UFCW Stands in Solidarity with Striking PeaceHealth Workers!

Workers striking at PeaceHealth Hospital in Vancouver WA are the latest healthcare workers whose employers have left them no choice but to strike as they fight for a fair contract. Their top issue is safe staffing—just like UFCW 3000 nurses at Providence Everett, Kaiser Healthcare workers across the country and at SEIU 1199 NW in Washington State, and many others. Healthcare workers and workers in general have reached a breaking point with corporate, executive, and investor greed that has put our families and communities in crisis. UFCW 3000 stands in Solidarity with the Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals AFT Local 5017, their members, and anyone engaged in this fight!

To find out more The Columbian has a good article about this strike.

UFCW 3000 Members overwhelmingly approve dues restructure

UFCW 3000 Members attending summer general membership meetings August 28 – 31, 2023 overwhelmingly approved, through casting of secret ballot, changes to UFCW 3000’s dues structure at meetings held in:  

Washington: Aberdeen. Bellevue, Bellingham, Centralia, Chelan, Clarkston, Colville, Des Moines, Ellensburg, Everett, Forks, Grand Coulee, Richland, Lynnwood, Moses Lake, Mount Vernon, Newport, Oak Harbor, Olympia, Okanogan, Port Angeles, Port Townsend, Seattle, Silverdale, Spokane, Tacoma, Toppenish, Walla Walla, Wenatchee, Yakima. Oregon: Baker City, Hermiston, Island City, Pendleton. Idaho: Coeur d’Alene. 

APPROVED DUES STRUCTURE CHANGES  

Effective October 1, 2023 Dues (Except as otherwise noted or as soon as administratively possible.)  

1. Initiation fees, New Member meeting credits, Direct Bill Administrative fee, and any other items not addressed below shall remain unchanged.   

2. Minimum Dues rates for all industries and job classifications shall be the Constitutional minimum.  

3. Transfer fee (This is an administrative fee for an incoming member with a withdrawal from another non UFCW union in lieu of an initiation fee.) shall be $60.  

4. ALL JOB CLASSIFICATIONS ON PERCENT OF SALARY DUES RATES  

Dues shall remain at 1.55% of monthly gross income, except that no member shall have a dues rate above $80. Effective January 1, 2024, dues shall remain at 1.55% of monthly gross income, except that no member shall have a dues rate above $85. Effective October 1, 2024, Dues shall remain at 1.55% of monthly gross income, except that no member shall have a dues rate above $90. 

There are a small number of employers that are unable to process a percent of salary dues rate. For these employers, dues are calculated based on the 1.55% of monthly gross income and charged as a fixed dues rate. These dues will mimic the dues rate schedule listed above. 

5. ALL JOB CLASSIFICATIONS ON FIXED DUES RATES 

The over 70 dues rates in our current structure shall be simplified to 6 fixed dues rates. This shall provide administrative ease, clarity, and fairness so that members in the same classifications have the same dues rates.   

This consolidation of dues rates shall result in some members receiving a dues decrease, some shall remain the same, and some will have a modest increase. 

FOR FORMER 1439 GROCERY MEMBERS AND PCC MEMBERS:  The effective date of the updated dues structure shall be upon contract ratification or at the latest October 1, 2024.  

Below is the updated dues rate table of job classifications with a fixed dues rate. Any job classification not listed on the dues rate table shall be moved to the closest dues code to their current classification and/or current dues rate. 

Codes	EMPLOYERS/JOB CLASSIFICATION/APPENDIX	New Rate
1	BASE- Helper Clerk/ Courtesy Clerk/ Garment/ Laundry/Retail/ Drug Store	Constitutional Minimum*
2	Grocery Appendix B/C/Barista/ClickList/Fulfillment/Floral/Service Center Clerk/HBC/Video/Photo/ Grocery Office (NON All-Purpose Clerk) / Seafood Service Counter/Cannabis/Meat and Seafood Processing/ Oversea Casing	$37.50
3	Grocery Appendix A/ Meat Wrapper/ CCK/ Meat Warehouse/ Seafood Manager/ All-Purpose Clerk/ Grocery Pharmacy Tech A/ Twin City Foods	$53.50
4	Meat Cutter/ Meat Manager/ Meat Utility/ Independent Owner Operators	$60.50
5	Fred Meyer General Merchandise/ QFC Broadway Market Home	$35.00
6	Reduced Dues Rate: Seasonal/Part Time/ High School/ Special Needs	$24.00
	* The current Constitutional Minimum is at $32.08

Email dues@ufcw3000.org with any questions on the dues structure or questions on where you specifically fall within the structure. 

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health - 2022 overpayment settlement

Find your contract and learn more about the settlement!

St. Anne: https://ufcw3000.org/find-your-contract/2015/2/11/highline-medical-center-contract

St. Joseph (Pharmacy): https://ufcw3000.org/find-your-contract/2015/2/11/st-joseph-hospital-contract

St. Joseph (Technical): https://ufcw3000.org/find-your-contract/2021/6/7/conifer-st-joseph-medical-center

St. Michael (Nurses): https://ufcw3000.org/find-your-contract/2015/2/11/harrison-medical-center-rn-contract

St. Michael (ProTech): https://ufcw3000.org/find-your-contract/2015/2/11/harrison-medical-center-pro-tech-contract

St. Michael (Service/Dietary): https://ufcw3000.org/find-your-contract/2015/2/11/harrison-medical-center-service-dietary-contract

Virtual Health: https://ufcw3000.org/find-your-contract/2018/12/13/virtual-health-contract
 
In October and November 2022, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (VMFH) experienced a cyberattack and as a result shutdown Kronos (timekeeping software). To ensure that employees were paid on time, VMFH estimated the amount of pay based on employees’ FTE and estimated employee’s premium payments based on the amount of premium payments on the October 7, 2022 paycheck. 

On the November 4, 2022 paycheck, VMFH paid every affected employee the total of regular hours and premium pay earned for both the October 2-15, 2022 pay period and the October 16-29, 2022 pay period. Given this, many employees were overpaid and VMFH sought repayment from employees. 

