MEET WATSON
/Keeping Up and Fighting Back -Building Power in the Workplace
With all of the new technology we see around us, we need to be a part of the conversation about how it shapes our future in the workplace. We also need to use technology to help build power in our workplace.
We have created the UFCW 21 App as a powerful tool for leaders and members. The UFCW 21 App uses a robot called Watson that member leaders, union Reps and bargainers have trained to find answers to your questions based on your unique contract and new laws and policies that affect your workplace.
You ask a question, then Watson provides the answer to you. If Watson doesn’t know the right answer, it bumps it through to a person in our member support team, who’ll be able to help out and then train Watson to answer it next time. The more questions we ask Watson, the smarter it gets and the better it’s able to find the correct answers to questions.
We are continuing to get feedback and build the UFCW 21 App to help in the workplace. With this new technology, workers have access to the knowledge and information they need to be informed about bargaining agreements, company policies, and laws―regardless of whether they’ve just clocked off at 2am, or are about to walk into a meeting with management!
Do you know your rights?
/Christina Harris is a Bakery Clerk at the Lake City Fred Meyer. She shared her story with the Seattle City Council about the many times she was expected to stay late, occasionally pulled to other departments, and not compensated. When Seattle adopted Secure Scheduling, Christina believed that this behavior of unpredictable scheduling would end, but Management persisted. So she worked with her Union Representative, and together, along with many more Fred Meyer employees, they instigated an investigation with the Office of Labor Standards.
While the investigation of Fred Meyer is ongoing, hundreds of workers have received checks to compensate them for Fred Meyer’s violations of the Secure Scheduling ordinance. Christina got over $2,500 in earned income as a result of this action. As she stated to Councilmembers: “If labor standards exist but nobody is around to enforce them, do workers really have protections?”
We know the answer, and that is why we continue to not only advocate for policies that protect workers, but also to fully fund agencies created to enforce those rules. And with your help, we are able to alert those agencies, and ensure that your rights are protected, and that workers receive the pay they deserve when employers violate the law.
Secure Scheduling was adopted so that you can count on knowing when you need to be at work and when you are free to take care of your kids, help your parents get to medical appointments, or just enjoy free time. The law includes two-weeks’ notice for schedules to be released, and compensation when Management changes your schedule or asks you to work late or come in early. These are hard-won rights that bring stability to working people, and provide a disincentive for employers that want to under-schedule workplaces.
If you believe that Management at your worksite is breaking these rules, contact your Union Representative, and together we will work to ensure that your rights are protected. It’s your time, and you deserve to have your time protected.
THE POWER OF COMMUNITY ALLIES
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Contract fights can be challenging and isolating. We need the support of our vast and diverse membership, and also the communities where we live. When we get improvements in our jobs and working conditions, we raise the quality of life for ourselves, our families and our communities.
In July, Grocery Store Workers were not alone during their canvasses and informational pickets. Neighbors, church leaders, union leaders, social justice organizations, and many others turned out in solidarity, to add their voices and strength to the people who make their neighborhood grocery stores work everyday. The community allies remembered how these workers set out in snow and ice to ensure that the shelves were stocked and the stores were open through weeks of treacherous weather this past winter.
Community allies marched into the stores armed with ‘This Community Has My Back-One Good Job Should Be Enough’ buttons, taking selfies and letting members know that they were with them in the day to-day struggle for sustainable wages and livable scheduling.
Then community met with the store managers and presented their grocery list: Eggs, Kale, and La Croix were easy to find. However, there were more important items on their list that they couldn’t find in the store: Scheduling We Can Depend On… Wages We Can Live On… A Pension We Can Count On. They asked the managers to listen to the needs of their workers, because they are also the needs of the community.
Community members in Everett, Olympia, Centralia, Walla Walla and Spokane were disheartened when they heard about the looming strike with Providence hospital workers. Elected officials, faith groups and social justice groups have scheduled Community Lunchtime Listening Sessions in these hospitals to hear directly from health care workers about the critical issues causing them to vote for a strike.
The Providence health care workers will also be going to City Council meetings to talk to elected leaders about how Providence putting their profits before patients is a community crisis. Short staffing is one of the major concerns for Providence health care workers: “We need safe staffing levels to provide the highest quality of care for our patients.” Many local businesses and labor groups have shown their support by posting signs that say ‘Providence Hospital Workers Demand Patients Before Profits.’ At this time it is still unknown whether a strike will happen, but what we do know is the community is with us.
All of these actions, throughout Washington State, unite workers and their community. Together we advocate for good contracts now, and a future where all workers get what they need to thrive.
Grocery Store Workers Ratify New Contract
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When working people come together with each other and our community—we win. After more than six months of negotiations, UFCW 21, UFCW 367, and Teamsters 38 members turned out to vote and ratified a historic new contract.
