Yakima—The Markets, LLC Grocery & Meat
Contract Ratified!
Our contract offer was ratified Tuesday, August 1.
Questions? Please contact a member of our Bargaining Team or Union Rep Raul Zaragoza @ 509-850-2975
Indy Mendoza at work
Meet Indy Mendoza, who works as a meatcutting apprentice at PCC Community Markets. Indy has completed his first year of his apprenticeship and loves working at PCC where he has worked since 2020. Prior to that, he worked as a chef in the restaurant industry. When the pandemic hit, he decided he wanted something more stable than restaurant work could provide.
He didn’t start immediately in the Meat Department, but he was interested early on:
“I started as a Night Crew worker and during that time I got to know the people working in the Meat Department. I talked with them a lot and got to hear what they liked about their job and it felt like a good fit for me because of my previous experience as a chef and personal love of food. I also liked that it was a trade that I could get trained in and work towards making a long-term career.”
Indy’s participation in the Puget Sound Meat Cutter Apprenticeship program has helped him gain the skills to not only be a proficient meatcutter but to also assist customers with the protein center of their plates:
“…My people skills have been able to shine. In my previous work, and in my starting position as night crew, I didn’t get to interact with customers as much. Being in the Meat Department and talking to customers and giving recommendations has become my favorite part of the job!”
Indy also likes to pass on information about the benefits of the union contract to his coworkers to help build the Union:
“I really enjoy when the Union reps come to visit because they explain things in a way I can understand and then I can better pass that understanding on to my coworkers. I’m grateful to be in a Union because I feel like my voice can be heard.”
Indy’s story is a great example of how the meatcutting apprenticeship helps recruit and train workers for a great career! If you are interested in finding out more about becoming a meatcutter, you should consider enrolling in the WeTrain Meatcutting Pre-Apprenticeship Program.
If you are not a UFCW 21 member and have questions about your safety at work, text a UFCW 21 organizer at: 803-820-2121
Conspicuous signage at entrances and throughout the store with occupancy limits, policy on face coverings, six-foot physical distancing guidelines, and instructing customers to stay home if they are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19
6-foot distance markers in checkout lines and other high-traffic areas to maintain 6 feet of physical distancing
6-foot physical distance is maintained and enforced between all workers and all customers in all interactions at all times
Where strict 6-foot distancing is not feasible for a specific task, physical barriers (e.g., plexiglass shields) and other measures like limiting staff or customers in an area, or staggering break times and work times are used
Building occupancy is limited to appropriate level required by state or county regulations – As of 11/16/2020: 25% of building occupancy according to fire code, not including staff
Contactless payment systems, automated ordering, and pickup or delivery are used wherever possible
Cloth facial coverings are worn by every employee not working alone on the jobsite unless their exposure level dictates a higher level of protection
Reusable cloth face coverings are used when risk for transmission is low
Disposable masks are required when risk for transmission is medium, e.g. stocking produce around customers during store hours
Face coverings are cleaned or replaced after use or when damaged or soiled, are not shared, and are properly stored and discarded
Other personal protective equipment (PPE) is provided such as face masks, gloves, goggles, face shields as appropriate/required for
All workers are screened for COVID-19 symptoms at the beginning of each shift
Employees who feel or appear sick or have any symptoms of COVID-19 are immediately sent home
Employer completes all necessary steps when a positive or suspected positive COVID-19 cases is identified in the workplace
This includes notifying all close contacts of the positive or suspected positive worker(s) and allowing positive or suspected positive worker(s) to stay home and recover and all close contacts to stay home and quarantine for 14 days, regardless of whether close contacts are symptomatic
This also includes cordoning off areas where someone with probable or confirmed COVID-19 worked, touched surfaces, or spent any prolonged amount of time and following all CDC protocols to clean, sanitize, and disinfect the workplace before reopening them
A site-specific COVID-19 Supervisor is designated by the employer for the individual store
Worksite COVID-19 Supervisor monitors health of employees
Worksite COVID-19 Supervisor enforces COVID-19 job site safety plan
Handwashing required when arriving at work, taking breaks, using the bathroom, before and after eating/drinking/using tobacco products, and after touching contaminated surfaces
Frequent and adequate handwashing maintained throughout the day
Workers get breaks to wash hands regularly
Handwashing facilities have clean and hot or tepid water, soap, and paper towels and these are kept stocked
Hand sanitizer (with at least 60% alcohol) provided for workers and customers
