Fired Amazon Workers Reach Settlement with Amazon

For Immediate Release: September 29, 2001, 4:30 PM PST
Contact: Tom Geiger, Special Projects Director, UFCW 21, 206-604-3421

Fired Amazon Workers Reach Settlement with Amazon

In the early stages of the COVID pandemic, in the late spring of 2020, two Amazon workers, Emily Cunnigham and Maren Costa, were fired from their jobs at Amazon. They were told it was due, in essence, to a violation of policies. They however believed it was in response to, and in retaliation for their protected and concerted activities in support of Amazon’s warehouse workers. These two workers approached UFCW 21 to request assistance in filing an Unfair Labor Charge against Amazon. After consideration, that case was filed by UFCW 21 and the local Union assigned the case to our legal counsel.

One aspect of the National Labor Relations Act is that it protects workers’ concerted and collective action – regardless of whether that worker is in a union. The law also allows a union to file a case on behalf of non-represented workers if those workers seek that representation. That is what happened in this case.

The Settlement Agreement on Case No 19-CA-266977 was reached earlier this afternoon. The Settlement includes a requirement that Amazon make a posting notifying Tech and Warehouse workers of the settlement notice and that they have the right under the law to express themselves in collective and concerted activity. This posting is required to be done nationwide. Amazon must also document their compliance with the Posting Notice and then provide evidence of that documentation of compliance directly to UFCW 21.

“Being able to assist not-yet-unionized workers who were acting in accordance with the law and who were fired has been an honor and responsibility we took very seriously. We felt that the workers had a strong case from the beginning and we want to encourage all workers to speak out in a collective and constructive way to improve their workplaces if they so choose,” said Faye Guenther, President of UFCW 21.

UFCW 21 is a strong believer in workers’ voices being heard. As such, we would request that all requests for interviews go to Emily and Maren and not to our attorney or staff. These workers can and will speak for themselves.

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UFCW 21 represents over 46,000 workers in grocery stores, health care, retail and other industries across Washington State.

Do you have questions about forming a union?

UFCW 21 has a strong record of organizing new members by the thousands - more than 11,500 workers have joined our union in the last 10 years. Learn more about forming a union or contact an organizer! >>

Central Washington Hospital - Tentative Agreement Reached—Vote Scheduled!

After several months of Bargaining your Bargaining Team is recommending a YES vote on the proposed new 3-year contract with Central Washington Hospital.

This contract will: 

• Secure across the bargaining unit wage increase for all members each year of the contract

• Improve many job classification wage scales with market adjustments which will give many people additional increases

• Ratification bonuses for all bargaining unit members

• We were able to secure our retirement and hold back any significant changes

If you have questions, please reach out to your Bargaining Team members or Union Representative Maureen Hatton at 509-340-7371.

Join us in voting “YES” in October! Members will need to be in good standing and attend the vote in person. 

Tuesday, October 5 

Join us at any of the times listed:

• 7:00am-9:00am

• 11:00am- 1:00pm

• 3:00pm-5:30pm

Vote meetings will be held at F&G Room at Central Washington Hospital.

You may update your membership application online:

Jefferson Healthcare RN - Contract Negotiations Begin!

Our team of RNs from Jefferson have met with Management and started trading proposals.

Nurses have worked hard this last several months, short staffed and constantly being redeployed. The recent Covid surge has been challenging as well as the recent restructure of ACU/ICU and FBC/ED. 

The first proposals exchanged have been mostly non-economic changes to language including Non-Discrimination, distribution of Contracts and Job Descriptions, Use of Per Diems, release for Jury/Witness Duty, Discipline and Discharge. We are working on other language changes to improve our contract. In the coming weeks we are scheduled to meet each week to negotiate over these and other, more pressing issues, including total compensation, scheduling and benefits.

