Recovery Cafe - Worksite Closure Update

On Monday, Recovery Cafe announced it was considering the future of its SODO location. This comes after reassurances from the Employer that they had no plans on closing one of their worksites when we brought it up earlier in the bargaining process. The pace of negotiations alongside this new announcement shows why it is vital that we come together and organize—organize to win the contract we deserve, preserve our jobs, and fight for what's best for Recovery Cafe members.

Thursday, November 13 at 7pm our Union is holding an online meeting to discuss how we're feeling, what we know, and how we plan to organize and win what we want.

Recovery Cafe Union Membership Meeting

Thursday, November 13
7pm
Join Zoom Meeting >>

Meeting ID: 856 6584 3592
Passcode: 102822

If you have any questions before our meeting, you can call your Union Rep Allison Hanley: (206) 436-6586.

Kraken Team Store - Attendance Grievance Update

Last month, UFCW 3000 members at the Kraken Team Store raised concerns about the company's new attendance requirement policy. Our grievance states that any new attendance policies violate our Union contract, and on October 8, our Union met with management to discuss a resolution.

During the grievance meeting, UFCW 3000 and BDA reached an agreement to correct the policy and communication discrepancy. The company agreed to audit their email communications and inform any affected members of their right to return to work, regardless of any prior separation notice based on game attendance. Our Union will continue to work with the Employer until we fully resolve the issue.

If you have any questions, please reach out to your Union Rep Allison Hanley at (206) 436-6586 or Aaron Bailey at (206) 436-6631.

Fresenius Medical Care - JOIN OUR INFO PICKET!

Union dialysis technicians at Fresenius Medical Care are fighting to win a fair contract and better working conditions. We need your support to ensure we can continue to provide vital patient care to our communities. Stand with us (and bring your voice!) at our upcoming Informational Picket! All patients, providers, families, friends, allies, and workers are welcome.

"Every single minute counts for dialysis treatment. Dialysis companies must listen to frontline caregivers: safer staffing and scheduling can't wait!"

— Fresenius Union Bargaining Team

Informational Picket RSVP >>

October 29
4pm - 5:30pm
Fresenius Kidney Care South Tacoma Clinic
5825 Tacoma Mall Blvd #103, Tacoma, WA 98409

See the Info Picket FAQ on the Contract Page >>

Join the Fresh Food for All Movement

Food deserts aren't a natural phenomenon. Giant grocery store corporations create them when they starve our neighborhood stores to feed Wall Street shareholders. 

By closing six full-service stores in Puget Sound right before the holidays, Kroger, the Cincinnati-based corporation that owns Fred Meyer and QFC, wants to leave our working-class communities high and dry.

We won't stand for it.

In response to these closures and to rising corporate greed, we've launched our Fresh Food for All campaign, a new vision for the grocery industry that puts people first. We aim to make sure every family has access to fresh, affordable groceries in safe, well-staffed stores.

Right now, we're sitting at the table with grocery store workers, community organizations, and elected officials to discuss policies that will realize this vision. 

A Food Justice Vision for Washington

• Public-Option Grocery Stores: To protect our neighborhoods, Washington should support public-private partnership grocery stores to keep food affordable and accessible for all.

• Grocery-Oriented Development Zones (GODZ): Pair new workforce housing with full-service grocery stores, reserving some units for workers who rely on SNAP/WIC.

• Ban Surge and Surveillance Pricing: No more secret algorithms that jack up food prices in real time. Families deserve stable grocery bills, not digital discrimination.

• Ban Digital-Only Coupons: Discounts shouldn’t be locked behind smartphones, inaccessible to the elderly and low-income shoppers.

• Mass Layoff Protections: Washington should set the standard for worker justice. We must require 90 days’ notice for mass layoffs and severance pay for displaced workers.

Act Now

• SIGN UP: Sign our petition to join the movement to protect workers, eliminate food deserts, and ensure fresh, affordable food for all. 

