While our initial bargaining sessions were largely positive and relatively low stakes, we now have reached the meat and potato economic proposals that our unit cares about most. This is often the most challenging stage of bargaining – especially when bargaining a first contract. An example from today: in response to our extensively researched wage proposal, the company stated "we don't want to change how we do things" without further discussion.
As 2,500 UFCW 3000 members at MultiCare continue preparations for contract bargaining to begin early next year, there are several upcoming opportunities to gather, discuss and contribute. First off, a big thanks to all who completed the bargaining surveys during August and September. That information will be crucial in our assessing priorities before bargaining.
After holding nomination votes for the Labor Management Advisory Committee (LMAC) from September 21–25, 2026, and then holding nominee votes for Ballard, Central District, and Issaquah on October 21, 2026, we are happy to announce your committee members!
This agreement comes after more than six months of bargaining, an informational picket, federal mediation, a strike pledge campaign, and a strike authorization vote that showed CommonSpirit members were ready to fight for a better contract
After more than a month since our last session, our Union Bargaining Team; Alyssa and Oliver were able to reconvene with the employer on October 19 to receive their economic counter proposal.
Join us via Zoom on Tuesday, October 20, at 6:30 PM to learn more about the tentative agreement reached between our Union Bargaining Team and CommonSpirit.
“At a time when workers are struggling to keep up with sky-high prices for groceries, housing, health care, and other basic necessities, we cannot afford to give a tax cut to the wealthiest people in our state,” said Sam Dancy, UFCW 3000 Executive Board Vice President and Grocery Bargaining Team Member
Our member-led Bargaining Team met with representative from Puzzle Break to lay the foundation for the negotiations of our first union contract. We discussed guidelines around how proposals will be passed, Bargaining Team availability and our desire to have consistent and timely bargaining dates moving forward.
After months of difficult negotiations and a powerful show of solidarity, we have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract! Thanks to our collective strength, we secured significant improvements, including:
Please join us in person at the UFCW 3000 Des Moines office for Contract Action Team meetings on the following dates. We will be meeting in person at the union office, but for those who cannot join in person there will be an online option. During these meetings, will be sharing updates as well as creating picket signs for an upcoming info picket.
After months of difficult negotiations, a powerful informational picket, and an overwhelming strike authorization vote, our Union Bargaining Team fought late into the night on October 8 and reached a tentative agreement on a new contract!
The Nominations are in, now it’s time to vote for who will represent you and your coworkers from Ballard, Central District, and Issaquah PCCs on the newly formed PCC Labor Management Advisory Committee (LMAC). Secure online voting will take place Wednesday, October 21 from 8am to 8pm. Every PCC store elects one LMAC representative, you may only vote on a nominee from your own store.
Following a series of highly attended vote meetings on Monday, October 5, union technical workers at St. Joseph Medical Center voted nearly unanimously to:
Reject CommonSpirit’s subpar contract offer
Authorize a STRIKE
“We set the stage and gave our comprehensive proposal letting the employer know that our priorities are to win wages that we deserve, improve our transportation benefits, win immigration protection language as well as ensuring the safety of our co-workers. We are eager to see what BDA’s response is on the 21. ” -Kota Owens, Bargaining Team Member
For the first time in history, on Tuesday, Sept 29, grocery store workers from across Washington State and North Idaho met at the same table to plan for our upcoming bargaining session with Kroger and Albertsons.
Our team met with the employer again today to continue bargaining. We have finally started discussing economics, focusing on health care and wages, which we know are our members’ top priorities. We've seen very little movement from the employer and know we need to start escalating.
Correcting the Record: Decades after Organizing Her Own Unit, Leslie Ball Is Still Fighting for Her Coworkers
Leslie Ball, a certified surgical technologist at St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma and a longtime UFCW 3000 Union Steward, has spent decades standing up for herself and her coworkers.
Her fight for better working conditions began in the late 1990s, when she received a 30-cent wage increase, which ended up only being a five-cent raise after her employer reduced her shift differential by a quarter. With years of experience and a deep understanding of the value surgical techs bring to the table, she knew a nickel wasn’t going to cut it. So she and a coworker, Gail Miller, started organizing their colleagues at St. Joe's despite warnings that previous organizing efforts had failed.
Within a year, they helped Radiology, Respiratory Therapy, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, and other departments form the hospital’s first Technical Unit, which ratified its first contract in 1999.