Future Bargaining Dates:

• October 5

• October 12

• October 19

• October 26

Our Jefferson Healthcare RN Bargaining Team: Ben Schadler, RN ICU; Melanee Knudson, RN FBC; Jeannette Hundley, RN Surgical Services; Robin Bridge, RN ED; Ryan DeGouveia, UFCW 21; Cathy Macphail, UFCW 21

Jefferson Healthcare Pro Tech & Clinic - Bargaining Begins at Jefferson!

After a difficult year and a half of fighting Covid on the front lines, our Bargaining Team is now fighting for a fair contract. Everyone has been hard at work crafting proposals that will improve wages and working conditions.

The first few sessions, the team has been addressing non-economic contract language. Proposals have addressed Non-Discrimination, Employee Handbooks/Policies, Union Application and Contract distribution, Jury/Witness Duty, Discipline and Grievance Procedures. In the coming weeks we are meeting to address the issues that are most important to you. We have scheduled the following dates and will add to as needed.

Future Bargaining Dates:

• September 29

• October 6

• October 13

• October 27

Our Jefferson Healthcare RN Bargaining Team: Karen Starling, Clinic RN; Nell Allen, Pharmacy Tech Specialist; Natalie Irwin, Physical Therapist; Kim Vasenda, CNA; Monique Samos, Patient Accounts Rep; Miychell Vereeke, Dental Assistant; Robyn Wentz, Surgical Tech; Ryan De Gouveia, UFCW 21; Cathy Macphail, UFCW 21;

UFCW 21 Member FAQ on Washington's New Public Long-Term Care Insurance Program

What is WA Cares, and what is long-term care insurance? 

The WA Cares Fund is a new public benefit in Washington State to help people pay for long-term care, a type of care you may need when experiencing an injury, disability, or other health issue that makes it difficult to care for yourself. People with cancer, dementia, diabetes, heart attacks or strokes, broken bones, and many other injuries and illnesses may need help bathing, dressing, moving around, meal preparation, managing medications, and other basic daily tasks. In fact, 7 out of 10 Washingtonians will need long-term care at some point in their lives. 

WA Cares is public long-term care insurance, so that everyone working in Washington State has access to affordable long-term care services when they need it and can get this support where it’s most appropriate for them—whether that’s their home, an assisted living facility, an adult family home or a nursing home. 

What exactly does this benefit cover for me and my family? 

Beginning in January 2025, an eligible person in Washington can access services and support up to a maximum of $36,500. You and your family can decide how, when, and where to spend this benefit, including paying a trained family caregiver so that someone who cuts back on work to care for a family member doesn’t lose as much income. A benefit of $36,500 is enough to pay for: 

• 25 hours per week of in-home care for a year 

• 9 to 18 months in a residential care such as an adult family home or assisted living 

• Five to six months in a nursing home 

• Five years of family caregiver support that includes respite, caregiver counseling and education, home modification 

For about half of families who need long-term care, this benefit will cover all the long-term care they will require. For those who end up needing more or longer care, this benefit allows people time and resources to figure out further solutions. 

There is private long-term care insurance available, but WA Cares is a public benefit, like Social Security or Medicare, and has advantages over corporate insurance. If you have or want to get private insurance as well, you are still allowed to use WA Cares along with your private insurance. You have a one-time choice to opt out of WA Cares if you prefer to only use private insurance, but that is a permanent choice and you will not have a chance to opt back into WA Cares if you need it in the future. To opt out of WA Cares, you must have purchased a qualifying private long-term care insurance plan before November 1, 2021. 

What does it cost? 

Starting in 2022, people working in Washington State will pay 0.58% of their earnings into the WA Cares Fund only when they are working. Unlike private insurance, you do not have to pay this when between jobs, out of the workforce, or after retirement, but your coverage under the benefit will still continue. This a pre-tax benefit, so you will not pay taxes on the portion of your paycheck that goes to the WA Cares fund, and your WA Cares benefit will not be taxed as income when or if you use it. 

Here’s what this means for some average income levels in Washington: 

Annual Income	WA Cares cost annually	WA Cares cost per week
$26,000	$150.80	$2.90
$52,075	$302	$5.80
$107,023	$620.73	$11.93

You are eligible for this benefit once you have contributed to the fund for ten years with a minimum of 500 hours per year and without a break of more than 5 years within those ten years, or if you have contributed three of the last six years at the time you apply for the benefit. 

