We were also able to have a candid conversation with the Employer about economics. They gave us detailed information on their profits and losses and requested an idea of our top economic priorities.
Read MoreOn May 5, our union, along with other UFCW locals across the country, received notice that Rite Aid is filing for bankruptcy again and plans to close all store locations in the coming months. They aim to sell all their stores by August 2025. As we learn more information, we will send communications out through email and through our website.
While we do not yet know the timeline, it is important for all our members at Rite Aid and Bartell Drug stores to know their rights under our current contract.
If you have any questions about the closures or if you’re considering retirement, please call your union representative, Aaron Bailey, at (206) 436-6631.
Members have severance pay rights if their store is closed (see enclosed)
Your pension is still available and will not be affected by Rite Aid’s closure. For any pension questions, please call our pension office, Sound Retirement Trust, directly at (206) 282-4500.
For Bartell Drug members’ healthcare related questions, please call Sound Health and Wellness at (206) 282-4500.
King County Labor Council also has an online union hiring hall to see other union job openings in our area at www.unionhiringhall.org
If you have any questions about the closures or if you’re considering retirement, please call your union representative, Aaron Bailey, at (206) 436-6631.
Our contracts at Bartell Drugs and Rite Aid have strong language in Article 6.9 (2) around you receiving severance if you are laid off due to a store closure:
Years of Service Severance Amount Two (2) through four (4) years 1 week severance Five (5) through six (6) years 2 weeks severance Seven (7) through eight (8) years 3 weeks severance Nine (9) through ten (10) years 4 weeks severance Ten (10) years or more 5 weeks severance
Article 6.9 (3) — Severance pay will equate to the average hours paid in the fourteen (14) weeks, Sunday through Saturday, preceding separation, not to exceed forty (40) hours straight time pay.
Article 6.9 (4) — Workers who receive severance pay shall be paid accrued, unused personal holidays and accrued, unused vacation.
As union members at Rite Aid and Bartell, we have the right to be transferred to a union store in order of seniority. Work with your union rep and Rite Aid HR on relocating to a store nearby.
If you have any questions or concerns, reach out to your Union Reps, Aaron Bailey (206) 436-6631, or our Member Resource Center (866) 210-3000.
We have gotten reports that Bartell Drugs has told members to put in their two weeks’ notice if workers are leaving the company or moving to a non-union store—you will not receive severance pay if you put in your two weeks’ notice instead of being laid off! In order to receive the severance as outlined in our contract, you will need to be laid off by Bartell Drugs/Rite Aid.
Bartell Drugs Contract
https://ufcw3000.org/find-your-contract/2015/2/4/bartell-drugs-contract
Rite Aid Contract
https://ufcw3000.org/find-your-contract/2015/2/25/rite-aid-contract
The Unemployment Law Project: a free service that supports workers receiving their unemployment benefits at (206) 441-9178 or online:
UFCW Represented Work Locations: Stay protected through a union contract at our other represented locations—on our website find “Who We Represent”:
If you are laid off, you should qualify for unemployment benefits through the Washington State Employment Security Department if all have worked at least 680 hours within the last year. You can file a claim for benefits at 800-318-6022 or online:
WE WON! The 11 unionized stores across the country successfully turned out tens of thousands of members to reject the cherry-picked corporate Board candidates! This was a huge sign to the co-op that REI members and workers want to bring the co-op back to its founding values. Members across the country sent a message to the co-op: STOP UNION BUSTING and BARGAIN A FAIR CONTRACT WITH WORKERS!
Read MoreOn Tuesday, April 29, our Bargaining Team met with Management for our third bargaining session. We are excited to report we reached further Tentative Agreements on:
Read MoreOn Tuesday, April 22, our bargaining team met with management for our second bargaining session.
The employer was able to provide us some responses on non-economics and we were able to reach tentative agreements on:
Monthly employee roster lists to be provided to our union
Access to the workplace for our union representative
An introduction to our union during employee onboarding
Leaves of absence for union business
Safety and equal protection from unlawful harassment
Just cause for workplace discipline
We were also able to provide them with our initial economic proposals, covering retirement, wages, healthcare, and other benefits. We still expect to continue working through non-economic items next week in bargaining but wanted to give the employer a chance to digest these ideas for future sessions.
"It felt like things moved slowly today, but when we reviewed our tentative agreements it was surprising how much we had accomplished."
— Sophia Cerreta, Savory & Bread Departments
Our bargaining team (left to right): Sophia Cerreta, Savory & Bread Departments; Frankie Hull, Delivery Driver; Miller Hammond, Barista; Haley Rydberg, Bread & Pastry Departments
Our union bargaining team: Emelia Carpio, Yoko Newsome, Roxan Seibel, Mohamed Muhidin, Sadia Ahmed
From day one of negotiations, we have fought for a fair contract! We have come prepared for every session, ready to bargain to reach a fair deal. Now, Hudson is delaying our bargaining process with weeks of delay between bargaining sessions. We have given Hudson our full economic and non-economic proposals.
