UFCW 3000 Member Story: Shelbie Graff

Shelbie Graff

Before this round of contract negotiations Shelbie Graff didn't know much about the Union or the importance of being active in one. Shelbie had heard that the Union contract was about to expire and discovered that there was no one at the Long Beach location of Harbors Home Health and Hospice to represent them in these negotiations. So she volunteered to serve on the bargaining committee both for herself and coworkers. As bargaining unfolded, she learned more about the rights the contract provided her and how important it was to enforce it.

That led Shelbie to also take the initiative to get trained to become a shop steward and start enforcing the contract she was helping bargain. When Harbors Home Health decided that the best way to reward their employees was a 0% wage increase, Shelbie and the bargaining team started a petition calling on their employer to do the right thing and bargain fairly. They were instrumental in getting unanimous sign-on to the petition!

Shelbie is seeing that when we stand together and fight, we have so much more power than when we stand alone!

Grocery Store Member Bargaining Team Meets

Grocery Store Member Bargaining Team Meets

Contract Negotiations to Begin on March 12th

Our Union member bargaining team gathered this week to make final preparations for the 1st bargaining session with our employers in the upcoming contract negotiations that will begin in March.  These negotiations are our opportunity to improve and protect our wages, benefits and working conditions. Work over many months, meetings with members, getting a record number of member surveys, and holding a great kick off with leaders from stores across the region have all helped to pull together a strong bargaining team and to prepare a series of our initial proposals to improve our jobs in our union grocery stores. UFCW 21 and Teamsters 38 will be negotiating together again this year. The bargaining team is made up of members from across the region and from all banners, as well as a diverse representation of various departments, experience levels, and each of the contracts that will be renegotiated.

Actions:

You are all invited to join a live Telephone Town Hall on the evening of March 12th and we will relay what happened on the first day of bargaining and answer member questions. You will receive a phone call in advance with details.

Meet Your Grocery Store Bargaining Team:

Amy Dayley Angell, QFC #891 (Ballard), Front End Checker

Cassy Wolle, Fred Meyer - Port Orchard #655 (Grocery), CCK Checker

Scott Shiflett, QFC #838 (Inglewood), Meat Cutter

Christina Harris, Fred Meyer - Lake City #179 (Grocery), Bakery Clerk

Cliff Powers, Safeway #402 (Oak Harbor), Produce Clerk

Eleanor Knight, Albertsons #4483 (Auburn), 4th PIC

Irene Garcia, Fred Meyer - Auburn #19 (Retail), Home Clerk

Jeannette Randall, Safeway #1923 (Roxbury), Front End Checker

Jeff Smith, Fred Meyer - Snohomish #681 (Retail), Non-food receiving Clerk

J'Nee DeLancey, Town & Country #211 (Ballard), Beer/Wine Manager

Jordan Washington, QFC #803 (Meridian), Deli Clerk

Kyong Barry, Albertsons #483 (S Auburn), Front End Supervisor

Maggie Breshears, Fred Meyer - Greenwood #122 (Grocery), Personal Shopper

Maroot Nanakul, Safeway #464 (Bear Creek), Front End Checker

Michaela Strain, QFC #819 (Bothell), Meat Wrapper

Paul Ames Reinhold, Metropolitan Market #157 (Uptown), Cheese Kiosk Clerk

Richard Waits, Haggen #15 (Burlington), Deli Clerk

Robin Hillistad, QFC #858 (N Seattle), HR Specialist

Sam Dancy, QFC #825 (Westwood Village), Front End Supervisor

Sue Wilmot, Safeway #1252 (Bainbridge Island), Front End Checker

Wendy Garrett-Drake, Albertsons #469 (Mukilteo), Personnel Coordinator/Bookkeeper

Wil Peterson, Fred Meyer - Everett #95 (Grocery), CCK Checker

Todd Crosby, President, UFCW 21

Faye Guenther Secretary Treasurer, UFCW 21

Steve Chandler, Principal Officer Teamsters 38

Joe Mizrahi, Staff Director, UFCW 21

Mia Contreras, Executive Vice President, UFCW 21

Tammi Brady, Recording Secretary, Teamsters 38

Samantha Kantak, Executive Assistant, Teamsters 38

Jim McGuinness, Attorney, UFCW 21 and Teamsters 38