Although VMFH can recoup the overpayment, they needed to negotiate with our union prior to implementing a repayment plan. Since they didn’t do so our union filed an unfair labor practice with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and grievances for all bargaining units. Additionally, a demand to bargain over the repayment process. 

After months, we were able to settle the matter. Employees who were overpaid less than $2000 will repay the amount in four equal installments and employees who were overpaid more than $2000 will repay the amount in six equal installments. If you do not agree with the amount due, you can submit a written notice within ten business days of receiving the “repayment request” from VMFH. This request was sent on or around September 8 to your work email. 

If you have need help navigating through the process, please feel free to reach out to our union representative or the Member Resource Center (866) 210-3000. 

Stopping the merger update

Since the day the proposed merger of Kroger and Albertsons was announced, our local unions and members have been taking action to protect our stores, our jobs, and our customers. Keeping you all informed during this process has been a priority. Thousands of you joined our Telephone Town Hall Update in May with members from the West Coast, the East Coast, and many states in between. Since May , members, community and allies across the country have been working hard as part of the “Stop the Merger Coalition" to convince the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that this merger is a bad deal for everyone.

Here's a brief snapshot of what we've been doing to oppose the devastating proposed merger between Kroger and Albertsons:

• Getting the Word Out: spreading the word through social media, press releases, and community events. Members have been letting everyone know why this merger is a major problem, including a threat to jobs, competition, higher prices, and how it will hurt our local communities.

• Talking to Decision-Makers: advocating with policymakers in the federal government and state Attorneys General in California, Washington, Idaho, Colorado, Washington, DC, and many more to ensure they understand our concerns. UFCW Members are testifying, sharing stories, and making sure your voices are heard where it counts. The news coverage has been massive and important in getting our stories out to the public.

• Making Our Case: UFCW members are leading the fight to show federal and state policymakers that prioritizing the impact on grocery store workers is paramount to a thriving network of grocery stores in our local communities. Without workers’ lives being a primary consideration, the ones who benefit will be the Kroger and Albertsons executives. Albertsons owners already took nearly $4 billion out of the company and now are looking to cash in with a $146 million golden parachute.

• Taking It to the Streets: promoting rallies, petitions, and meetings. We're making sure our communities know what's at stake and getting them involved. We've joined forces with other groups like farmers, community allies, and consumer advocates who are also worried about this merger. The more people we have on our side, the stronger our message becomes.

Our fight isn't over. Your involvement is crucial to our success. For example, by adding your stories of harm from past mergers, we are forcing the FTC to take notice that the people who are hurt most by these mega-mergers are the workers and the communities they serve.

Take Action

The FTC has the power to block this merger. Take action now by sending a message to the FTC to let them know we stand united in opposition to the Kroger/Albertsons merger.
 
We'll keep you posted as the fight continues. In the meantime, talk to your Union Rep or Steward to learn how you can be more involved.

Unsafe work requirements: Questions & Answers

UNSAFE WORK ASSIGNMENT Q & A

During the COVID-19 crisis workers have been encountering situations that may be considered unsafe work assignments. In the normal day-to-day operations at work, workers are generally required to comply with management orders and directives. Complying with management directives is considered part of your job duties and not doing so can lead to discipline. Employees covered under a Union contract should usually "obey now, and grieve later." But situations might be different when you are being asked to do something unsafe. 

The following Q & A addresses a specific exception to the general rule that employees must obey orders and grieve them later.

If you are being asked to do something unsafe at work, you should call your Union Rep (call 1-800-732-1188 to be connected) or the Member Resource Center (1-866-210-3000). Due to the high volume of calls we are receiving you may be directed to voicemail, but someone will reach out to you as soon as they can. You can also email safety concerns to safetyreport@ufcw3000.org

*If you are not a member of UFCW 3000 and need support, contact us!

Q:  I've been asked to perform a work assignment that I feel will threaten my personal safety and expose me to serious bodily harm.  Does my Union contract provide any protections for me?

A:  Because you are covered by a Union contract the answer is yes.  Your Union contract includes a just cause provision.  In this situation, just cause means you should not be disciplined for refusing to obey an unreasonable order.  An order to perform a work assignment that is likely to cause serious bodily harm to an employee is not reasonable.  To be covered by this exception, your fear of bodily harm must be objectively reasonable and not speculative.

Q:  Are there any specific laws that offer protection to workers who are asked to perform unsafe work assignments?

A:  Yes, there are state and federal laws that provide additional or separate protections.  One example is OSHA (click here to read an OSHA summary).

Q:  What should I say to my employer if asked to perform a work assignment that is likely to cause me serious bodily harm?

A:  It is always best to try to work with management to solve the problem.  For example, you should explain to management why you feel the work assignment is unsafe or dangerous so that your employer has an opportunity to problem solve.  You can also tell your supervisor you would be happy to accept the work assignment if it can be made safe to perform i.e., by providing you with adequate equipment or protective devices, adequate supplies, protective clothing, additional staffing, etc.     

Q:  Should I leave work if my employer insists that I perform the unsafe work assignment?

A:  No, under most circumstances, you should stay on site and remain available to work safe assignments.  If management sends you home, asks to meet with you to investigate the situation, or issues you any discipline, you should contact your union rep or the rep of the day immediately.

Albertsons Workers React to Quarterly Fiscal Report

Contact: Tom Geiger, UFCW 3000, 206-604-3421
For Immediate Release: July 26, 2023

UFCW 5, UFCW 7, UFCW 324, UFCW 367, UFCW 400, UFCW 770, UFCW 3000, UFCW 1564, UFCW 1889

Albertsons Workers React to Quarterly Fiscal Report and Executive Golden Parachute of Tens of Millions of Dollars

Today, essential workers from Albertsons-owned grocery stores reacted to the company's first quarter fiscal results, as well as the outlandish payouts planned for corporate executives in the event the company’s proposed merger with Kroger were approved. The workers are members of local unions within the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, the largest union of grocery store and food production workers in the country.  