Why does WA Cares exist, and why do essential worker unions support it? 

Long-term care costs can strain family budgets and savings at a time when you want to focus on staying healthy and getting the care you need. Private long-term care insurance exists, but it’s expensive, the premiums can be higher for people based on their gender and age, and you can be denied coverage due to preexisting conditions. In Washington, we’ve seen the number of companies offering long-term care shrink dramatically in the last decade: 

• In 2001: 137 companies offering long term care insurance coverage in WA 

• In 2021: 10 companies offering long-term care insurance coverage in WA 

Some people will need more care than WA Cares can cover, but having an existing benefit in place means your family has time to receive all the care they need while making plans for the future. Some workers have long-term care insurance through a job, but that insurance may end if you leave your job, or the expensive premiums may fall on you to keep paying. Unlike WA Cares, private insurance requires you to keep paying your premiums even after you retire. 

For more information on the WA Cares program, visit wacaresfund.wa.gov or walongtermcareoptions.info

Macy's Update- Alderwood Workers Take Action

Your bargaining committee met with Macy’s Management twice last week, making little progress on any of the important issues on

the table.

Which is why on Wednesday, September 22, Union workers at the Alderwood Macy’s took action and marched to the store offices to present the results of our Is Macy’s Reliable? survey. 95% of Macy’s workers surveyed said that Macy’s was unreliable and needed to change their offer, and we wanted to make sure management heard that message loud

and clear.

At first store Management was unresponsive to our request to talk to them, but Union members were loud and clear and refused to leave till we were able to present them with the survey results.

Our community allies from Poverty Action Network, and The Children’s Alliance also joined us to tell Management’s spokesperson that the community (Macy’s customers) stood with the workers in their fight for a fair contract.

More Action Needed!

“Management is only going to listen to us if we take action. In 2018 we all formed info pickets at our stores and showed we were ready to fight. It is that time again!”

—Marvella Joseph

We will be letting people know what the next action is what happened at bargaining the day before when we meet on Zoom this Friday. The holidays are upon us, this is a critical time for Macy’s business, and workers are the ones that makes their business run. They literally can’t do it without us!

Join our Zoom Contract Action Meeting!

Friday, October 1
5 PM
https://zoom.us/join
Contact your Bargaining Team or Union Rep for call-in details. Details will also be sent to your email.

Trios Health - Onward to Economics

Last week, our Bargaining Team presented all of our non-economic proposals. We are eager to begin Economic discussions next Wednesday, September 29 and Friday, October 1. The unity shown by wearing stickers sent a strong message to Trios Health that we are united for Staffing, Safety, Recruitment, and Retention. Please continue wearing them with pride all month—we are pushing not only for staffing improvements in our contract, but side by side with other healthcare unions statewide for Stronger Staffing Legislation in Olympia.  

If you have questions, please reach out to your Union Representative Austen Louden, 509-340-7372. 

“Keep your eye out for Union Car Signs to show your support for Trios Nurses and safe staffing. Our Bargaining Team and stewards will be distributing them this week. Share widely with family and friends!”

Our Trios Health Bargaining Team: Casey Nitta, Stephanie Weibel, Milari Olexa, Tami Ottenbreit, and Carol Goplen

Town Hall Call on Monday - Good News on Your Pension

How will you retire?

You’re invited to our educational Town Hall – Monday at 4 PM. We will be joined by our retirement pension experts and take your questions live. Just answer your phone when we call on Monday at 4 PM.

If for some reason, you don’t get a call, you can dial into the Town Hall. On Monday September 27 at 4 PM just dial 1-888-231-5462 and enter meeting ID 6308. Hope to talk with you then.

Background:

It’s Your Retirement
We all hope to retire, after a lifetime of work, with enough income to live with some dignity and independence. A solid retirement plan will help. It has many sources: personal savings, Social Security, and retirement/pensions and investments. Your retirement pension from work at the grocery store is one of these sources.

