Feeling the Heat?

Grocery Bargaining Update

July 19, 2007

The temperature outside may be cooling, but the heat in the stores is rising.

Grocery CAT 2

Grocery CAT 1

Grocery CAT 3

Grocery CAT 4

Together, we’re moving Safeway, Albertsons, QFC, and Fred Meyer to Share the Success:

  • Last Tuesday, hundreds of Local 21 members from almost every store were in Seattle, coming together from Belfair to North Bend, Enumclaw to Monroe. Together, members from grocery, retail and meat discussed how our campaign is moving forward and where we stand in negotiations.
  • Share the Success yard signs are being placed by the thousands in communities across the Puget Sound.
  • We’ll be tabling outside stores and spreading the word at local community festivals.
  • And the forecast says it’s about to get even hotter for employers!

We’re raising the temperature — and the employers are feeling it. We’re strong — but we’re only as strong as the members who get active. Contact your Union Rep and join the campaign today.

Negotiations Update

Breaking news: As this update goes to press, we received word that grocery workers in Southern California have reached agreement on a new contract that raises wages and improves medical benefits. For more information, visit www.groceryworkersunited.com.

In our last two negotiating sessions, the employers have continued to improve their health care proposals.

When negotiations began, the employers were barely willing to spend any money on benefit improvements. Over the course of negotiations, they have gradually increased their offer to include improvements to dental benefits, preventative care. We have also been exploring different options to lower our out-of-pocket expenses.

We’re making some progress on health care — but we’re not done yet.

Sharing the success is about more than improving medical benefits. We need a contract that improves benefits and also provides real wage increases, sick leave, family-friendly scheduling, and other issues.

Winning Community Support!
Above: Union members and community supporters at the Ballard Fred Meyer, getting our Share the Success message out to shoppers—and managers. Similar actions are taking place at stores all across the Puget Sound region — get involved!

Bargaining Updates | Grocery