“My work, and my coworkers' work, is helping Albertsons to produce billions of extra dollars. We are hardworking people, we respect our jobs, and we just ask that respect back in the form of equal pay for equal service,” says Gerald Gates, an employee at an Albertsons-owned Pavilions in the LA area and UFCW 770 member. “During the pandemic food prices went up and consumers continued shopping at the stores. After all that money is out there, one wonders why they entertain a megamerger of $25 billion and potentially divest hundreds of stores across the country, especially in Southern California?”

Gerald’s concerns were echoed by another Albertsons worker in the Pacific Northwest. “We have been working hard for years to serve our customers and scrape by enough for ourselves and our families. Our work, and our customers’ purchases are what have made the profits of these companies. It should be illegal for these CEOs who already make tens of millions of dollars each year, to stuff their pockets full of millions more through this proposed merger," stated Yasmin Ashur, an Albertsons grocery store worker and UFCW 3000 Member in Washington State.

“I’ve worked hard day in and day out to make Albertsons a place customers want to come back to and shop for their special occasions,” said Judy Wood, a cake decorator at Albertsons in Orange, CA and member of UFCW 324. “That customer loyalty is what has made Albertsons’ billions in dollars of profits over the years. When I hear that those profits will be used to pad shareholders’ and executives’ pockets if they leave the company, it’s disheartening. Those profits should be going to fixing stores, lowering prices and paying workers more so they’re not homeless and food insecure.”

Similar concerns were made by Christina Duran, a General Merchandise Head Clerk at a Safeway store in Sunnyvale, CA and member of UFCW 5. “I’m worried about stores closing and people losing their jobs. The impact of the merger could leave people jobless who have invested years into the company." Safeway was bought by Albertsons in 2015.

BACKGROUND:

More than nine months ago, Kroger and Albertsons announced their proposed plans to merge and create the largest traditional grocery store chain in America. Immediately, calls of concerns were aired across the US from labor, community, legal, food justice and many other organizations.

Today, Albertsons released their financial results for the 1st quarter of their fiscal year. In a statement released by Albertsons in advance of the results, the company stated, “In light of the Company’s entry into an Agreement and Plan of Merger with The Kroger Co., Albertsons Companies will not be hosting a conference call or providing financial guidance in conjunction with its first quarter of fiscal year 2023 results.”

Earlier in the month, financial news reported the massive amount of money that the CEOs of both companies would make if the merger were approved. And just this past weekend, the two CEOs of both companies did an exclusive interview with The Denver Post in response to the growing criticism facing the proposed deal.

Also, it is important to note that earlier in the year, Albertsons made a $4 billion payment to wealthy shareholders that had been proposed as a part of the proposed merger deal last fall.  That fleecing of the company’s assets was strongly opposed by many local unions, several states attorneys general and was challenged by many US Senators in a hearing in November.

2023 Scholarship Recipients

Congratulations to our 2023 Scholarship Recipients!

Four-Year Scholarship of $4,000/year for 4 years
Cassy La
of Bornstein Seafoods

Health Care Scholarship: $3,000
Jesse Brinson-Wagner
of Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center

Health Care Profession Scholarship: $3,000
Ada Gutierrez
of Ashley House

Health Care Profession Scholarship: $3,000
Jack Larson
of MultiCare

Full-time Student Scholarship: $2,000
Linzi Geiger
of St. Michael Medical Center

Full-time Student Scholarship: $2,000
Emily Wills
of Kaiser Permanente

Full-time Student Scholarship: $2,000
Kaitlynn Butler
of Safeway

Full-time Student Scholarship: $2,000
Savannah Bruno
of MultiCare

Full-time Student Scholarship: $2,000
Levi Holms
of Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center

Full-time Student Scholarship: $2,000
Gie Coulibaly

Full-time Student Scholarship: $2,000
Allison Gumiran
of Bartell Drugs

Full-time Student Scholarship: $2,000
Rosemary Mitchell
of EvergreenHealth Monroe

First in Family Scholarship: $2,000
Amil Ocham
of Safeway

$2,000 Full-Time Scholarship award
Natalie Fawcett-Long
of PCC

UFCW 3000 2023 Officer Election Results

2023 Officer Election Results

The UFCW 3000 Officer Elections are completed.  As all positions were elected through acclamation there will not be a ballot election process.

The following members have been elected for the 2023-2026 term:

President:

• Faye Guenther, UFCW 3000

Secretary Treasurer:

• Joe Mizrahi, UFCW 3000

Recorder:

• Maria Milliron, UFCW 3000

Vice Presidents (48 positions)

Retail Grocery Division (20 positions)

• Retail Grocery / At Large Position 1 - Amy Dayley Angell, QFC

• Retail Grocery / At Large Position 2 - Enrique Romero, Fred Meyer

• Retail Grocery / At Large Position 3 - James Perez, Safeway

• Retail Grocery / At Large Position 4 - Bryan Gilderoy, Fred Meyer

• Retail Grocery / At Large Position 5 - Jeff Terpening, Safeway

• Retail Grocery / At Large Position 6 - Roger Yanez, QFC

• Retail Grocery / At Large Position 7 - Sam Dancy, QFC

• Retail Grocery / At Large Position 8 - Atsuko Koseki, PCC

• Retail Grocery / At Large Position 9 – No Candidate

• Retail Grocery / At Large Position 10 - Judy Wick, Safeway

• Retail Grocery / At Large Position 11 - J’Nee Delancey, Town & Country

• Retail Grocery / At Large Position 12 - No Candidate

• Retail Grocery / Central Region* Position 1 - Kyong Barry, Albertsons

• Retail Grocery / Central Region* Position 2 -Trent Wu, Metropolitan Market

• Retail Grocery / Central Region* Position 3 - Maggie Breshears, Fred Meyer

• Retail Grocery / Eastern Region** Position 1 - Robert Allen, Safeway

• Retail Grocery / Eastern Region** Position 2 - Vanessa Roessner, Rosauers

• Retail Grocery / Eastern Region** Position 3 - Kim Bristlin, Safeway

• Retail Grocery / North Region*** Position 1 - Cliff Powers, Safeway

• Retail Grocery / Peninsula Region**** Position 1 - Yasmin Ashur, Albertsons

Retail General Merchandise Division (4 positions)

