From April 28 to 30, our member-led Bargaining Team yet again sat across the table from Albertsons and Kroger. We presented data to the companies showing that they have made record profits over the last five years—and yet their CEOs keep slashing staffing to fatten their own wallets and line the pockets of their investors.
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From the first day of negotiations, our member-led bargaining team has worked to reach a fair contract that honors and respects our hard work. Today Kroger and Albertsons proposed the biggest cuts to our health plan since 2013, when we were two hours away from calling a strike. This new proposal would potentially take away coverage from thousands of members and shift more healthcare costs to us. The companies attempting to increase our cost burden are the same ones who have seen profits increase by about 100% over the past five years, four to six times greater than the profits they saw before the COVID pandemic. We will never accept proposals that strip away health coverage from thousands of members.
“We have no interest in accepting proposals that kick people off our health care plan,”
—Ballard QFC Amy Dayley Angell
But the employers’ disrespect did not end with their healthcare proposal. They advanced a wage proposal of $1, $0.50, $0.50. That’s half or less than half depending on your job classification of what we settled for three years ago! We are worth more than fifty cents, which is why our union proposed a compensation package that would reward loyalty, keep up with the cost of living, and bring us in line with the pay of competitors like Costco.
“They are proposing to give us less in wage increases than Colorado, California, Spokane, Wyoming, Idaho, and Oregon—they must be joking, right?”
— Princetta Woodhouse, Redondo Fred Meyer
If you factor in inflation and the increased healthcare premiums the employers are demanding, their wage proposal would likely amount to a pay cut for all of us. Pay cuts for us while the companies each pay their CEOs more than $15 million a year? No way!
We know these greedy corporate CEOs can afford to keep our high-quality health plan intact and pay us what we are worth because the companies collectively spent nearly $16 billion in stock buybacks and dividends ($6.6 billion for Albertsons, and $9.2 billion for Kroger) between 2018 and 2022. That’s money they should have used to increase staff, wages, benefits, remodel stores, purchase new equipment, and lower prices for customers.
Next bargaining dates:
April 21, 22, 28, 29 and 30.
Step up:
Join a brief workplace leaflet next week and sign a strike pledge card if you haven’t already. Contact your union steward or union rep for more information.
Speak up:
File a staffing report at nogrocerylines.org >>
Dive deeper:
Read more information about our negotiations on our website! >>
Our Union Bargaining Team: Back row (L-R): Todd Heuer, Ballard Fred Meyer; Kim Hayes, Everett Safeway; Teamsters Local 38 E-Board Member Caprii Nakihei; Jeff Smith, Fred Meyer; Bryan Gilderoy, Kent Fred Meyer; Sam Dancy, Westwood Village QFC; Debra Rix, Callow Ave Safeway; Cliff Powers, Anacortes Safeway; Dan Howes, Crown Hill Metro Market; Roger Yanez, Bella Bottega QFC. Middle row (L-R): Kyle Doherty, Stanwood Haggen; Kevin Flynn, Marysville Albertsons; Kyong Barry, S Auburn Albertsons; Princetta Woodhouse, Redondo Fred Meyer; Joseph Baltz, Anacortes Fred Meyer; Daisy Hannelore, Benson Plaza Fred Meyer; Yasmin Ashur, Port Orchard Albertsons. Front row (L-R): Amy Dayley Angell, Ballard QFC; J’Nee Delancey, Ballard Town and Country. Not pictured: UFCW 3000 President Faye Guenther; UFCW 3000 Secretary-Treasurer Joe Mizrahi; Teamsters Local 38 Union Rep Luke Vauley; Teamsters Local 38 Secretary-Treasurer Samantha Kantak; Teamsters Local 38 President Pete Lamb
On Thursday April 3, our union members grabbed bullhorns, hoisted up informational picket signs, and marched outside of Fred Meyers and QFCs across Puget Sound to fight for better wages, better staffing, and better stores.
Read MoreIn this week’s meetings with Kroger and Albertsons/Safeway, our member-led Bargaining Team heard the first staffing proposal from Kroger. Unfortunately, their proposal fell well short of what we need to ensure safe stores for workers and customers.
Read MoreOnly days after Kroger’s CEO resigned for unknown ethical reasons, our bargaining team faced Kroger bargainers who seem hell-bent on stripping away workers’ rights.
Read MoreLast week, our union and Teamsters 38 held a webinar to discuss our proposals to ensure better staffing at grocery stores across the region.
Read MoreJoin your coworkers at a monthly Contract Action Team meeting—Let’s stay organized to win a strong contract this year.
Read MoreOn February 3 & 4, our Bargaining Team met with the Employers and focused on sharing stories about the impacts of low staffing on our workplaces.
Read MoreOur Bargaining Team met January 21 and 22 to share our core concerns with the Employers. We focused on major issues like addressing under-staffing, U-SCAN usage, and store safety. We will begin to work on our wage, pension, and healthcare proposals with the goal of putting all our issues on the table in March.