While some of you may be near retirement after decades of work, others may have just started at the grocery store in just the last few years. Whatever your situation, your pension is one of the most important ways to have income when you retire. Your employer begins making payments into your pension when you are hired, and you become vested in the pension plan typically after just 5 years of work in the stores.

Good News

1 – A Solid Plan, a Brighter Future – In the Summer of 2021 our Pension made a very positive announcement – we were able to complete the final step to secure the pension funding after many years of effort. This includes a new plan that: is more resilient to the ups and downs in the stock market; creates a Stabilization Fund for years when the investment returns drop below 2%; and, connects your employer’s retirement contributions to your wage instead of a fixed amount so that as you get paid more, your retirement value goes up as well.

2 – Solution Allows for Shifting Focus to Higher Wages – Every three years our union members get the right to negotiate with the employers over the terms of employment – wages, benefits, working conditions and more. This includes Health Care and Retirement benefits. Because we have successfully addressed the pension and health benefits over the last decade, our hope is that as we go into contract negotiation in early 2022, we can now take the time and energy with the employer representatives to focus on members’ other top priorities: first and foremost is increased wages. We are also looking forward to trying to make improvements in the contract for training, staffing and additional ways to improve safety and respect in the workplace.

Need to Know Details About Your Pension
The amount someone gets at retirement depends on many things. If you have a question about your specific pension benefits, when you are vested, or other topics, please call our grocery store workers’ retirement plan administrator, Zenith, at 206-282-4500 or 800-225-7620, press option 2, then press 3.

UFCW 21 Mourns with Our Fellow UFCW Members in Tennessee

At UFCW 21, we are standing with our UFCW siblings in Tennessee who experienced a shooting in their Kroger workplace this afternoon that injured at least a dozen people. We don’t have all the information, but we are in touch with UFCW Local 1529 to offer solidarity and support as they deal with the impacts of this heinous incident of workplace violence.

This is at least the second mass shooting in a grocery store this year, and we know many grocery store workers and other workers are concerned about workplace violence. Everyone deserves a safe workplace, and we are committed to addressing workplace safety so everyone can work without fear of injury or violence.

If there are ways to offer direct mutual aid to our fellow union members in Tennessee, we will share that information as soon as we have it. If you are interested in organizing around workplace safety, please get in touch.

WhidbeyHealth - Review Your September 17 Paycheck! Wage Increases Dispersed!

On September 16, UFCW 21 and WhidbeyHealth were finally able to come to an agreement around language and wage scale discrepancies. Throughout this entire process, our position has been that WhidbeyHealth should have implemented the wage increases per our tentative agreement which the Support Service unit and Pro/Tech/LPN unit ratified on June 23. We are disappointed with WhidbeyHealth’s delay tactics and will continue holding them accountable to timelines in future negotiations!

Please review your September 17 paycheck which should show retroactive pay and wage increases of:

• 1% hourly wage increase for Pro/Tech/LPN from February 7, 2020 until June 30, 2021 and 1.5% hourly wage increase effective July 1, 2021

• 1% hourly wage increase for Support Services from June 7, 2020 until June 30, 2021 and 1.5% hourly wage increase effective July 1, 2021

We are now working on posting the contracts online and will have hard copies available. If you wish to have a hard copy and can distribute copies to your department, please reach out to your union rep Celia Ponce-Sanchez. 

If you have any questions or concerns please reach out to your union rep or the Member Resource Center 206-436-6570.

Providence Centralia Hospital Support Service overwhelmingly approved their first contract

On September 15, the Providence Centralia Support Service overwhelmingly approved their first contract! About fourteen months after organizing, we were able to obtain a great first contract with competitive wage increases and job protections.

Our next step is for both parties to sign the contract and then we will distribute the contract, and post the contract on www.ufcw21.org. This process usually takes about one to two months. Your wage increases will go into effect the first full pay period following September 15, 2021, which starts on September 26.