• Retail General Merchandise / At Large Position 1 - Todd Heuer, Fred Meyer

• Retail General Merchandise / At Large Position 2 - Emily Hunter, Macy’s

• Retail General Merchandise / At Large Position 3 - Melissa Lozano, Fred Meyer

• Retail General Merchandise / At Large Position 4 - Jeff Smith, Fred Meyer

Retail Meat Division (4 positions)

• Retail Meat / At Large Position 1 - Greg Brooks, PCC

• Retail Meat / At Large Position 2 - Scott Shiflett, PCC

• Retail Meat / At Large Position 3 - Kevin Flynn, Albertsons

• Retail Meat / Eastern Region** Position 1 - Josh Frans, Safeway

Healthcare Division (9 positions)

• Health Care / At Large Position 1 - Bryana Kolppa, Kaiser Permanente

• Health Care / At Large Position 2 - Monica Meloy, Central WA Hospital

• Health Care / At Large Position 3 - Patricia Brown, MultiCare

• Health Care / At Large Position 4 - Kaye Balk, Providence Sacred Heart

• Health Care / Central Region* Position 1 - Gregg Barney, MultiCare

• Health Care / Central Region* Position 2 - Monalisa Bauman, Planned Parenthood

• Health Care / Eastern Region** Position 1 - Derek Roybal, Providence Sacred Heart

• Health Care / North Region*** Position 1 - Ashley Price, Skagit Valley Hospital

• Health Care / Peninsula/South Region**** Position 1 - Rob Shauger, St. Michael Medical Center

RN Division (4 positions)

• RN / At Large Position 1 - Cindy Franck, St. Michael Medical Center

• RN / Central*/Eastern** Region Position 1 - Tami Ottenbreit, Trios

• RN / North Region*** Position 1 - Juan Stout, Providence Regional Medical Center

• RN / Peninsula/South Region**** Position 1 - Mike Nord, St. Michael Medical Center

Cannabis Division (1 position)

• Cannabis / At Large Position 1 - Zion Grae-El, Have-A-Heart

Food Processing Division (2 positions)

• Food Processing / At Large Position 1 - Carmen Velasquez, Twin City Foods

• Food Processing / At Large Position 2 - Ana Alvarez, Washington Beef

Miscellaneous Division (2 positions)

• Miscellaneous / At Large Position 1 - Mohamed Muhidin, Hudson News

• Miscellaneous / At Large Position 2 - Sia Tinoisamoa, Aramark

Membership-At-Large (2 positions)

• Membership at Large / At Large Position 1 - Mike McDonald, Providence Sacred Heart

• Membership at Large / At Large Position 2 - Kinzie Michael, United Way of Spokane

UFCW 3000 Press Release: Essential Workers Organizing Academy

UFCW 3000 Launches Essential Workers Organizing Academy:

Inaugural Class Already Enrolled

Des Moines, WA -- At large corporations like Starbucks and Amazon and smaller companies like Crossroads Trading Co. and Storyville Coffee, a new labor movement is being born in front of our eyes, frequently led by young workers and people of color. Its inclusive vision has space for all essential workers—anyone with the courage to stand up and say: “I am essential.” 

To meet this historic organizing moment, UFCW 3000 is excited to announce the creation of the Essential Workers Organizing Academy, a new initiative to develop the next generation of worker-leaders in our communities. UFCW 3000 will dedicate resources to train new worker-organizers, assist in organizing their workplaces, and collaboratively develop innovative new organizing campaigns that blaze a trail for essential workers everywhere. 

“Participating in the Essential Workers Organizing Academy has already been a transformative experience for me,” says Louis Garcia, a former barista at Storyville. “I am gaining invaluable insights into the power behind organized labor and collective action.”

For too long, the labor movement has not adequately invested in successful strategies to organize workers who want a union but do not yet have one. Record lows are being set for national union membership, yet Gallup polling shows 71 percent of Americans approve of unions, the highest approval numbers since 1965. The labor movement on a national level has an existential choice at hand: either make a massive investment in the working class to build a new movement or remain stagnant and watch this historical moment pass us by. UFCW 3000 and the Essential Workers Organizing Academy are firmly on the side of investing in the working class to rebuild the labor movement into a force for economic and political democracy. 

“I never learned about unions or the labor movement in school, so working with UFCW 3000 has been eye-opening,” says Chloe Galer, a former retail worker who now attends the Essential Worker Organizing Academy. “The brilliant and passionate workers and organizers I’ve met through this experience and their unique stories have made it that much more impactful."  

Participants of the Essential Workers Organizing Academy will adopt an apprenticeship-style learning model and collaborate regularly with workplace leaders and veterans of organizing campaigns. The program will combine formal training, readings, and instruction with hands-on organizing experience to help build the next generation of the labor movement. 

"As an elected member of our Executive Board, and as an essential grocery store worker for many years, I believe it is both crucial and compassionate to invest in new worker organizing. And the only way we'll get that done is to train more people to be organizers at places like the Essential Workers Organizing Academy," said Kyong Barry, a long-time grocery store worker at Albertsons and workplace leader of UFCW 3000.

UFCW 3000 calls on all unions and workers’ organizations to rise up and meet this moment with every resource at their disposal. That is why we are proud to launch the Essential Workers Organizing Academy. We hope you will join us. 

UFCW 3000 & SEIU 925: Solidarity with Northwest Center Union Members!

Early Supports union members with UFCW 3000 bargained yesterday with local nonprofit employer Northwest Center (NWC), and the Early Learning workers at NWC who recently organized with SEIU 925 are standing in support and solidarity for a fair contract!