Please lookout for a vote notice once we can confirm when the ratification vote will take place. Members will all have a chance to review the vote documents and ask questions, we will also hold a meeting to discuss this historic TA very soon. Also, please thank your Bargaining Team! They worked very hard.
After more than a month since our last session, our Union Bargaining Team; Alyssa and Oliver were able to reconvene with the employer on October 19 to receive their economic counter proposal.
Read MoreOur member-led Bargaining Team met with representative from Puzzle Break to lay the foundation for the negotiations of our first union contract. We discussed guidelines around how proposals will be passed, Bargaining Team availability and our desire to have consistent and timely bargaining dates moving forward.
Read More“We set the stage and gave our comprehensive proposal letting the employer know that our priorities are to win wages that we deserve, improve our transportation benefits, win immigration protection language as well as ensuring the safety of our co-workers. We are eager to see what BDA’s response is on the 21. ” -Kota Owens, Bargaining Team Member
Read MorePlease lookout for a vote notice once we can confirm when the ratification vote will take place. Members will all have a chance to review the vote documents and ask questions, we will also hold a meeting to discuss this historic TA very soon. Also, please thank your Bargaining Team! They worked very hard.
Read MoreSEATTLE – Today the Seattle City Council passed Mayor Katie Wilson’s Fair Pricing and Transparency ordinance with no corporate amendments that open the door to algorithmic pricing or weaken enforcement, making Seattle home to the strongest ban on surveillance pricing in the country.
Read More
After months of bargaining at the table, leaflets, CAT meetings, and an informational picket, Macy’s Mall and Furniture Gallery workers came out and had their voices heard, with a majority of workers voting to ratify both the Mall and Furniture Gallery Tentative Agreements that our member-led Bargaining Team negotiated with the Employer.
The Fully Recommended Agreement reflected our ability to fight for higher wage increases than last contract while defending against the biggest takeaways:
Higher GWI’s
No more waiting for three years to be eligible for GWI
Retro Pay to 6/1
Ratification Bonus
Defended our health care by fighting off proposed language that would allow Macy’s to eliminate it mid-contract.
Maintained the flexibility of the Flex Clerk position.
Strengthened our rights to representation in disciplinary meetings.
And more…
Our fight doesn’t end here. This win provides a foundation we can use to keep building strength back in the retail space that shoppers and workers deserve.
Bargaining Team: Daniel Landon (Alderwood), Emily Hunter (Alderwood), Curtisy Bryant (Southcenter), Preston McInnis (Southcenter), Samantha Wilson (Bellingham).
Tuesday, September 8, was our most recent bargaining session with Broadcast management, following a successful flyer and button-up action at the cafe last Friday.
Read MoreAfter months of negotiating with Macy’s management, our Bargaining Team reached a Tentative Agreement and recommends a YES vote to accept the proposal from Macy’s.
Now is your opportunity to vote and make your voice heard! The vote on this agreement is open to all active members of Macy’s Retail and Furniture Gallery contracts.
Read More
Bargaining Team: Thomas Tumbokon, Alejandra Garcia Martinez (not pictured), Kota Owens.
We are excited to represent our coworkers at Climate Pledge Arena as we negotiate a fair contract for us all. The Bargaining Team is made up of workplace leaders who have been selected to represent you during negotiations with BDA. The team is responsible for creating and responding to proposals, planning campaigns, and ultimately deciding when to recommend a contract or authorize escalating workplace actions.
“I am looking forward to the opportunity to represent my coworkers at the table in our effort to make the contract better.”
— Thomas Tumbokon
“We deserve a say in our pay. We deserve more collective fruits from the labor we produce, and when we stand up together, we’ll build a better workplace for each other. Power to us workers!”
— Kota Owens
We will be holding member meetings virtually starting September 9. All members are welcome to get the latest updates and information about your contract and rights as Union workers.
We plan on meeting with the Employer soon and look forward to your input and participation. Please reach out to one of your Bargaining Team members or your Union Rep, Aaron Bailey, at 206-436-6631 if you have any questions about contract negotiations.
September 9, 2026
6pm
Virtual
Complete Your Union Membership Application >>
We plan on meeting with the Employer soon and look forward to your input and participation. Please reach out to one of your Bargaining Team members or your Union Rep if you have any questions about contract negotiations.