If you have any workplace or disciplinary issues please reach out to Erin McCoy (Union rep) or the Membership Resource Center at 206-436-6570.

Find more information HERE about your union rights, shop steward training, free college, union discounts, and how to sign a union membership application!

Welcome to UFCW 21 PCH Support Service and congratulations on winning your first contract!

Providence Centralia Hospital Tech - Contract vote scheduled

We reached a tentative agreement with Providence Centralia on September 8! The next step is for you to vote on the agreement. We will be going over the agreement on October 4 over Zoom. The full agreement and your wage rate will be available during the in-person vote on October 7 during the time slots listed. The contract must be ratified by a simple majority of voters on October 7. You cannot submit an absentee vote or electronic vote and cannot vote outside of the time slots listed.

Please reach out to our Bargaining Team or Union Rep Erin McCoy if you have any questions.

Join your coworkers on these important dates:

Contract Vote Meeting via Zoom
Monday, October 4
4:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Contact our Bargaining Team or Union Rep for details

Vote on your contract in-person
Thursday, October 7
6:30 AM - 9:30 AM
11 AM - 2 PM
4 PM - 7 PM
Peppermill Inn
1233 Alder St
Centralia, WA 98531

Mary Bridge Children's Hospital RN - Tentative Agreement Reached

Our Bargaining Team has reached a tentative agreement with Management on a new three-year collective bargaining agreement for Registered Nurses at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital. We are excited to announce that this tentative agreement includes:

• Historic wage increases

• Elimination of all ghost steps on the wage scale (steps with no wage increases),

• $500 ratification bonus, prorated by FTE,

• Increases to a number of wage premiums including shift differential, standby pay, weekend premium, charge nurse pay, and preceptor pay,

• Improved charge nurse language allowing nurses to object to the assignment,

• No health care premium increases next year with caps in subsequent years,

• And so much more!

We also added the spot bonus incentive program into this agreement; however, we were not able to maintain our current Appendix G incentive plan. In exchange, we were able to add more money in other portions of the agreement. It would also conform our incentive program with other MultiCare RN contracts, including Tacoma General Hospital.

The full details of the offer will be made available during our online vote meeting on Monday, October 4.

It’s extremely important that members attend the zoom meeting to get a full understanding of the employer’s offer and have your questions answered. However, voting will not take place at this meeting.

We will be voting online via “SimplyVoting” on Tuesday, October 5. You will be receiving an email from UFCW 21 via “SimplyVoting” with your unique login information.

In order to vote, everyone needs to make sure their personal email is up to date in our records. If you did not receive this announcement via email, please update your information HERE

If you do not receive an email to vote on Monday, October 5, then please reach out to Union Representative Kent Tse at (206) 436-6512 to provide an updated email address.

Auburn Medical Center RNs Bargaining Update

We met with the Employer again on September 14, and it was one of the more productive days of negotiations thus far. After expressing our frustration with Management’s constant delays, we’re pleased to report that they were ready to accept the Union’s proposal first thing in the morning.

In our proposal, we continued to push the narrative that our new contract should include a wage scale that is not only competitive today but will remain so for the entire three-year duration of the agreement. Nurses are being worked to the point of burnout because of the staffing crisis and our wage proposal would make it easier for the Employer to hire and retain staff, providing much needed relief.

We’ve also held firm on our demand that members receive some form of compensation as a result of the delays caused by Management. Our contract was originally scheduled to expire last month, which is when we should have received our wage increases. Therefore, each day that passes without an agreement is more money the Employer is pocketing that should have been added to our wages.

Your Bargaining Team will meet with Management again on Wednesday, September 22.

Join the Bargaining Team at our next virtual Contract Action Team (CAT) meeting on Monday, October 6 @ 6:30 PM to hear the latest from negotiations, have your questions answered, and learn how you can help us win a fair contract! Contact your Bargaining Team or Union Rep for Zoom details. The direct link to join will also be emailed. 