Workers at Northwest Center, whose “Big Blue Trucks” have been seen around the Northwest for more than 50 years, offer therapy, early education, employment services, and advocacy opportunities for people of all ages with disabilities. At Northwest Center Kids, Early Supports workers provide birth to three therapy services, and Early Learning workers run two inclusive childcare centers in Seattle. In both departments, organizing a union is about more than wages and benefits—it’s also about ensuring the best possible environment for all kiddos and clients.

“We both value the care we’re providing to children, and speaking up collectively about the changes that need to be made is powerful! The challenges we face span across our departments and so we’re excited to stand together in solidarity as we both fight towards first contracts that meet our needs and the needs of the families we serve!”

– UFCW 3000 Bargaining Team: Jenica Barrett, Speech Language Pathologist; Cassie Villarreal, Speech Language Pathologist; Kimmy Burns, Physical Therapist; Julia Szilard, Physical Therapist

NWC Early Supports became the first agency of its kind in Washington State to unionize, and one of the first in the country. Since few workplaces like theirs are unionized, these new members—physical therapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, infant mental health therapists, family resource coordinators, dietitians, special educators, and administrative staff—are excited to help set historic workplace standards. The early childhood educators, custodians, kitchen staff, and specialists at NWC Early Learning just won their union this month, and can’t wait to get started on the process of coming together to bargain with the employer for their contract as well.

Working together, our two unions comprise more than 67,000 workers across the region, with members in early learning, health care, nonprofits, education, and many other industries. We bring the experience, solidarity, and power of all our members to the bargaining table and look forward to working together for equitable contracts at NWC!

Notice from the Election Chairperson:

Any Facebook postings or comments that contain any campaigning for UFCW 3000 Officer Elections have been / will be removed from the UFCW 3000 page and the UFCW 3000 Political Team page.

These pages are not accessible for all potential candidates to campaign on, which violates the UFCW International Constitution Article 35.

For questions, please email Elections@ufcw3000.org or call 360-419-4670.

Thank you,
Kim Micheau
Election Chairperson

Safe Staffing Moving Forward!

The Presidents of SEIU 1199NW, UFCW 3000, and WSNA speak to the huge victory for patients, communities and nurses with the new Safe Staffing Law, the need for nurses and communities to hold hospital administrations accountable to the new law, and a much deserved celebration for this victory. Watch the Video:

The Presidents of SEIU 1199NW, UFCW 3000, and WSNA

More on our long fight for Safe Staffing!>>

Workers Win Case to Wear Black Lives Matter Buttons

UFCW 3000 Press Release

For Immediate Release: May 3, 2023

Contact: Tom Geiger, 206-604-3421

Workers Win Case for Wearing Black Lives Matter Buttons on the Job –

Fred Meyer and QFC (both Kroger-owned stores) Must Allow Workers to Wear Their Buttons

In a clear statement of the rights of workers to wear buttons and other materials such as masks at work, as part of collective, concerted activity, the Administrative Law Judge, from the National Labor Relations Board Division of Judges in San Francisco today ruled in favor of UFCW 3000’s case for workers wearing Black Lives Matter buttons and ruled against Fred Meyer’s attempts to curtail that right.

Finding in favor of the Union’s core argument that the workers’ actions were protected under Federal labor law because racism is a workplace issue, Administrative Law Judge Mara-Louise Anzalone wrote in their decision that, “by collectively displaying the ‘Black Lives Matter’ message on their work uniforms, the employees in this case acted to advance their interest—as employees—to an affirmatively anti-racist, pro-civil rights, and pro-justice workplace.”

The judge’s ruling also struck down the Employers’ overly broad dress codes.

The ALJ’s decision essentially agreed with earlier findings in this case going back to the September of 2022 finding of Region 19 of the National Relations Labor Board (NLRB) that Fred Meyer and QFC violated federal labor law when they prohibited workers from wearing union-sponsored Black Lives Matter buttons. There was a lengthy trial before the ALJ when Kroger refused to reach a settlement agreement. The decision by the ALJ was issued today and is subject to appeal to the NLRB in Washington DC.

Sam Dancy outside of his QFC in the summer of 2020

“It feels good to win again! When we as workers speak out through these buttons and collectively say Black Lives Matter and then QFC and Fred Meyer said to take the buttons off, that was insulting and a violation of the law. We knew all along we had the right to call out social and racial injustice in the workplace and in our neighborhoods and this judge’s decision reiterates that right,” said Sam Dancy a Front End Supervisor at the Westwood Village QFC in West Seattle, WA who has worked for QFC for over 30 years. 

UFCW 3000 President Faye Guenther concluded, “It is important that workers’ rights and legal standards be protected. Kroger, the owner QFC and Fred Meyer continues to be a problem and needs to do a better job of hiring and promoting workers who are Black at every level of the company and making it clear that it will not tolerate racism from customers or employees.”

Background

After Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd on May 25, 2020, many UFCW 21 members working in grocery and retail stores chose to express their opposition to racism at work and in the community by wearing face masks (otherwise worn for protection from COVID) or other items bearing the Black Lives Matter slogan.

Although Kroger issued public statements expressing sympathy with the Black Lives Matter movement, managers at Kroger-owned stores in Western Washington started ordering UFCW 21 members to remove Black Lives Matter masks in August 2020.

UFCW 21 responded to the company’s Black Lives Matter ban by collaborating with Fred Meyer and QFC workers to distribute union-sponsored Black Lives Matter buttons with the UFCW 21 logo. When managers banned the Union buttons, UFCW 21 filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board. Kroger’s ban and the Union response received widespread local and national attention. In September of 2021, Region 19 of the NLRB ruled in favor of the UFCW 3000 grocery store workers. The case was unable to reach a settlement and therefore went to trial in April of 2022 before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) who today ruled in the favor of the workers and found Kroger’s Fred Meyer and QFC were in the wrong and had violated the workers’ rights. As a result of the ruling, the workers will be allowed to wear the buttons.

UFCW 3000 represents over 50,000 workers at grocery stores, retail, healthcare, and other industry jobs.

A New UFCW Begins to Take Shape at 9th International Union Convention

Your UFCW 3000 delegation to the 9th International Union Convention.

