Sea Wolf Bakers - Bargaining Update

On 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

Hudson News - Fighting for a Fair Contract

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.

REI Bargaining Update - Vote No on the Board Campaign Launched!

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

Crossroads - Bargaining Team & LMC Update!

Our 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.

Spokane Rosauers Pharmacy Technicians & Assistants Contract Vote Scheduled!

Monday, December 23, 2024 @ 7:30pm

UFCW 3000 2805 N. Market St. Spokane WA 99207

• Significant pay increases

• Retirement security