Puget Sound Grocery Store Workers are proud of a contract that includes:
Strongest journey wage increases in UFCW 21’s history
Full back pay to expiration
A long-term solution to our pension with projected improvements
Health care benefits that are projected to be fully-funded, include benefit improvements and NO increases to premiums or deductibles
First scheduling overhaul in decades, giving us more control over our schedules
Strong safety language for the first time ever in our contract
A plan for the future of technology and workforce training
Won protections for our wage scales, so as minimum wage goes up, so do our wage steps.
NOT ONE SINGLE CUT OR TAKEAWAY!
Your work and solidarity made this happen. Thank you for your time, your action and standing united.
With our new contract in place, we know we have to continue to stand together to enforce our new contract and make our workplaces better. To be the first to get answers on your new contract download the UFCW 21 APP.
In Solidarity, YOUR GROCERY STORE BARGAINING TEAM
Amy Dayley Angell, QFC #891 (Ballard), Front End Checker, UFCW 21
Christina Harris, Fred Meyer - Lake City #179 (Grocery), Bakery Clerk, UFCW 21
Cliff Powers, Safeway #402 (Oak Harbor), Produce Clerk, UFCW 21
Denise Anderson, Safeway #1546 (Aberdeen), Meat Wrapper, UFCW 367
Eleanor Knight, Albertsons #4483 (Auburn), 4th PIC, UFCW 21
Irene Garcia, Fred Meyer - Auburn #19 (Retail), Home Clerk, UFCW 21
Jeannette Randall, Safeway #1923 (Roxbury), Front End Checker, UFCW 21
Jeff Smith, Fred Meyer - Snohomish #681 (Retail), Non-food receiving Clerk, UFCW 21
J'Nee DeLancey, Town & Country #211 (Ballard), Beer/Wine/Spirt Manager, UFCW 21
Joann Gardner, Albertsons #3106 (Puyallup), Personnel Coordinator/Bookkeeper, UFCW 367
Kyong Barry, Albertsons #4483 (S Auburn), Front End Manager, UFCW 21
Lisa Gasser, Fred Meyer #424 (South Hill), Bakery Clerk, UFCW 367
Maggie Breshears, Fred Meyer - Greenwood #122 (Grocery), Personal Shopper, UFCW 21
Maroot Nanakul, Safeway #464 (Bear Creek), Front End Manager, UFCW 21
Michaela Strain, QFC #819 (Bothell), Meat Wrapper, UFCW 21
Mike Sherman, Fred Meyer # 265 – Puyallup, Grocery Clerk, UFCW 367
Mike Solberg, Safeway # 547 (Graham), Grocery Clerk, UFCW 367
Paul Ames Reinhold, Metropolitan Market #157 (Uptown), Cheese Kiosk Clerk, UFCW 21
Richard Waits, Haggen #15 (Burlington), Deli Clerk, UFCW 21
Robin Hillistad, QFC #858 (N Seattle), HR Specialist/Bookkeeper, UFCW 21
Sam Dancy, QFC #825 (Westwood Village), Front End Supervisor, UFCW 21
Sue Wilmot, Safeway #1252 (Bainbridge Island), Front End Checker, UFCW 21
Wendy Garrett-Drake, Albertsons #469 (Mukilteo), Personnel Coordinator/Bookkeeper, Teamsters 38
Wil Peterson, Fred Meyer - Everett #95 (Grocery), CCK Checker, UFCW 21
Faye Guenther, President, UFCW 21
Steve Chandler, Principal Officer Teamsters 38
Joe Mizrahi, Secretary Treasurer, UFCW 21
Tammi Brady, Recording Secretary, Teamsters 38
Samantha Kantak, Executive Assistant, Teamsters 38
Kate Meckler, Trustee, UFCW 367
Angel Gonzalez, Deputy Trustee, UFCW 367
Jim McGuinness, Attorney, UFCW 21, Teamsters 38 and UFCW 367
Review the Grocery Store Contract Vote Documents and Vote
/Voting on our grocery contract has begun. Here are the vote documents explaining the many improvements to our contract: [Download as PDF] You can review these in advance. Members of your bargaining team, Union Reps, and leadership will be available at your vote meeting to answer any questions you have. Please make your voice heard and attend a vote meeting this week. All dates and times are below. Vote Info:
Friday, November 1, 2019 — BELLEVUE
8AM-12PM & 4-8PM Meydenbauer Center / 11100 NE 6th St, Bellevue, WA 98004
Sunday, November 3, 2019 — SEATAC
8AM-12PM & 4-8PM Doubletree Seatac / 18740 International Blvd, Seattle, WA 98188
Monday, November 4, 2019 — SEATTLE
8AM-12PM & 4-8PM Fisher Pavilion, Seattle Center / 305 Harrison St, Seattle, WA 98109
Parking: Parking validation will be available for the 5th Ave Garage, located at 516 Harrison St, Seattle WA 98109. (Parking validation is not available for the Mercer St garage or other parking.)