Every 5 years, the UFCW International Union holds a convention where union leaders from across the country meet to discuss the future of our union and help set its direction for growth. The 9th UFCW International Convention was held in Las Vegas last week. UFCW 3000’s delegates, elected directly by the membership of our union, proposed a slate of amendments and resolutions to create a stronger UFCW.  

The purpose of any union is to build collective worker power to improve safety, wages, working conditions, and to amplify the voices of workers in our workplaces and communities. To do this on a local and national level UFCW must be accountable to its members- the essential workers who showed up every day so our communities could get the prescriptions, groceries, medical care, and of course toilet paper they needed during the lockdowns of the pandemic. 

Our diverse slate of member delegates were able to make their voices heard by taking to the podiums and addressing the convention directly about the importance of reforming our UFCW union. At a convention known for speeches by top union officers, UFCW 3000’s speakers were exclusively workers in our local from a spectrum of work locations and background including Grocery Stores, Hospitals and Clinics, Cannabis industry, Retail clothing and Drug Stores, Food Processing, Laundry, and Textile workers.

UFCW 3000 Delegates Zion Grae-El, Maggie Breshears, and Jeff Terpening at the mics addressing the convention on proposed Amendments and resolutions.

Together, and with other reform minded UFCW locals, we proposed: 

• The need for direct elections for members of the International Executive Board; one member, one vote! 

• Having rank-and-file representation on the International Executive Board, just like our Executive Board here at UFCW 3000. 

• Committing more resources to organizing workplaces like Amazon, Walmart, and the healthcare industry. 

• Capping staff salaries to free up more money for member representation.  

• And 1st Day Strike Pay!  

UFCW 3000 Delegates at the Mics adressing the convention. From Left to right and then Top to Bottome, Jeff Smith, Andy Dusablon, Monalisa Bauman, Sam Dancy, and Rob Shauger.

It was a long week, but our delegation and the delegations from other reform-minded locals won important victories including: 

• Stop the Merger: After six months of many UFCW Locals, including UFCW 3000, opposing the Kroger/Albertsons mega-merger, UFCW International has filed a complaint with the SEC to stop the merger. 

• Strike Pay Reform: Newly organized workers can now get strike benefits and UFCW Union strike benefits for workers will start on the 8th day instead of the 15th day of a strike. This is significant progress towards our 1st Day Strike Pay goal.

• Health Care Division: UFCW will finally be forming a health care division to ensure that these workers have a stronger voice in our union! 

• Prioritize Safety: Making the safety of essential workers a priority in all contract negotiations so we can win and enforce strong safety regulations and safeguards. 

• A Voice on the E-Board: Constituency groups such as UFCW Women’s Network, Minority Coalition, OutReach, and United Latino’s, will now have a liaison on the international Executive board. 

• Resolutions were passed in strong support of: Medicare for All, rights to reproductive health care, gender-affirming healthcare, affordable housing, racial justice, taking action on climate change’s affects on our members, and other important issues to all workers.

At the end of the convention our delegation believes we were able to build unity and solidarity with members from other UFCW locals, and many more are willing to join with us to help make UFCW a member-focused organizing powerhouse! Strong unions are only possible with strong members. Because when we fight, we win!

Interested in learning more about your rights at work? START HERE!

Online trainings are open to all UFCW 3000 members looking to build a strong union in their workplace. We'll review our basic contractual and legal rights as union members and learn about special rights that apply when we are acting as Shop Stewards.

Join the next Leadership Training!>>

UFCW 3000 Endorses Bob Ferguson for Governor!

UFCW 3000 – State’s Largest Labor Union Endorses Bob Ferguson for Governor

Des Moines, WA - Today, UFCW 3000, the state’s largest labor union, announced the endorsement of Bob Ferguson for Governor. UFCW 3000 represents over 53,000 workers in grocery stores, health care, retail, food packing/processing, cannabis and several other industries.

“We have worked with Bob Ferguson for many years, and he has consistently been an advocate for working people, standing up for our rights, defending us, and making sure we are protected,” said Kyong Barry, an Albertsons worker and elected UFCW 3000 executive board member who came to the United States as a young child and became a naturalized US citizen in 1999.

"Attorney General Ferguson has taken the time to come and speak in person with hundreds of our member leaders over the years,” added Patricia Brown, a Licensed Practical Nurse at Tacoma General and an elected UFCW 3000 executive board member. “This personal connection has allowed essential workers from across our union to meet him and hear directly from him as to his values and his commitment to upholding the laws of the land and defending the interests of workers, consumers, patients and the community."

The list of Ferguson’s efforts on behalf of working people is too long to fully articulate here, but many of the most important examples include:

1. Protecting Grocery Store workers and shoppers: Attorney General Ferguson filed a lawsuit against Albertsons to block the $4 Billion pay-out to shareholders as part of the proposed mega-merger of Albertsons and Kroger. This lawsuit delayed the massive pay-out for several months and forced the companies’ executives to testify under oath and make public important details about the proposed merger.

2. Protecting Immigrant Rights: Attorney General Ferguson was a leader among AGs across the nation defending the rights of people in the US and around the world from an unconstitutional travel ban that discriminated against people of certain religious beliefs or their nation of origin. One of his lawsuits blocked the Trump administration’s decision to rescind DACA, the federal program that protects DREAMers.

3. Protecting Access to Quality Affordable Health Care: AG Ferguson sued Providence and CHI Franciscans over their lack of proper charity care that resulted in improved access to quality, affordable care for those who qualify for free or low-cost care and allowed them to get access to that care in their communities.

4. Supported the City of Seattle Minimum wage law when it was challenged in court by business interests. This 2015 case was an important one and helped future advances in the minimum wage law that was passed statewide in 2016.

5. Filed lawsuits that helped enforce wage theft cases where workers were not being paid appropriately under the law.

6. Helped our efforts to address Retail Theft concerns and defend the interest of workers who have significant safety and employment security as a result of organized crime’s retail theft in our stores.