Read MoreAfter months of bargaining, we have ratified a new 3-year contract with many amazing improvements including…
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Monday, January 22, 2024 11:30am - 12:30pm Capitol Hill Library 425 Harvard E Seattle, WA 98102
Tuesday, January 21, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm Kent Panther Lake Library, 20500 108th Ave SE, Kent
Tuesday, January 21, 2025 10:15am - 11:15am Fairhaven Branch Library, Meeting Room: Northwest Room- 1117 12th St, Bellingham, WA 98225
Tuesday, January 21, 2025 6:30pm - 7:30pm Burien Library 2nd floor meeting room 400 SW 152nd St. STE 100, Burien, WA 98166
Tuesday, January 21, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm Bothell Library - 18215 98th Ave NE, Bothell, WA 98011
Tuesday, January 23, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am Ballard Branch Library - Main Rm. - 5614 22nd Ave NW Seattle, WA 98107
Tuesday, January 21, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm Bellevue library, 110th ave ne, bellevue WA
Tuesday, January 21, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am Alexa's Cafe, 10115 Main St., Bothell, WA 98012
Tuesday, January 21, 2025 10:30am - 11:30 am Port Orchard library, 87 Sidney Ave, Port Orchard, WA 98366
Wednesday, January 22, 2025 4:30pm - 5:30pm Alfy's Pizza - 19121 US-2, Monroe, WA 98272
Wednesday, January 22, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm Auburn Library: 1102 Auburn Way S, Auburn WA 98002
Wednesday, January 22, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm Issaquah Library, 10 W Sunset Way, Issaquah, WA 98027
Wednesday, January 22, 2025 5:00pm - 6:00pm Kirkland Library Meeting Room 308 Kirkland Ave, Kirkland, WA 98033
Wednesday, January 22, 2025 6:00pm - 7:00pm Ferndale Public Library, Meeting Room: Ferndale Conference Room- 2125 Main St, Ferndale, WA 98248
Wednesday, January 22, 2025 12:00pm-1:00pm White Center Library 1409 SW 107th St, Seattle WA 98146
Wednesday, January 22, 2025 5pm-6pm Shoreline Library - 345 NE 175th St, Shoreline, WA 98155
Wednesday, January 22, 2025 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Capitol Hill Library 425 Harvard E Seattle, WA 98102
Thursday, January 23, 2025 5:30 PM Olympia Timberland library, Olympia room,313 8th Ave SE, Olympia, WA98501
Thursday, January 23, 2025 9:00am - 10:00am UFCW 3000 Silverdale office
Thursday, January 23, 2025 10:00am - 11:ooam Mount Vernon Office 1810Nth 18 ST, Mount Vernon ,WA 98273
Thursday, January 23, 2025 2:00pm-3:00pm Des Moines Library, 21620 11th Ave S, Des Moines
Thursday, January 23, 2025 2:00pm-3:00pm Des Moines Library, 21620 11th Ave S, Des Moines
Thursday, January 23, 2025 6:30pm - 8pm Zeek's Pizza, 4309 196th St SW, Lynnwood, WA 98036
Thursday, January 23, 2025 4:00 PM Covington Library, 27100 164th Ave SE, Covington, WA 98042
Thursday, January 23, 2025 5:00pm Mount Vernon Office 1810 Nth 18th S, Mount Vernon, WA 98273
“The well-reasoned decisions today by both Courts make plain what union grocery workers have known all along – this mega-merger would be bad for workers who deserve a workplace where they can be paid well for their labor, be safe and be respected. It would be disastrous for shoppers who deserve competition that leads to better choices and lower prices…”
Read MoreWith the rising costs of living, many people are watching every penny and every paycheck, budgeting with dwindling means and having to choose what necessities to prioritize. Unions are in the fight for improving living conditions through better wages and benefits. Two UFCW 3000 grocery store members recently experienced the benefits of their union backing when they discovered issues with their pay.
Read MoreLast week UFCW 3000 President Faye Guenther along with other union staff joined UFCW local 7’s Bargaining Team in Denver as they sat down with Albertsons/Safeway and Kroger in their fight for a fair contract. This collaboration between the grocery store workers in Colorado and the over 25,000 grocery store members of UFCW 3000, whose contracts expire early next year is an important signal of strength and unity in our fight for Better Wages, Better Staffing, Better Stores.
Read MoreThe Colorado 10-day ULP strike by UFCW local 7 in 2022 helped pave the way for our contract negotiations that same year and the most significant wage increases we’ve ever seen. Together, united, UFCW 3000, UFCW local 7, and Teamsters local 38 will coordinate proposals and actions to show Kroger and Albertsons that again in 2025, when we stand together, we win.
Read MoreContract Action Team Meetings are a time when we can get together and plan for the upcoming contract negotiations, discuss workplace issues, and take action together!
Read MoreI have been with the Silverdale Safeway since 2020 working in different departments all over the store. Recently I have stepped up and taken the role of Shop Stewart at my store, because I believe my coworkers should be informed and updated on our next Contract Negotiations in 2025.
Read MoreAs we plan for the upcoming contract cycle with the Employers, our Union Bargaining Team needs input from all members to understand the problems grocery store workers are facing at work and how together we can fight for a better contract and better workplaces.
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Despite what the companies are saying, this proposed merger threatens lay-offs, store closures, and higher prices as well as undercuts our strength in collective bargaining negotiations.
During the call, we will take members’ questions live on the topic of the proposed merger, discuss the ongoing federal court trial taking place in Portland regarding the Federal Trade Commission’s lawsuit to block it, as well as prepare for a rally in Seattle the first day of the trail by our Attorney General to block the merger on September 16.
We will plan to call you at 5:30PM on Monday, just answer the phone and you will join us.
If, for some reason you don’t receive a call by 5:35pm, or get disconnected during the call, you can join us by dialing directly: 888-652-0384 And enter meeting ID 8143.
Daisy is definitely is a shop steward from head to toe, here nametag even says it proudly to her co-workers and customers, “Union Shop Steward”.
Read MoreWe 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.