Tuesday, November 5, 2019 — LYNNWOOD
8AM-12PM & 4-8PM Lynnwood Convention Center / 3711 196th St SW, Lynnwood, WA 98036
Wednesday, November 6, 2019 — BREMERTON
8AM-12PM & 4-8PM Kitsap Convention Center / 100 Washington Ave, Bremerton, WA 98337
Parking: Please park only on the RED or GREEN levels of the parking garage. Remember your stall number to register it for validation with the receptionist of the Kitsap Conference Center.
Wednesday, November 6, 2019 — OLYMPIA
8AM-12PM & 4-8PM The Olympia Center / 222 Columbia St NW, Olympia, WA 98501
These votes are open to all active-member UFCW 21 Grocery Store Workers in King, Snohomish, Kitsap, Mason, and Thurston Counties at the big chains and independent stores. Active members are eligible to vote at whichever location is most convenient, during any time when polling is open. If you need help getting to your meeting or can offer a ride to a fellow member, please contact your Shop Steward or Union Rep.
Burlington Fred Meyer GM Contract Vote
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We’ve been in negotiations for 6 months. By November 1, the Bargaining Team will either have a proposal from the Employers that we will recommend for ratification, or the Bargaining Team will recommend to authorize a strike.
Drop by any time during the votes, review
the current contract offer, get your questions answered, and then vote. These votes are open to all active-member UFCW 21 Fred Meyer General Merchandise workers at the Burlington store. Active members are eligible to vote whenever is most convenient, at any time when polling is open.
Monday, November 4
8AM-12pm (noon) & 4PM-8PM
UFCW 21 Mt. Vernon Office
1510 N 18th St Mt. Vernon, WA 98274
Grocery Store Bargain Update: Full Tentative Agreement Recommended for Ratification
/Final Step of Pension Deal Completed, Full Tentative Agreement Recommended for Ratification
“Standing together and taking action is how we have won before and it is how we won again this time. Your voice and your vote matters. Attend a vote meeting to learn about the Tentative Agreement and make your voice heard.” - Your Union Member Bargaining Team
We have been working all week to see if we could finalize the details of a pending pension deal with Albertsons/Safeway and Kroger. We are very happy to announce that we have now reached a full tentative agreement, including this deal on our pension.
The pending details between Albertsons/Safeway and Kroger have been ironed out and we now have a Fully Recommended Agreement.
After 6 months of negotiations, hundreds of actions in our stores across the region, and connecting with thousands of customers about our campaign, your Union Member Bargaining Team has reached a tentative agreement and recommends a YES VOTE to accept the proposal from the employers.
Drop by any of the posted vote meetings during any of the open times, review the offer, get questions answered, and then vote. These votes are open to all active-member UFCW 21 Grocery Store Workers in King, Snohomish, Kitsap, Mason, and Thurston Counties at the big chains and independent stores. Active members are eligible to vote at whichever location is most convenient, during any time when polling is open.
Friday, November 1, 2019 — BELLEVUE
8AM-12PM & 4-8PM Meydenbauer Center / 11100 NE 6th St, Bellevue, WA 98004
Sunday, November 3, 2019 — SEATAC
8AM-12PM & 4-8PM Doubletree Seatac / 18740 International Blvd, Seattle, WA 98188
Monday, November 4, 2019 — SEATTLE
8AM-12PM & 4-8PM Fisher Pavilion, Seattle Center / 305 Harrison St, Seattle, WA 98109
Parking: Parking validation will be available for the 5th Ave Garage, located at 516 Harrison St, Seattle WA 98109. (Parking validation is not available for the Mercer St garage or other parking.)
Tuesday, November 5, 2019 — LYNNWOOD
8AM-12PM & 4-8PM Lynnwood Convention Center / 3711 196th St SW, Lynnwood, WA 98036
Wednesday, November 6, 2019 — BREMERTON
8AM-12PM & 4-8PM Kitsap Convention Center / 100 Washington Ave, Bremerton, WA 98337
Parking: Please park only on the RED or GREEN levels of the parking garage. Remember your stall number to register it for validation with the receptionist of the Kitsap Conference Center.