• SPEAK UP: RSVP to our Fresh Food for All Community Town Hall on Saturday, September 20 from 2-4 pm at the Seattle Labor Temple to help identify concrete ways to fight back against food deserts and to protect workers and shoppers. 

Fred Meyer Closure FAQ, Tele-Town Hall Scheduled for Thursday

Dear Grocery Store Workers,

This week Kroger announced plans to close four Fred Meyer stores in the Puget Sound region, including stores in Everett, Kent, Lake City, and Redmond.

Our members built a fighting union exactly for moments like this one. Our size and strength give us the power to push back against giant corporations like Kroger and Albertsons when they try to disrupt our lives and communities with store closures.

To that end, in the coming days our union bargaining team will sit across the table with Kroger with a list of demands to ensure fairness during this process.

In the meantime, below you'll find frequently asked questions about store closures, along with actions we plan to take to fight back against this corporate greed.

Give them a read, get involved, and get in touch with your union rep if you have any other questions >>

STORE CLOSURE FAQ

Is the company obligated to place us at another store?

All of our grocery contracts ensure that the company must offer workers placement in other nearby stores based on seniority following a closure.

Where can I find the seniority language in our contract?

• Fred Meyer Grocery: Article 3

• Fred Meyer General Merch: Article 5

• Fred Meyer Meat: Article 11

If I move to another store, do I keep my same position?

The move to All Purpose Clerk (APC) for grocery and general merchandise workers gives members the opportunity to flex toward departments other than their home one to pick up hours.

Do these closures impact my retirement benefits?

Generally, our pension plan requires you to work for five years before you can draw on the pension during retirement. If you have not worked for five years, then you will not receive pension benefits when you retire. For specific questions, please contact Sound Retirement Trust at (206) 282-4500.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Read up: To learn more background information on these closures, read our union's press releases.
Release 1 >> Release 2 >>

Speak up: UFCW 3000 will host a 30-minute telephone town hall with all grocery store members at 4:30 PM on Thursday, August 21. We'll be answering any questions you have about these closures. Call in using this number: 844-227-7556. If you join a few minutes late, then just input the Meeting ID: 8789.

Stand up: Our union is currently in the process of planning ways to work with our state and local elected officials to prioritize policies that protect workers, eliminate food deserts, and ensure affordable food for all. Get involved in the process by emailing politics@ufcw3000.org and expressing your interest.

Telephone Town Hall

Thursday, August 21
4:30 PM
Call-in Number: 844-227-7556
Meeting ID: 8789

Card Kingdom Roundtables: A Win from Our Labor Management Committee (LMC)!

For weeks, our LMC members collected survey responses about how poor communication and unclear expectations lead to stress and poor morale at Card Kingdom. On June 20, our Card Kingdom LMC met with management to discuss an agenda of workplace issues we compiled from your survey responses. At the end of the meeting, our committee delivered a compilation of powerful statements with a request attached: Card Kingdom management needs to host consistent roundtables with us to discuss issues, questions, concerns, and to repair morale and respect. The committee thoughtfully presented this letter of your statements and asked to meet again to hear their response.

As a result, Card Kingdom management met our demands by agreeing to host twice weekly roundtables with union members, management, and VP representatives!

This is a win we all can celebrate! We need to continue organizing together to use our powerful worker-led union at Card Kingdom where all of our voices can be heard. Roundtables are our space to organize, communicate openly, and give feedback with actionable results.

"Card Kingdom is at its best when everyone is able to come to work and do our best to both help each other out and help meet customer commitments with the trust that we know what's expected, why, and how to get there.... We also, crucially, want to be considered part of the community around the campfire, not just fuel to be burned."

— Labor Management Committee Letter excerpt

If you have any questions about upcoming roundtable meetings, please reach out to your stewards for support or call your representative Allison Hanley at (206) 436-6586.

Do you want to become a workplace leader, get involved in our Labor Management Committee, or become a shop steward? Reach out to one of your committee members or Allison Hanley to get involved!