At our last session on April 16, Hudson made:
NO response to our economic proposal
NO meaningful steps to address on-time breaks
NO guarantees to prevent another lapse in our healthcare coverage (because of Hudson!)
NO effort to address the understaffing crisis in our stores
Hudson is also failing to meet its contractual obligations. Here are some things our union has filed contract grievances for what Hudson has failed to do:
Make timely 401k retirement payments for months in 2024
Schedule stockers and specialty stores according to our contract
Ready to fight and win? Here’s what you can do:
Wear your UFCW 3000 lanyard at work
Come update your contact information at our next meeting
Sign our bargaining petition and help your coworkers sign too
Upcoming Bargaining Dates
May 15
June 24, 25, and 26
Union Information Meeting
April 23
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Airport Food Court
Our union will be at the airport food court on April 23. If you have any questions, please reach out to your union representative Aaron Bailey at (360) 409-0551.
We want to give a quick update as not everyone has been attending the weekly/semi-weekly Zoom meetings on Thursdays. In the future, we will invite everyone via gmail calendar when the next meeting is scheduled.
Read More
Vote No on the Board Campaign Launched!
We met with REI’s lawyers from Morgan Lewis on March 26 and 27 to continue contract negotiations. We discussed scheduling and time-off issues and passed counters on Inclement Weather, Health and Safety, Union Representation, No Strike No Lockout, Seniority, and Layoff and Recall. While we’re getting closer on Health and Safety language, we did not reach any new tentative agreements. Unfortunately, despite the progress of the last few months, these sessions left us feeling like REI has once again asked its counsel to pump the brakes. REI’s failure to make meaningful movement will not deter us from our fight for a fair first contract.
Campaign Updates
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) filed a complaint against REI for withholding merit and summit pay from our and other unionized stores. The hearing will be in December. At any time, REI can resolve this illegal change by reaching a settlement. We’re waiting for REI’s next counteroffer.
Shemona Moreno, Seattle climate justice organizer, and Tefere Gebre, Greenpeace leader, were both blocked from the REI Board ballot. Instead, REI chose its own cherry-picked candidates to put on the Board of Directors ballot.
On March 3, Tini and workers from the Santa Cruz and Chicago stores, along with dozens of supporters, gathered in front of the Flagship REI in Seattle for a press conference to launch the Vote No Campaign! We are encouraging members to vote against the REI Board candidates up for election. Voting is open through May 1.
See more information here about how members can vote!
Action Items
Can’t get time off approved? Make sure to raise your issues with getting time off directly with Jon Knitter. The co-op purports to support a healthy work-life balance but it is up to you to make sure that REI sticks to its own 7-day turnaround policy.
On Saturday, April 26, REI Union will be attending the Mountaineers Annual Gala in Seattle! REI has a long history with the Mountaineers, and we’ll be telling attendees about our campaign for a first contract and reminding people to Vote No on the Board. Our union will have a table and if you are interested in attending, reach out to Maya at 206-618-5549. We can help arrange travel and lodging in Seattle.
Join us on Sunday, April 27 at 7 PM for a social and general meeting! We’ll welcome new hires into our union, hang out, and talk about next steps in the campaign. Location TBD in Bellingham.
If you are interested in getting more involved in the Vote No campaign, fill out the google form here:
In The News
Cascade PBS
“REI Withheld Pay from Union Workers National Labor Board Says”
Cascade PBS
“REI board blocks labor-backed candidates from ballot”
Seattle Times
“REI Union Says Co-op is turning corporate with new board members”
Nonprofit Quarterly
“REI Workers Undeterred by Co-op Refusal to let Union Candidate Run for Board”
Questions? Reach out to your Union Rep Allison Hanley at 360-409-0242
April 2, 2025 marks UFCW 3000’s quasquicentennial, a word so fancy that nobody quite knows how to say it. Regardless of how you pronounce it, the absurdly Latinate term means we’ve been around for 125 years. During that time, we’ve grown from a crew of nine butchers in downtown Seattle to the largest private-sector union in the Pacific Northwest, representing more than 56,000 workers in grocery, retail, food processing, health care, laundry and textiles, cannabis, and others industries.
Read MoreWe are still fighting for better scheduling practices, better staffing in our stores, and better wages and retirement. On March 25, we presented Hudson with our first initial economic proposal. This is going to change as negotiations move forward, but here are some highlights about what we proposed:
Read MoreOur Union Bargaining Team is excited to share an update following our first Sea Wolf Bakers contract bargaining session on Tuesday, March 25! To begin negotiations, we met with the Employer and shared our initial round of non-economic proposals.