CHI Virtual Health Services - Tentative Agreement Reached, Contract Vote Scheduled

Your Bargaining Team has reached a tentative agreement with Management on a new three-year collective bargaining agreement for Virtual Health Services. This agreement includes:

>> Historic wage increases that are competitive with MultiCare,

>> Significant changes in the wage scale, increasing the raises you’ll get as you advance on the wage scale,

>> Shortened wage scale, meaning that you’ll reach the top wage years earlier,

>> Improved staffing language with a pathway to report your concerns to administration,

>> Stronger seniority/layoff language,

>> And much more!

The full details of the offer will be made available during our online vote meeting on Thursday, September 30. It’s extremely important that members attend the zoom meeting to get a full understanding of the employer’s offer and have your questions answered. However, voting will not take place at this meeting.

We will be voting online via “SimplyVoting” on Friday, October 1. You will be receiving an email from UFCW 21 via “SimplyVoting” with your unique login information.

In order to vote, everyone needs to make sure their personal email is up to date in our records. If you did not receive this announcement via email, please update your information HERE.

If you do not receive an email to vote on Friday, October 1, then please reach out to Union Representative Kent Tse at (206) 436-6512 no later than 5PM on the day of the vote to provide an updated email address.

Join your coworkers on these important dates!

Online Vote Meeting via Zoom
Thursday, September 30
5:30 PM
Contact your Bargaining Team or Union Rep for details. Direct link to join will also be emailed.

Contract Vote via SimplyVoting
Friday, October 1
6 AM - 8 PM

New Incentive Shift Pay for Forks RNs!

New Incentive Shift Pay for Forks RNs!

 After pressure from the Nurses, Management agreed to a new shift incentive, effective September 14, for designated shifts an RN picks up beyond their FTE. Per diem Nurses are also eligible for the incentive after picking up 5 shifts in a payroll period.

Incentives for designated shifts are as follows:

8 hour shift: $300
10 hour shift: $375
12 hour shift: $450

We are still pushing management to provide shift incentives for other job classifications. This incentive will run through January 1, 2022.

Macy’s needs to be a reliable employer!

We are Macy’s Union members who have worked through this pandemic serving our customers and communities. In a survey 95% of Union workers said Macy’s needs to be reliable and:

Improve our safety and working conditions. During the pandemic we have faced increased risk on the job, and need better protections on the job.

Pay fair wages for the work we do. We worked during the pandemic without hazard pay and we deserve a raise, and recognition for our years of service.

Ensure fairness at work. Macy’s wants to target part-time workers with an unfair and unreliable attendance system. We want to keep the credit for our good attendance, built over years of loyal service.

Thank you for shopping at a Union store and for your support!

Providence St. Peter Hospital Tech Wins First Contract!

On September 16, the Providence St. Peter’s Techs overwhelmingly approved their first contract! About seventeen months after organizing, we were able to obtain a great contract with competitive wage increases and job protections.

Our next step is for both parties to sign the contract, then we will distribute and post it on our website at: www.ufcw21.org. This process usually takes about one to two months. Your wage increases will go into effect the first full pay period following September 16, 2021. 

If you have any workplace or disciplinary issues please reach out to Union Rep Erin McCoy or the Membership Resource Center 206-436-6570. You can find more information about your Union rights, shop steward training, free college, Union discounts, and how to sign a Union membership application on https://www.ufcw21.org/new-members.

Welcome to UFCW 21, PSPH Techs, and congratulations on winning your first contract!

Bargaining Team: Josh Wood, Rae Lynn Korpi, Shapel Morgan, Colleen Castaneda

Grocery Store Workers Have Right to Wear Black Lives Matter Buttons

For Immediate Release: September 17, 2021
Contact: Tom Geiger, UFCW 21, 206-604-3421

Grocery Store Workers Have Right to Wear Black Lives Matter Buttons

National Labor Relations Board Tells Kroger’s QFC and Fred Meyer to Reach Settlement or Change Policy

Seattle, WA -- Region 19 of the National Labor Relations Board has informed UFCW 21 of its finding that Fred Meyer and QFC – both Kroger companies – violated federal labor law when it prohibited workers from wearing union-sponsored Black Lives Matter buttons.