Any questions? Call your Union Rep, Aaron Bailey, at 206-436-6631.
Bargaining Team: Ryan Sharbrough, Allyndreth Smyth, Makenna Page
The purpose of the introductory pre-bargaining meeting was to establish rapport, discuss the bargaining process and logistics, and schedule initial bargaining sessions.
The pre-bargaining introductory meeting was held between the Cognition Escape Rooms ownership and the Union bargaining unit. The parties introduced themselves, discussed bargaining expectations, reviewed the collective bargaining process, and outlined how proposals would be exchanged and negotiated.
The Union explained that negotiations would begin with non-economic proposals before moving to economic issues, such as wages and benefits. Both parties expressed a desire to maintain a respectful and productive working relationship and agreed that bargaining sessions would be conducted virtually.
The initial focus will be on non-economic proposals, including recognition, Union security, definitions, and working conditions.
Economic items, including wages, increases, benefits, and other cost-related issues, will be addressed later, once substantial progress has been made on other non-economic language.
Proposals will be presented by section or article rather than as an entire contract at once.
The first contract is expected to be approximately 35 to 45 pages or more, with only portions reviewed during each bargaining session.
A federal mediator may be brought in, if needed, to help the Employer and Union resolve contract disputes, prevent work stoppages, and navigate collective bargaining negotiations. A mediator is typically brought in once negotiations are close to an overall tentative agreement.
Subsequent bargaining sessions were scheduled for:
Wed, Sept 23 @ 3pm - 5pm
Fri, Sept 25 @ 12pm - 2pm
Thank you to everyone who completed the bargaining survey and shared workplace concerns. Your feedback is helping identify the priorities that matter most as we prepare for negotiations.
The bargaining process is moving forward. Initial requests to bargain were sent to both Employers on July 12, 2026, with a 14-day response timeline. Both Employers followed up recently, on August 6, 2026.
Bargaining has not started yet. However, Puzzle Break’s Employer has already committed an unfair labor practice (ULP) by shortening the shifts of workers who spoke out about workplace injustices.
Your solidarity with one another and participation in the survey have brought forward several key concerns to address at the bargaining table, including:
Scheduling
Missed breaks
Low staffing
The threat of AI reducing job security
You have chosen your Bargaining Team. Next, team members will be trained and briefed on the issues you raised so they can prepare for proposal exchange and negotiations.
Please continue sharing your concerns and workplace issues as the process moves forward. Bargaining updates will be shared periodically to keep the membership informed about what is happening at the table.
Also, watch for opportunities to participate in campaign actions. Information about any actions will be shared in advance.
The following members have been nominated to serve on the Bargaining Team: Ryan Sharbrough, Mason Walsh, Allyndreth Smyth, Dane Hendricks, Makenna Page, and Riley Murphy.
Your voice matters. Continue sharing workplace concerns, ideas, and priorities with your Union Reps and Bargaining Team members. Together, we can build a strong contract that reflects the needs and priorities of all Puzzle Break and Cognition Escape Rooms workers.
On Thursday August 13, our union was notified that Citadel Acquisition LLC (a subsidiary of ZMC Management) will be purchasing a majority stake in Card Kingdom effective late September 2026.
Read MoreOn August 13 we held our third bargaining session with management and were able to carry our forward momentum into our first tentative agreements!
Read More
Since 1882, when New York City unionists marched down Broadway to demand recognition, working people have set aside a day in early September to celebrate the labor movement's achievements.
Through organizing, solidarity, and no small amount of good trouble, we've won the eight-hour workday, the weekend, Social Security and unemployment insurance, laws to keep us all safe on the job, and, of course, a real voice in our workplaces.
At UFCW 3000, we know we have more history to write and more fights to win for the benefit of all working people. But it's hard to move forward without recognizing and learning from past struggles.
To that end, here is where to celebrate Labor Day across Washington State this year.
“They gave us next to nothing, so we are giving them nothing but pickets!” – Emily Hunter
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We had another productive day at the bargaining table on July 31 and are pleased to share that we made our counterproposals to management. Throughout the session, we had strong back-and-forth conversations that were thoughtful, collaborative, and focused on finding solutions.
While we aren't at the end zone yet, we're feeling optimistic. The progress we made today gives us confidence that we're on the path to reaching a strong first contract—one that recognizes the value of our work and reflects the priorities that are most important to us.