7. Fought for the rights of workers against unfair so-called Non-Compete clauses that harmed workers by constraining their freedom to seek out and find employment.

8. Attorney General filed lawsuit to protect the rights of those incarcerated at the Tacoma Detention Center who were being paid $1 a day in violation to state wage laws.

Again, these are just some of the highlights of the many actions taken by Ferguson that have demonstrated for over a decade his commitment to UFCW members, and all workers across the state, and indeed all people across the world against those who would trample on our rights.

"We need elected officials like Bob Ferguson and are confident that he would be able to continue to be an advocate for the rights of all Washington workers. He has no qualms about taking on the billionaires and the bullies and we are standing with him in his campaign to become our next Governor,” said Faye Guenther, President of UFCW 3000.    

Press contact: Tom Geiger, UFCW 3000, 206-604-3421

Our advocacy paid off: Safer staffing is coming to Washington hospitals!

Download or print this update for your bulletain boards>>

Our bill to address safe staffing in hospitals, ESSB 5236, was passed by the House earlier this month — the last step in a lengthy legislative process that we, in coalition with SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, UFCW 3000, and the Washington State Nurses Association, helped move forward with our actions, stories, and willingness to use our collective voice to ensure safer care in our hospitals. When we fight, we win!

The bill landed on Gov. Inslee’s desk to be signed into law on April 20, 2023. As of today, our bill is law.

What’s next?

We’ll celebrate our success at coalition victory parties around the state on May 11 from 6-8 p.m. RSVP to a Victory Celebration Here >>

• Seattle: Seattle Labor Temple, 5030 1st Ave. S

• Spokane: UFCW 3000 Office, 2805 N. Market St.

• Tri-Cities: SEIU 1199NW Office, 7525 W. Deschutes Pl Ste 2 Kennewick, WA 99336

• Tacoma: Shiloh Baptist Church, 1211 S I St.

• Mt. Vernon: UFCW 3000 Office, 1510 N 18th St.

• Everett: Snohomish County Labor Temple, 2810 Lombard Ave.

• Olympia: Washington State Labor Council, 906 Columbia St. SW (2nd floor)

We’ll distribute an implementation timeline, provide resources, and share information to help us enforce the new staffing law and ensure accountability.

“I’m very glad to see the nursing staff representatives on our staffing committees expanded to include CNAs and LPNs alongside RNs. I know ensuring strict enforcement of a new staffing law is going to take some work, but I’m excited to get started learning how we can use it to keep our patients safer, our hospitals accountable, and our jobs more sustainable.”

— Patricia Brown, LPN, Tacoma General, member of UFCW 3000

The new safe staffing law will:

• Strengthen accountability to hospital staffing plans set by staffing committees.

• Eliminate CEO veto power over those plans.

• Expand staffing committees to include LPNs, CNAs, and other direct patient care staff in addition to RNs.

• Reduce hospitals’ ability to pack staffing committees with people who impede plans.

• Create uniform reporting forms, which will mean that patients and healthcare workers will easily understand how many staff should be present.

• Require hospitals to report noncompliance to the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I).

• Allow DOH to issue corrective action plans that could require minimum staffing standards and fines.

• Expand meal and rest break laws to include all frontline staff.

• Close loopholes to make mandatory overtime laws fully enforceable.

• Allow L&I to issue escalating penalties for missed breaks.

• Funds the Washington State Institute for Public Policy to conduct a study of existing staffing plans.

Washington State House Passes Safe Staffing Bill — Next Up, the Governor’s Desk!

Today the House passed the healthcare staffing bill (ESSB 5236), the final legislative hurdle in a long process, to begin addressing the ongoing hospital staffing crisis this legislative session. The bill now heads to the governor’s desk.

We would not have gotten this bill through the Legislature without the countless members like you who sent in selfies, signed in “pro” on bills, contacted your legislators, testified in hearings, and so much more. The voices of healthcare workers at the bedside pushed the State Senate to go farther down the path toward safe staffing than ever before.

ESSB 5236 reflects a compromise between SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, UFCW 3000, the Washington State Nurses Association and the Washington State Hospital Association. The final compromise will strengthen accountability to staffing plans and allow for corrective action by state agencies if necessary up to and including enforcing safe staffing standards on hospitals. It represents a meaningful step toward safe staffing.

The final bill:

• Strengthens accountability to hospital staffing plans. If hospitals fall below 80 percent compliance with their staffing plans, they are required to report noncompliance to the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I). Noncompliant hospitals will be assigned a corrective action plan by L&I and DOH, which may include elements like safe staffing standards set by L&I that the hospital will have to follow.

• Expands meal and rest break laws to include all frontline staff, closes loopholes to make mandatory overtime laws fully enforceable, and ensures hospitals follow the law. If there are more than 20 percent of breaks missed in a month, L&I will issue escalating penalties.

• Funds the WA State Institute for Public Policy to conduct a study of existing staffing plans to establish what’s actually happening in WA hospitals and compare them to elsewhere. This study would set a baseline understanding of the staffing crisis in WA by a credible, nonpartisan source, and provide a benchmark against California and professional association standards for staffing levels, which is critical for continued work to ensure safe staffing in Washington.

After the Governor signs the bill, we will turn to implementation and enforcement. We will be reaching out about plans to educate members – particularly members of staffing committees – on the elements of the bill.

Taking Our Fight Against the Corporate Grocery Mega-Merger to the FTC!

UFCW 3000 Leadership with allies ready to testify before the federal trade commission

UFCW 3000 and our fellow UFCW locals continue to work aggressively to stop the mega-merger between Albertsons/Safeway and Kroger (parent company of Fred Meyer and QFC).

Recently, union presidents from UFCW Locals 7, 324, 400, 770, and 3000 presented compelling evidence to the Federal Trade Commission on the negative impacts of this merger and our negative experiences with past grocery mergers. Representatives from 10 states’ Attorneys General offices attended, along with UFCW 3000 member and leader Naomi Oligario, a longtime Safeway worker from Port Orchard who shared her story of how the Safeway-Albertsons merger caused her and two other family members to lose their jobs.

