UFCW 3000 Joins Labor & Community Allies in Calling on Ostrom Mushroom Farms to Recognize Their Workers' Union & Negotiate a Contract

UFCW 3000 joins United Farm Workers, our union siblings, and community partners in calling on Ostrom Mushroom Farms to recognize their workers' union & to negotiate a contract that addresses unfair wages, dangerous working conditions, and harassment in the workplace.

As a union with over 32,000 grocery store workers, we are committed to safe, healthy working conditions all along the food supply chain. We support these courageous workers advocating for basic rights and dignity in their workplace. Join us by signing the petition in support of Ostrom Mushroom Farm Workers today:

25th Anniversary Refuse to Abuse 5K is July 17, 2021

UFCW 21 members and staff participating in the Refuse to Abuse 5K in 2017, when we could all do it in person at the Mariners’ stadium in Seattle. This year, most people are participating virtually by walking or running a 5K in their neighborhood with friends, family, coworkers, or by themselves.

Once again UFCW 21 is partnering with the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WSCADV) to raise awareness of domestic violence and fundraise for WSCADV at the Refuse to Abuse 5K. This year, the 25th anniversary of Refuse to Abuse, there is an option to participate in this 5K fundraiser from your home or neighborhood and support WSCADV.

There are three main reasons why UFCW 21 members participate in this annual event: 

1. WSCADV is a UFCW 21 partner organization working to end domestic violence, which impacts members and our families in our workplaces and communities 

2. Anyone on our union Sound Health & Wellness Trust gets their event registration fee reimbursed and HRA credit for participating in the 5K

3. It’s fun to take part in events with fellow UFCW 21 members! 

Want to join us? Contact Community Organizer Faviola Lopez for more information (flopez@ufcw21.org), or just sign up for our team:

At this year’s Refuse to Abuse 5K on July 17, you will join other UFCW 21 members and thousands of others across the state walking or running a 5K with friends or coworkers, by yourself—even on a treadmill. WSCADV will send you your race swag for participating in the mail after the event. If you want to print a race bib to wear while you participate in your own 5K, you can download those from WSCADV here.

Your entrance fee, which will be reimbursed for anyone on the Sound Health & Wellness Trust, supports WSCADV and their work to end domestic violence. This event also raises awareness about domestic violence, and WSCADV will be interacting across social media on race day. Want to spread the word on social media? Here’s their toolkit of images.

For more about the event, see our event page or the WSCADV event page, or call your Union Rep.

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Domestic Violence is a Union Issue! 

We work with Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence because domestic violence is an issue that affects UFCW 21 members. One great way to celebrate this event even if you can’t participate is to familiarize yourself and your coworkers with workers’ rights around domestic violence. We’ve fought hard to pass laws in Washington State that protect us from work if we face threats of violence, stalking, or sexual assault.

If your employer is not respecting your rights as a survivor, contact your Union Rep for help. 

UFCW 21's Statement in Solidarity with Our AAPI Community

“We must stand together in solidarity against the hate and ignorance that is going on, today more than ever.” -Kyong Barry, UFCW 21 Executive Board Member

As we saw last week, with the murder of six Asian women in their places of work in Georgia, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities are targets for violence which has gone up over 150% in the last year. UFCW 21 AAPI members, in additional to putting their lives at risk in the middle a pandemic to feed and care for us, have faced verbal threats and physical violence from customers, patients, and colleagues in their workplaces. Customers have also attacked AAPI customers in our grocery stores.

“Our Asian American communities in Washington State are vital parts of the fabric of our society. My neighborhood of White Center is vibrant because of the diverse Asian American communities who live here. These are my neighbors, my customers, and my friends, and I am committed to ensuring that they are safe walking in our neighborhoods and coming into our grocery stores.” -Jeannette Randall, UFCW 21 Executive Board Member

UFCW 21 is committed to confronting and ending racism in all of its forms. We believe that until everyone is safe at work, no one is safe, and we all need to be part of making that real. We take our lead from Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), API Chaya and other AAPI-led partner groups. The UFCW 21 executive board encourages everyone to attend the upcoming United Against Hate-APALA workshop to learn our history, so that we can take action in our present.

EVENT: Hate Crimes and the AAPI Community: Standing up to Racist Attacks by White Supremacists and the Far Right

DATE/TIME: Saturday, March 27, 1 pm (PT)

UFCW 21 signed on to a solidarity statement by Asian Americans Advancing Justice, and United Against Hate encourages all to sign on.

ACTION: Sign on to “A Community-Centered Response to Violence Against Asian American Communities”

Tell PCC Administration: Stop Undermining Our Co-Op Democracy!

PCC administration is trying to block the union and community advocates from gathering signatures to nominate PCC workers to serve on the co-op’s Board of Trustees, which we believe violates the democratic process and the values of our co-op. Over the last several months PCC administration has:

• Obstructed workers’ access to comprehensive election information.
• Refused to allow workers to collect signatures electronically, even as COVID surges in our community.
• Banned signature-gatherers from being outside PCC.

PCC members deserve a fair process that values the voices of essential workers. Two longtime PCC workers, Donna Rasmussen and Laurae McIntyre, are currently running for Board seats and need thousands of signatures to earn their nominations. Please sign their petitions to get them on the ballot!

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

Call the PCC office at 206-547-1222 and tell them:

“I’m a PCC shopper, and I’m asking the CEO to stop blocking workers from running for the Board of Trustees. Give Laurae and Donna a fair and safe process to get on the ballot and let workers collect signatures electronically.”

You can also file a customer comment online at: pccmarkets.com/contact-us

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STANDING WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Many of UFCW 21’s community partner organizations are facing unprecedented financial stress as they seek to support some of the most vulnerable people in our communities: those who are in detention centers, people who don’t have homes, those experiencing domestic violence, and others.

Spring is the typical fundraising season for these organizations, some receive a sizable part of their yearly budget during these events, however, to keep us all as safe and healthy as possible they have been forced to cancel them, jeopardizing their ability to sustain their work.

But you can still help. 

In addition to the annual support UFCW 21 members collectively offer these organizations, we are encouraging you if possible, to consider supporting their vital efforts.  

All of these community organizations are non-profits and receive funding from government agencies, foundations, and donations from individual supporters.  While funding from the government and private foundations is drying up, individuals can still help.

We know it will take all of us to overcome this.

Each month we will share information on all the organizations that are holding fundraisers and/or who have reached out for support.

Please consider donating to at least one of these organizations this month. Click on the organization name and you’ll be redirected to their donation page.

GIVE to Y-WE

Y-WE cultivates the power of diverse young women to be creative leaders and courageous changemakers through transformative programs within a collaborative community of belonging. We envision a society rooted in social justice, where all young women live their truth, achieve their dreams, and change our world.

GIVE to API Chaya

API Chaya empowers survivors of gender-based violence and human trafficking to gain safety, connection, and wellness.  We build power by educating and mobilizing South Asian, Asian, Pacific Islander, and all immigrant communities to end exploitation, creating a world where all people can heal and thrive.

GIVE to One America

OneAmerica advances the fundamental principles of democracy and justice at the local, state, and national levels by building power within immigrant communities in collaboration with key allies.

GIVE to Real Change

Real Change exists to provide opportunity and a voice for low-income and homeless people while taking action for economic, social and racial justice.

Any amount, big or small, makes a difference! 

Thank you for supporting local communities!

THE POWER OF COMMUNITY ALLIES

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.