Read MoreWe are excited to let you know that our first bargaining date is set, and negotiations for our first contract will begin on Tuesday the 25!
Read MoreOn March 4, our bargaining team met with Hudson News to present our non-economic proposal which included:
Read MoreWe met again with REI’s Morgan Lewis lawyers on February 24 and 25. We reached a Tentative Agreement on Anti-Discrimination and continued to get closer on Union Representation, Health & Safety, Job Vacancies & Promotions, Seniority, and Technology & Data. We’re hopeful that REI will keep up this momentum and continue to come to the table prepared and with respect as we work towards a fair first contract. This shift is in no doubt due to all of our organizing efforts and the unity we’ve maintained over the last few years!
Read MoreOur Union held our first round of Contract Action Team (CAT) meetings on February 19 at 9am and 4pm. We identified higher wages, better seniority, scheduling protections, and improving our retirement as major priorities to fight for at the bargaining table.
Read MoreOur current contract is set to expire on April 7, 2025, and negotiations for the next agreement are approaching. Bargaining surveys will be sent out by email within the week - please make sure to check your emails and give feedback about your priorities! This is our opportunity to meet at the bargaining table and fight for the wages, benefits, and working conditions that you want to see at Crossroads. Our bargaining team is also looking for passionate and dedicated coworkers to join the committee. If you’re interested in joining or want to learn more about the process, please call your union rep Allison Hanley at (206) 436-6586.
Labor Management Committee Meeting Update
Your Labor Management Committee met with management on Monday, January 27, to discuss workplace concerns about safety, scheduling, and store maintenance. Updates on these issues are included below.
Hours Agreement
The Employer heard concerns from the members about the impact of reduction of hours below the hours agreement. The expectation is to have advanced notice for any changes beyond what was communicated. The Employer was agreeable to elaborate on the impact of winter sales on labor hours for future provided hours agreements. The Employer will consider additional methods to keep staff informed, like a publicly posted notice or check-in during team meetings.
Vent Maintenance
The Employer acknowledges that even with proper upkeep, dust seems to collect quickly due to the building and the product being sold. They have already purchased some air purifiers to help with the issue and have agreed to get additional air purifiers for the register and POS area. The Union and the Employer agreed to follow up later about previous duct maintenance to see when the next cleaning would be in order.
Alias Name Tags
The Employer heard that general safety around name tags and gender identifiers was a concern for staff. They maintain that some form of identification is necessary to verify possible transaction issues. Employees are free to change their work alias as often as they want, as long as the Employer can verify whose alias belongs to whom. The Employer encouraged any staff with safety concerns about being identified to meet with Melissa to work out alternate solutions.
The Employer maintained that members could display or omit pronouns on name tags. They were open to posting signage similar to HotCakes’, which encourages customers to use gender-neutral pronouns for all staff members.
Fitting Room Policy
The Employer heard feedback about the bag check policy and whether it was helpful to create a safe environment in the fitting rooms area. The Employer agreed to discuss this in upcoming staff meetings to decide if this policy works for everyone moving forward.
Lighting
The Employer heard concerns about the bright fluorescent lights causing headaches in the darker winter months. Since changing the warmth settings of the lights would require a technician, the Employer was willing to cycle through the other settings and assess them if a technician should be scheduled for maintenance.
This year, our Union is in negotiations with Hudson News for a new contract. Our member-led bargaining team will be at the bargaining table with management to help fight for better wages, secure scheduling, and other concerns workers raised. To prepare for negotiations, we must be united – ready to fight for and win for a strong contract.
Read MoreOn January 17, we met with REI’s representatives from Morgan Lewis to continue first contract negotiations. Similarly to December’s sessions, we did not reach any new tentative agreements, but we did have productive discussions around in-store issues and identified pathways to agreement on our open Health & Safety, Seniority, Anti-Discrimination, Job Vacancies & Promotions, and Union Representation proposals.
Read MoreUNION NOTICE: Please be advised that a contract ratification vote has been scheduled as follows:
Read More
Monday, December 23, 2024 @ 7:30pm
UFCW 3000 2805 N. Market St. Spokane WA 99207
Significant pay increases
Retirement security
We are the Union. The members of UFCW 3000 are over 50,000 members working in grocery, retail, health care, meat packing, cannabis, & other industries across Washington state, north-east Oregon, and northern Idaho. UFCW 3000 is a chartered member of UFCW International with over 1.4 million workers in North America.
To build a powerful Union that fights for economic, political and social justice in our workplaces and in our communities.