Your Labor Management Committee: John Proudfoot, Aaron Sargent, Natalie Roggenbuck, and August Jones

Supermajority Strong: Dreamclinic LMTs Are Unionized!

With an overwhelming supermajority, Dreamclinic LMTs have officially won our union election. This win was powered by our unity, our courage, and our belief that we deserve better. We stood together across clinics, shifts, and schedules and proved that we are strongest when we act as one.

Winning the election is just the beginning. Now, we come together to build a strong first contract that reflects our values and supports Dreamclinic:

• Fair pay

• Real breaks

• Respect on the job

• Safety & voice in our work

If you have any questions or want to get more involved, please reach out to Organizer, Ondrea Shallbetter @ (360) 409-0337 or oshallbetter@ufcw3000.org

Let’s Keep Up The Momentum!

• Join Our Signal Chat and stay in touch!

• Fill out your bargaining survey once available.

Together, we decide what comes next.

“We’ve Got Your Back!”

Central Washington Hospital - Mares Campus & EEG Techs Accretion Ratified!

After many long months working with management, we have accreted the Mares Campus and EEG Techs into the Central Washington Hospital Techs contract! We joined work sites into a mature contract at Central Washington Hospital. We maintained seniority for all, the accreted members gained a 403b retirement plan, the new members finally have a wage scale and all the job protections and security they have been waiting for, and so much more.

If you know someone that has not yet signed up to become a Union Member, please direct them to the UFCW3000.org website for more information or reach out to your bargaining team.

SOLIDARITY among the work sites was impressive from the start and grew stronger as we moved through the process! As one team we will have the strength to fight for a fair contract that we can all be proud of.

United We Stand. Divided We Beg.

Bargaining Team: Monica Meloy, Randi Eckhart, Jason Sherwood, Danna Joyner, & Bethany Sapp

If you have any questions or concerns reach out to our bargaining team or Union Representative, Amy Radcliff, (509) 340-7370.

"After a few long months bargaining has paid off and the accretion is complete! It has felt good to part of something bigger, knowing that my work was valued and that I had support if any issues arose! The experience proved that when we stand together real change is possible & we were the ones who made it happen!"

— Danna Joyner, GI Tech

"We are excited with the future at hand bringing in almost 100 new members to our union! The future is bright for Confluence Health employees and UFCW 3000. Thanks for all the hard work from everyone involved."

— Jason Sherwood, Nuclear Medicine Tech

Bartell Drugs & Rite Aid - Severance Pay & Store Closure Information

On 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.

Read your Contracts:

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

Resources:

The Unemployment Law Project: a free service that supports workers receiving their unemployment benefits at (206) 441-9178 or online:

unemploymentlawproject.org

UFCW Represented Work Locations: Stay protected through a union contract at our other represented locations—on our website find “Who We Represent”:

ufcw3000.org/shop-union

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:

esd.wa.gov/unemployment

UFCW 3000 Denounces Attack on Freedom of Speech & Assembly, Demands Release of Mahmoud Khalil

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 14, 2025

UFCW 3000 Denounces Attack on Freedom of Speech and Assembly, Demands Release Mahmoud Khalil

DES MOINES, WA - UFCW 3000, the largest private sector union in the Pacific Northwest, demands the immediate release of Mahmoud Khalil, a recent Columbia graduate, lawful permanent resident, and expectant father who the Trump Administration arrested and indefinitely detained for participating in pro-Palestine protests. 

Our union denounces this flagrant attack on immigrants and on the bedrock constitutional rights of due process, freedom of speech, and freedom of assembly.

We see Trump’s promise to use federal enforcement agencies as a weapon against anyone who participates in demonstrations he doesn't like as a textbook authoritarian tactic to crush those who speak out against his agenda and the billionaire class it serves.