Housekeeping schedule with frequent cleaning and sanitizing and an emphasis on surfaces that are regularly touched (“high touch” surfaces)
Sanitize and disinfect high touch surfaces frequently (e.g., restrooms, checkout counters, shopping cart handles, door handles)
Operating hours allow enough time to thoroughly clean, sanitize, and disinfect facilities between shifts
Increase frequency of washing utensils
Disposable gloves available and used for shared tools
Employee equipment including handhelds/wearables, scanners, radios, other tools are properly cleaned and disinfected before and after use
Fitting rooms (if available) are disinfected by an employee with appropriate supplies and PPE after each new customer use
Any items used by customers in fitting room and not purchased are removed from inventory and stored for no less than 24 hours
IN KING COUNTY: A designated sanitation worker is designated at all times to continuously clean and sanitize commonly touched surfaces according to CDC guidelines
IN KING COUNTY: There is a way to sanitize shopping carts and basket handles (can be with available wipes for customers or workers who sanitize between each use)
Business does not serve customers or visitors who aren’t wearing face coverings
Individuals with medical conditions or disabilities are exempt from this requirement and are not required to carry proof of the condition or disability
Employer should offer to provide accommodation such as curbside pickup, delivery, or non-peak hour shopping for these customers
Customers must wear a face covering anytime they are not seated, and if seated anytime they are not eating
If seated dining is permitted by the state/county at the time, customers may remove face coverings to eat and drink, but must wear face coverings when sitting and not eating
As of 11/16/2020: All common/congregate seat areas and indoor dining facilities must be closed
Employer has a written plan addressing physical distancing, protective equipment, hygiene, cleaning, communication, screening, and disinfection of contaminated areas onsite and available to regulators
Employer notifies local health department within 24 hours if 2 or more employees develop confirmed or suspected COVID-19 within a 14-day period, or if employer suspects COVID-19 is spreading in the workplace
Employer cooperates with public health authorities in investigation of suspected and confirmed cases and outbreaks
Employer cooperates with infection control measures including isolation, quarantine, and environmental cleaning
Employer complies with all public health authority orders and directives
Employer fully complies with Washington’s High-Risk Workers Protection proclamation
All workers are trained in the language they understand best about:
Signs & symptoms of COVID-19
How to prevent COVID-19 transmission
The employer’s COVID-19 policies (these must inform workers about the steps being taken in the workplace to establish social distancing, increased handwashing, and to prevent the spread of the virus
Handwashing length, duration, and frequency
Appropriate PPE use
Safe use of chemicals used to clean, sanitize, and disinfect
Workers who refuse to perform unsafe work do not suffer adverse action as long as their work refusal meets certain requirements (Refer to our UFCW 21 Q&A on unsafe work assignments here)
Note: Where there is a contradiction between these documents and one requirement is stricter than another, the stricter requirement should be enforced.
Shopping in a grocery store or have friends and family who might help hold grocery store employers accountable for a safe workplace and shopping experience? Fill out a Grocery Store Report at GroceryStoreReport.com
As you may know, a fully recommended tentative agreement was reached in negotiations on Wednesday, April 13, 2016. See the information below for times, dates, and locations for union members to review the tentative agreement, get questions answered, and vote. You may vote at whatever location is most convenient, at any time when polling is open at that location.
These votes are open to UFCW 21 grocery store workers in King, Snohomish, Kitsap, Mason and Thurston Counties at the big chains as well as the independent stores. This includes all workers at Safeway, Albertsons, QFC, and Fred Meyer (including CCK and General Merchandise), as well as workers at stores with an interim (or “me too”) agreement, such as Metropolitan Market, Town & Country and other independent stores.
You can come by at any point during the scheduled times and take as long as you like to review the contract offer and ask questions before casting your vote. You must be present at a vote and a current union member in order to cast a ballot.
Bellevue
Meydenbauer Center
Rooms: 404-406, 11100 NE 6th Street, Bellevue, WA 98004
Everett/Lynnwood
Lynnwood Convention Center, Rooms 1DEF
3711 196th St SW, Lynnwood 98036
Sea Tac
Seatac Hilton
Emerald Ballroom, 17620 International Blvd., Seattle 98188
Bremerton
Kitsap Convention Center
Ballroom D, 100 Washington Ave, Bremerton 98337
Seattle
Best Western Executive Inn
Seafair Ballroom, 200 Taylor Ave N, Seattle 98109
Olympia
Southsound Manor
Logan Room, 455 North Street SE, Tumwater 98501
Weed and the workplace, keeping our co-workers informed and pushing back against anti-union tactics - it's all in the May edition of the Grocery, Meat & Retail Steward News.
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.