We will not stop fighting against this corporate greed and overreach, and bring frontline grocery store workers’ voices front and center so our lawmakers, regulators, and employers hear directly from experts who work in these stores and serve our communities every day.

Take Action!

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Read on to hear some of what Naomi and our president, Faye Guenther, shared.

“My name is Naomi Oligario. I started working at my local Safeway store, in Port Orchard, Washington in 1985. I raised my four kids with my income and benefits from this job. My kids were Safeway babies. As they have grown up, over the years, at one point or another, each have worked at a Safeway store. And my customers are like family too. It is a tight relationship that we all have. We share our triumphs and our tragedies.

In 2015, after nearly 30 years with the company, after coming in on extra shifts, doing extra work to make the store run, after working through holidays, I found out one day, without any advance notice or for-planning, that my store would be bought by Haggen, and that no one would be allowed to transfer to another store. […]

I lived through the debacle of my Safeway store closing, and the new Haggen opening, but quickly it became clear that this was not a good situation. The prices were too high. Many of my loyal customers, within three weeks or less, came to me with tears in their eyes and apologized to me. They said they’d tried but could not shop here anymore. Sales dropped through the floor. Our hours were cut, and quickly many staff were having to look for work elsewhere any where they could find employment… This impacted three income earners in my one family. But the fallout from that failed merger was huge. It was not just me and my family. Similar experiences were felt by workers at over a hundred closed stores. […]

It’s just greed. Plain and simple. A few months ago, back in November, I was in the Senate Subcommittee hearing room and saw the Kroger CEO say they would not close stores or lay off workers. Under oath he said that to a US Senator. But they’re not telling the truth. They will end up closing stores and laying off workers just like happened to me, my family and my co-workers seven years ago. And our customers will lose out again too. This merger is a bad idea and needs to be stopped.”

Naomi (L) and FAYE (R) traveled to speak directly with the ftc on the proposed merger.

“My name is Faye Guenther, President of UFCW 3000, representing 50,000 workers in Washington, Idaho, and Oregon. I represented workers in Fred Meyer in 1999, prior to its purchase by Kroger. In 2008, I represented workers in Kroger, Albertsons, Safeway, and Haggen. […]

Haggen was a 90-year-old, union, family-owned company, headquartered in Bellingham, WA. After the divestiture of 146 stores to Haggen (as a result of the Albertsons/Safeway merger), we watched this once-local company go bankrupt in a few short months. Workers were hurt in too many ways to enumerate here today. Instead of offering competition, all remaining Haggen stores now belong to Albertson.

The divested Haggen stores were in trouble fast. Something was wrong and workers started calling us immediately. At the store by my house, the banner was changed, but the only things that changed in the store were higher prices and wilted lettuce. Customers fled. Hours were cut, impacting everything from pension contributions to healthcare qualifications and leave banks. 

After bankruptcy, we had to then negotiate with Albertsons, to try restore workers who re-applied to get their seniority back which impacted Sunday pay, healthcare and every other wage and benefit issue.”

Anti Kroger-Albertsons merger coalition launch Stop The Merger website

United in Opposition to the Kroger-Albertsons Merger, Coalition of Over 100 Organizations from Across the Country Join Forces & Launch the “Stop the Merger” Website  

For Immediate Release: March 14, 2023
Contact: Tom Geiger, UFCW 3000, 206-604-3421

The Stop the Merger Coalition includes national, state and local organizations from across US

Des Moines, WA (March 14, 2023) – Today, a coalition of 100 organizations representing diverse interests from around the country have joined forces in the “Stop the Merger” campaign, a national and state-level effort to oppose the proposed $25-billion merger of grocery store chain giants Kroger and Albertsons. The coalition is announcing the launch of its website (www.NoGroceryMerger.com) which includes facts and research about the proposed merger’s negative impact, stories from community members, workers, and others, as well as tools for organizations and individuals to take action and communicate their opposition to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which has the regulatory oversight responsibility to review proposed mergers such as this.

In October of 2022, Kroger and Albertsons announced they would pursue a $24.6 billion mega-merger, joining together the two largest standalone U.S. grocery chains, and thereby creating a monopoly in many areas across the country. Both these chains have stores and manufacturing facilities in nearly every state, employing over 700,000 workers across their numerous local banners. The mega-merger, currently undergoing FTC review, would drive out competition, increase food prices, create food deserts, and put hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk as well as hurt local farmers and ranchers. 

The coalition of over 100 organizations has written numerous letters to the FTC and state Attorneys General, held meetings with federal and state elected officials and regulators, held press conferences and virtual town halls, attended public events on the merger hosted by government officials, and participated in various local community activities opposing the merger. All this activity has helped reveal growing evidence that shows the real motives for the proposed merger: corporate greed at the hands of C-Suite executives and the private equity firms that are significant owners of their stock. The diverse and large number of groups across the nation now include organizations whose focus includes consumer protection, faith, economic justice, anti-poverty, food justice, environmental protection, women’s rights, Black Indigenous People of Color advocates, farmer and farmworker advocates, and many others.

For more information on the negative impact of the mega-merger, please visit: NoGroceryMerger.com. Interested organizations can also join the Stop the Merger Coalition through the form on the site.

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The Stop the Merger campaign includes over 100 national, state and local organizations representing diverse interests who share a common goal: to stop the proposed Kroger-Albertsons grocery merger because of its negative impact on our nation’s communities. For more information visit www.NoGroceryMerger.com

Welcome to Our Union: Mfused Workers Won Their Union Election!

MFused workers posted their win to social media

We are excited to announce that workers at Mfused have won their union election to become a part of UFCW Local 3000! This is the first cannabis processor/producer in Washington State to have its workers go union! Mfused cannabis oil cartridges are sold in most dispensaries across the state. The workers do just about everything at Mfused; lab work, production, delivery driving, and marketing! Stay tuned as the workers and our bargaining staff start the process of bargaining their first union contract. Congratulations!