“We will not be cowed,” said Faye Guenther, UFCW 3000 President. “We will continue to fight against this anti-immigrant, anti-worker, anti-American assault on our fundamental freedoms.”

Card Kingdom - Membership Meeting Update Tenure Wage Grievance Settlement

During our recent membership meeting on October 8th, we presented the settlement reached regarding the tenure wage grievance. By choosing this settlement, we secured the best possible outcome for the entire Card Kingdom bargaining unit. If we had taken the grievance to arbitration, the Employer's interpretation could have been applied, which would have been less favorable for the bargaining unit.

• MOU on Wage Scale Interpretation: The Union and Employer have agreed on a Memorandum of Understanding that clarifies the interpretation of the wage scale in Article 21. Members will receive their tenure increases on two specific dates based on their hire date: January 1st for those hired between July 28th and January 1st, and July 27th for those hired between January 2nd and July 27th. This agreement prevents significant inequity that could have arisen from the Employer's initial interpretation, which would have required some members to wait nearly an entire year for their increases. With this new language, no member will have to wait more than six months for their tenure wage increase.

• Compensation for Active Members: Each active bargaining unit member will receive 8 hours of pay.

• Backpay for Former Members: The settlement includes 50% of the backpay owed to former Card Kingdom members who were affected by the pay discrepancy.

If you have any questions regarding this settlement, please reach out to grievance representative Dominic Zinsli at (206) 436-6613 until October 23rd. After that date, your Union Representative, Allison Hanley, will be back from her out-of-state assignment and can be contacted at (206) 436-6586.

We Continue Our Fight Against the Kroger/Albertsons Merger as the FTC Trial Enters Final Week, More Trials to Follow

UFCW 324 Members' Rally Was Covered on ABC 7 in LA September 13, 2024

Dear Grocery Store Members,

Since the trial of the Federal Trade Commission's lawsuit to stop the proposed merger between Kroger and Albertsons began on August 26, workers have been at the courthouse, talking to the media, and talking to customers about how damaging this would be for workers, customers, and our communities. We've been doing this work for nearly two years and we'll continue to do it until we finally put a stop to this disastrous merger.

The federal court case is expected to conclude on Tuesday, September 17, and the judge could make a decision on whether or not to approve the FTC's request for what is called a "preliminary injunction" as early as the first week of October. If the injunction is granted, the merger would be put on hold until after a full court case on the merits of the merger is done.

Meanwhile, on Monday, September 16, the Washington State Attorney General's lawsuit to block the merger will begin its trial in Seattle. The Colorado Attorney General's lawsuit to block the merger is scheduled to start on September 30.

The outspoken work of grocery store members and our community partners, as well as many enforcement agencies like the FTC and Attorneys General, have all been central to the successful efforts so far to stop the proposed mega-merger of Kroger and Albertsons.
 

---

Kroger's Q2 Earnings Call

Kroger held its 2nd quarter earnings call on Thursday, September 12, and it showed what we've been saying all along: Kroger is doing just fine, and doesn't need this merger to compete. Same store sales were up 1.2% (higher than expected) and the company pointed to higher online sales and increased loyalty households as drivers of stronger sales and growing private label brands as a driver of increased profitability. Notably, these areas—ecommerce capacity, customer loyalty and private label manufacturing—are ones that C&S Wholesale Grocery (the proposed buyer of 579 divested stores if a merger were allowed) lacks, underscoring concerns that C&S would not be able to operate those stores in a sustainable way.

Kroger also discussed strong profits in the pharmacy sector and acknowledged pharmacies as a leading cause of loyalty. We've pointed out time and time again that C&S has little to no experience managing pharmacies that are a lifeline to our communities.

Also of note, company officials claimed that shrink (the loss from theft or other causes) has been improving, though is still elevated, and that OSHA incident rates are currently at record lows. Members, who actually work in the stores, paint a very different picture of understaffed stores with high rates of shoplifting rates and significant health and safety risks.
 

