risen dramatically. Early on, companies like QFC agreed to pay $2/hour in hazard pay to employees all across the nation in acknowledgement of the risks workers faced and the essential nature of their work during a national crisis. Then they cut that pay in May -  with no explanation. Kroger’s profits continued to soar, as did COVID cases, and as more and more people got sick, and more and more people shopped for groceries, restaurants and schools closed.

Workers have tried for months to get the hazard pay that was cut re-instated. But month after month the pay cuts were kept in place. The level of stress grew, as did concerns about safety, higher workloads, fewer workers on shift, more customers, and rising COVID cases in stores. Several places in California passed local hazard pay ordinances. Kroger  announced the closure of two stores in that area in retaliation against that local hazard pay law.

In January, things had reached a breaking point and, working with Seattle City Council, UFCW 21 members were able to help pass a local and temporary $4/hour hazard pay law. That pay went into effect on February 3. Kroger announced their Seattle store closures on February 16.

Today’s announcement by Kroger to close these two Seattle QFCs is a case of over-the-top greed and bullying, and it shows how out of touch Kroger is with our community. The public overwhelmingly supports hazard pay and supports our grocery store workers. Other grocery chains, including PCC locally, have actually expanded hazard pay to stores beyond Seattle and Burien which have now passed new hazard pay laws. Kroger’s closures threaten workers, as well as shoppers and our local community. We need safety concerns addressed and we need hazard pay expanded.

Kroger’s intent seems perfectly clear: They are announcing these closings to try and intimidate any other local communities here in our state or around the nation from passing hazard pay. If Kroger cares about their employees and the local communities in which they operate, they should expand hazard pay and improve store safety practices, not file lawsuits and close our neighborhood stores.