Your solidarity and support will make the difference as we build this first contract. We'll keep pushing to secure a fair agreement that delivers the wages, protections, and respect workers deserve. We are stronger together, and we encourage workers to get involved and take ownership of their contract.
Interested in getting involved, learning more about your rights as Union members, and getting all the up-to-date information about negotiations?
Join us for our member meetings:
August 5 @ 7pm
Contact your Union Rep, Allison:
206-436-6586
As wildfires rip through our region and smoke chokes the air, UFCW 3000 members, families, and communities face evacuations, and loss of homes and livelihoods.
Some workers could experience partial or total work closures creating difficult circumstances surrounding hours, pay, and life stability
As we navigate this emergency, please remember the union and community resources that can help. Also, please review important information below that can help keep you safe and enforce your rights at work.
Read More
our Union Bargaining Team: Preston McInnis, Macy’s Southcenter; Ismahan Osman, Macy’s Southcenter; Curtice Bryant, Macy’s Southcenter; Samantha Wilson, Macy’s Bellingham; Jill Jackson, Macy’s Furniture Gallery Southcenter; Emily Hunter, Macy’s Alderwood; Daniel Landon, Macy’s Alderwood
Over two days of bargaining, Macy's executives increased their wage offer by a single, solitary nickel.
And to be clear, they're not offering one nickel more per year. They're offering one nickel more over the entire three years of the next union contract.
Just 👏🏻one👏🏻NICKEL! 🤬
Though the executives showed some progress when they withdrew a proposal to assign Flex Associates mandatory hours, they're still proposing the following takeaways:
Eliminating the wage scale for new hires that helps members get established in the first two years of the contract before receiving our General Wage Increases in their third year;
Seizing the ability to change our health care plan at any time during the contract;
Nix our perfect attendance PTO reward;
A nickel is unacceptable in a country where grocery prices are up 33% (since 2019), gas prices are up double digits, and we're all struggling to make ends meet.
The time has come to show Macy’s what we are worth by taking action!
Join us for an informational picket-making party Thursday, Aug 6:
UFCW 3000 Union Hall 23040 Pacific Highway South, Des Moines, WA 98198, 10 am
Talk to your rep or bargaining team member
Let's come together to educate our communities about our fight for better wages and better stores -- and show Macy’s execs that we won’t settle for anything less than a fair contract!
On July 27, we held our second bargaining session with the Employer. We’re pleased to share that management arrived with its first counterproposal to our initial proposals. After a long and productive caucus, we made substantial progress toward our first tentative agreements.
We’re optimistic and excited to continue collaborating toward a contract that benefits both our members and Broadcast. We concluded Day 2 with clear next steps for the proposals on the table.
Our next date for bargaining is Thursday, August 13, and the details for our next member meeting will be finalized shortly. We’re proud of our preparation and look forward to more positive dialogue.
Our member-led Bargaining Team met with representatives from First and Goal on Wednesday, July 22, to continue negotiations for our first union contract.
Read MoreWe are the Union. The members of UFCW 3000 are over 50,000 members working in grocery, retail, health care, meat packing, cannabis, & other industries across Washington state, north-east Oregon, and northern Idaho. UFCW 3000 is a chartered member of UFCW International with over 1.4 million workers in North America.
To build a powerful Union that fights for economic, political and social justice in our workplaces and in our communities.
Correcting the Record: Decades after Organizing Her Own Unit, Leslie Ball Is Still Fighting for Her Coworkers
Leslie Ball, a certified surgical technologist at St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma and a longtime UFCW 3000 Union Steward, has spent decades standing up for herself and her coworkers.
Her fight for better working conditions began in the late 1990s, when she received a 30-cent wage increase, which ended up only being a five-cent raise after her employer reduced her shift differential by a quarter. With years of experience and a deep understanding of the value surgical techs bring to the table, she knew a nickel wasn’t going to cut it. So she and a coworker, Gail Miller, started organizing their colleagues at St. Joe's despite warnings that previous organizing efforts had failed.
Within a year, they helped Radiology, Respiratory Therapy, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, and other departments form the hospital’s first Technical Unit, which ratified its first contract in 1999.
Jenny C., a transporter at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, knows what it looks like when management hopes a problem will just go away.
Jenny has watched the facility's transport elevators malfunction for more than a year, filing report after report after each incident she witnessed. Supervisors did not appear to take these complaints seriously.