---

In the News

UFCW Locals 7, 324, 400, 770, 1564, and 3000 have held press conferences, store actions, webinars and interviews to raise our concerns to the public through more than a thousand media stories from coast to coast since the very first day Kroger and Albertsons announced their proposed plan to merge. Time and again grocery store workers, sharing their experiences, have proven to be a critical part of those news stories.

Most recently, several stories around the FTC trial have been noteworthy:
 

• Stop the Merger Rally of UFCW 324 highlighted on ABC 7 in California
• NPR - All Things Considered - Shoppers and workers that stand to be affected by a Kroger-Albertsons merger weigh in
• New York Times: A Trial Asks: If Grocery Rivals Merge, Do Workers Suffer? - Front page of the Business section
• Reuters: Surging grocery prices in focus as US tries to stop Kroger deal
• AP: Kroger and Albertsons defend merger plan in federal court against US regulators' objections
• Cincinnati Enquirer: Deleted texts, grocery prices: CEOs testify in Kroger-Albertsons merger case

You can find more of the most recent news coverage on the Stop the Merger website news page >>

Protecting the jobs and collective bargaining strength of union workers and keeping choice and price competition for our customers are key reasons for our long-standing and loud opposition to the proposed merger. We recently launched a Stop the Merger customer petition to continue to build public support that has already garnered thousands of signatures! Please help spread the word about our petition by sharing www.nogrocerymerger.com/petition.

We hear from customers all over the country that Kroger and Albertsons' proposed mega-merger threatens our communities with store closures, food and pharmacy deserts, thousands of laid-off unionized grocery store workers, and higher prices.

You can take action by encouraging your co-workers, family members, fellow shoppers, friends, and others in the community to sign the petition to show Kroger and Albertson that they are opposed to this disastrous proposal.

Sign and share the petition >>

In solidarity,
The Stop the Merger Coalition

Deep Roots - Deep Roots Sale

We received notice last week that Deep Roots has sold their studios to The Best Studio Ever effective August 5, 2024. We know that there are likely many emotions about the unknown and want to share that the Union has reached out to the new owners to have a conversation and determine next steps regarding the collective bargaining agreement and their plans after August 5. As soon as we have more information, we will send out communication to all members.

In the meantime, Deep Roots current management will continue to pay all employees for all wages, commissions, any overtime, and all accrued paid time off earned up to the sale date. If you have questions about any of the compensation listed, please connect with Deep Roots management and let us know if there is support needed. If you have made contributions to the Retirement IRA, you can access your account here.

Now is the time to get involved as a Union steward, helping to support coworkers and organize as needed. Please reach out to Union Representative Dominick Ojeda, (206) 436-6586, if you'd like to get involved, have questions, or if you have helpful information to share as we work through this transition together.

PRMCE - Update for Inpatient Rehab:

On July 11, 2024, we met with Providence Everett (PRMCE) management and continued to negotiate over the closure of the inpatient rehab at the Pacific Campus.

There are ongoing discussions to gain clarity from Providence on the transfer of caregivers and the benefits that will be moving with the caregivers that choose to go to Lifepoint.

We recommend that each caregiver make their own decision regarding the job offer from Lifepoint based on their personal circumstances. If you do not accept a position at Lifepoint now, we are unsure if a position will be available for you in the future. Nonetheless, all Pro, Technical, and RN bargaining unit members have the option to take a vacant position at the Colby Campus using the bumping language in their contracts.

Moreover, we presented a counter proposal that maintained PTO/EIB cashout and other benefits for all laid-off employees.

We have an additional bargaining date set for July 17, 2024. On July 18 we would like to invite you to join a Zoom meeting to give an update and answer any questions you may have. As this closure and layoff has the potential to impact caregivers at both the Pacific and Colby campuses, all workers from both inpatient rehab and acute care are encouraged to attend.

If you have any questions, please contact Jack Crow (Pro and Tech Union Rep) or Anthony Cantu (RN Union Rep).