Wednesday, November 6, 2019 — OLYMPIA
8AM-12PM & 4-8PM The Olympia Center / 222 Columbia St NW, Olympia, WA 98501
In Solidarity, YOUR GROCERY STORE BARGAINING TEAM
Amy Dayley Angell, QFC #891 (Ballard), Front End Checker, UFCW 21
Christina Harris, Fred Meyer - Lake City #179 (Grocery), Bakery Clerk, UFCW 21
Cliff Powers, Safeway #402 (Oak Harbor), Produce Clerk, UFCW 21
Denise Anderson, Safeway #1546 (Aberdeen), Meat Wrapper, UFCW 367
Eleanor Knight, Albertsons #4483 (Auburn), 4th PIC, UFCW 21
Irene Garcia, Fred Meyer - Auburn #19 (Retail), Home Clerk, UFCW 21
Jeannette Randall, Safeway #1923 (Roxbury), Front End Checker, UFCW 21
Jeff Smith, Fred Meyer - Snohomish #681 (Retail), Non-food receiving Clerk, UFCW 21
J'Nee DeLancey, Town & Country #211 (Ballard), Beer/Wine/Spirt Manager, UFCW 21
Joann Gardner, Albertsons #3106 (Puyallup), Personnel Coordinator/Bookkeeper, UFCW 367
Kyong Barry, Albertsons #4483 (S Auburn), Front End Manager, UFCW 21
Lisa Gasser, Fred Meyer #424 (South Hill), Bakery Clerk, UFCW 367
Maggie Breshears, Fred Meyer - Greenwood #122 (Grocery), Personal Shopper, UFCW 21
Maroot Nanakul, Safeway #464 (Bear Creek), Front End Manager, UFCW 21
Michaela Strain, QFC #819 (Bothell), Meat Wrapper, UFCW 21
Mike Sherman, Fred Meyer # 265 – Puyallup, Grocery Clerk, UFCW 367
Mike Solberg, Safeway # 547 (Graham), Grocery Clerk, UFCW 367
Paul Ames Reinhold, Metropolitan Market #157 (Uptown), Cheese Kiosk Clerk, UFCW 21
Richard Waits, Haggen #15 (Burlington), Deli Clerk, UFCW 21
Robin Hillistad, QFC #858 (N Seattle), HR Specialist/Bookkeeper, UFCW 21
Sam Dancy, QFC #825 (Westwood Village), Front End Supervisor, UFCW 21
Sue Wilmot, Safeway #1252 (Bainbridge Island), Front End Checker, UFCW 21
Wendy Garrett-Drake, Albertsons #469 (Mukilteo), Personnel Coordinator/Bookkeeper, Teamsters 38
Wil Peterson, Fred Meyer - Everett #95 (Grocery), CCK Checker, UFCW 21
Faye Guenther, President, UFCW 21
Steve Chandler, Principal Officer Teamsters 38
Joe Mizrahi, Secretary Treasurer, UFCW 21
Tammi Brady, Recording Secretary, Teamsters 38
Samantha Kantak, Executive Assistant, Teamsters 38
Kate Meckler, Trustee, UFCW 367
Angel Gonzalez, Deputy Trustee, UFCW 367
Jim McGuinness, Attorney, UFCW 21, Teamsters 38 and UFCW 367
Grocery Store Bargain: It’s time to vote.
/It’s time to vote.
After months of bargaining and workplace and community actions, we have a tentative agreement with Kroger and Safeway/Albertsons, pending a final step on the pension agreement between these employers. Your grocery store bargaining team fully recommends this agreement (pending the finalized pension deal), and members of your bargaining team will be at each vote location ready to talk to you about the tentative agreement, answer your questions, and help you get more involved in your union. RSVP to a vote today.
All active UFCW 21 grocery store members working in King, Snohomish, Kitsap, Mason, and Thurston Counties at big chains (Safeway, Albertsons, Fred Myers, and QFC) and independent stores can come by anytime during one of the vote meetings to get details on this tentative agreement, get questions answered, and vote. Vote times and an online RSVP are here.
Friday, November 1, 2019 — BELLEVUE
8AM-12PM & 4-8PM Meydenbauer Center / 11100 NE 6th St, Bellevue, WA 98004
Sunday, November 3, 2019 — SEATAC
8AM-12PM & 4-8PM Doubletree Seatac / 18740 International Blvd, Seattle, WA 98188
Monday, November 4, 2019 — SEATTLE
8AM-12PM & 4-8PM Fisher Pavilion, Seattle Center / 305 Harrison St, Seattle, WA 98109
Parking: Parking validation will be available for the 5th Ave Garage, located at 516 Harrison St, Seattle WA 98109. (Parking validation is not available for the Mercer St garage or other parking.)
Tuesday, November 5, 2019 — LYNNWOOD
8AM-12PM & 4-8PM Lynnwood Convention Center / 3711 196th St SW, Lynnwood, WA 98036
Wednesday, November 6, 2019 — BREMERTON
8AM-12PM & 4-8PM Kitsap Convention Center / 100 Washington Ave, Bremerton, WA 98337
Parking: Please park only on the RED or GREEN levels of the parking garage. Remember your stall number to register it for validation with the receptionist of the Kitsap Conference Center.
Wednesday, November 6, 2019 — OLYMPIA
8AM-12PM & 4-8PM The Olympia Center / 222 Columbia St NW, Olympia, WA 98501