Specifically, Region 19 found merit in UFCW 21’s charges that Kroger violated the law by: 1) failing to bargain with the Union over a change in workplace conditions – in this case the practice of allowing the wearing of buttons at work; and 2) prohibiting workers from taking action together – in this case, by wearing Black Lives Matter messages – to protest racism in the workplace and in society, generally.

Region 19 will now seek a settlement agreement with Kroger, which would likely require a change to company policy. If a settlement cannot be reached, Region 19 would typically issue a formal complaint and a trial would be held before an Administrative Law Judge, whose ruling would be subject to an appeal to the NLRB in Washington D.C.

“This is very uplifting. When workers were trying to speak out through these buttons and collectively say Black Lives Matter and Kroger said to take the buttons off, that was an insult. This decision is welcome news in our work to bring attention to social and racial injustice in the workplace and in our neighborhoods”, said Sam Dancy a Front End Supervisor at the Westwood Village QFC in West Seattle, WA.

Motoko Kusanagi, a Front End Checker at the University Village QFC in Seattle reacted, “We wore the pins because it seemed like the right thing to do. My coworkers showed me their pins happily, letting me know they stood in solidarity with me and my family. One of the core values of the store is inclusion, so we did not think “Black Lives Matter” was a radical statement for this business. The amount of pushback we received for such a small showing of support still sits wrong with me to this day. I’m glad we could fight back.”

UFCW 21 President Faye Guenther concluded, “In the wake of this welcome action by the NLRB, we are calling on Kroger to respect workers’ rights and take meaningful steps to address racial inequities in Kroger workplaces. Among other things, Kroger needs to do a better job of hiring and promoting African Americans at every level of the company and making it clear that it will not tolerate racism from customers or employees.”

Background

After Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd on May 25, 2020, many UFCW 21 members working in grocery and retail stores chose to express their opposition to racism by wearing face masks (otherwise worn for protection from COVID) or other items bearing the Black Lives Matter slogan.

Although Kroger issued public statements expressing sympathy with the Black Lives Matter movement, managers at Kroger-owned stores in Western Washington started ordering UFCW 21 members to remove Black Lives Matter masks in June 2020.

 UFCW 21 responded to the company’s Black Lives Matter ban by collaborating with Fred Meyer and QFC workers to distribute union-sponsored Black Lives Matter buttons with the UFCW 21 logo. When managers banned the Union buttons, UFCW 21 filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board. Kroger’s ban and the Union response received widespread local and national attention.

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UFCW 21 represents over 46,000 workers at grocery stores, retail, health care and other industry jobs.

Trios Health - Sticker Up for Staffing

Our Bargaining Team proposed a Comprehensive Covid Vaccine Agreement that includes payout of PTO for employees who do not receive an exemption or the vaccine series and protections for all nurses. Through conversations with the Employer—we are pushing them to maintain the October 18 deadline to submit exemptions and proof of starting the vaccine series. We believe we will reach agreement before our next bargaining session on September 22 and will send out a copy to all nurses. 

Staffing, Safety, Recruitment, and Retention continue to be our leading issues—and all tied to the need for Trios to be market competitive with economics. We worked tirelessly to address issues with safety and floating and improve our current language and practices. 

Our first action to show widespread unity is a Staffing Sticker Action on September 21 and 22—the bargaining team stewards will be distributing stickers to each unit. Please wear stickers with pride both days in support of our next bargaining session on the 22. 

If you have questions about negotiations or vaccines, please reach out to your Union Representative Austen Louden, 509-340-7372. 

“The time for UNITY and SOLIDARITY is now—we will be taking action throughout September and October to send a strong message that Trios Nurses stand together for our patients and community. Join us in stepping up and speaking out.”

Our Trios Health Bargaining Team: Casey Nitta, Stephanie Weibel, Milari Olexa, Tami Ottenbreit, and Carol Goplen