Deep Roots - Did You Hear? Tentative Agreement Reached! Vote Scheduled!

After a year of bargaining, we have reached a fully recommended tentative agreement on our first union contract and will hold an in-person meeting the evening of Wednesday, May 8 to review a presentation of the recommended offer and vote. 

We organized our Union to address workplace safety and the reality that many of us struggle paycheck to paycheck to pay rent and other rising costs. This is historic—we are the first retail piercing and tattoo studios to unionize in Washington and possibly the first in the country! We are joining thousands of other workers with UFCW 3000 to set higher standards within our industry and ensure worker’s voices are centered in the future of Retail.

Our bargaining team is unanimously recommending a “YES” vote. 

• Highlights of the tentative agreement include:

• 6-Step Wage Scale with premium differentials for JGS certification and Co- Leads

• Guaranteed wage increases every year on anniversary of employment and January 1

• Commission on ALL Jewelry

• Tips and Employee Discounts

• Continued Healthcare benefit options with process to explore Dental coverage in 2025

• Recognition of Holidays Juneteenth, Labor Day, and Christmas Eve… with time and a half pay

• Paid Time Off

• Workplace Safety language

• Labor Management Committee

• Just Cause Protections and Grievance Procedure to protect from disparate treatment

• … and more!

CONTRACT VOTE SCHEDULED
Wednesday, May 8 at 8:00 PM

“Join us on May 8 to review the agreement with our team, ask questions, and learn about our new rights and benefits. We are excited to talk to everyone about how the contract will benefit us collectively and how we can build on it in the future!”

—Your Bargaining Team, Lexi Otway and Jude Manning 

Questions? Please contact your bargaining team or Union Representative Dominick Ojeda, 206-436-6586.

Deep Roots Rooted in Solidarity

Today was a half day of negotiations- and we moved forward important discussions on our priorities: a competitive wage scale, improved commission structure, PTO, and a safe work environment.

Over the last couple of weeks, we have spoken with other workers at studios in our area and have been diligently comparing wages, commission, and employee discounts. Our team made new proposals on wages that included recognition of our experience at Deep Roots and within the Retail Piercing Industry at large.

Regarding Paid and unpaid time off work, our proposals lead with compassion and the recognition that life happens and there are times we need to step away from work for our own mental health. We are re-focusing our energy on increasing overall PTO that may be utilized for bereavement, holidays the studios are closed, and for personal days off.

Our Bargaining Team returns to the bargaining table on February 23. Please keep wearing the Threaded Together stickers in solidarity and reach out to the bargaining team or Union Rep Dominic Ojeda, 206-436-6586, if you have questions or would like to get more involved.

“Unionizing through UFCW 3000 has given us hope for a better future. The impact of our unionization will not stop within Deep Roots studios. We hope that through unionizing, we can create a ripple of change within the industry as a whole and make workers at other studios consider how they are being treated. If there are others who feel as we do–that they are overlooked, disrespected, considered replaceable, and underpaid–we encourage them to contact a local Union. We are all stronger when threaded together.” – Our Union Bargaining Team, Jude Manning and Lexi Otway

Deep Roots Stay Threaded Together

“The most powerful part of negotiations was sharing our experiences as retail workers- and the reality that many of us are living paycheck to paycheck and depend on our commission rates to help pay the rent and supplement our income. Our stories are what thread us together- and what will help us to fight at the table for the improvements we need to stay in the industry we love. Why do you love working in the piercing industry? How would having a higher wage and greater opportunities for commission change your life? Please share with us, and continue to wear your stickers at work!” — Our Union Bargaining Team, Cy Manning and Lexi Otway

On Monday we received our first economic proposal from Deep Roots which included a wage scale and the current practices around commission, Co-Lead pay, tips, and gratuity.

They also proposed new Holidays where employees would receive time and one half for working and paid days off on Christmas and Thanksgiving. Other big discussion topics of the day included industry standards, workplace safety, commuter stipends, and employee discounts.

We have waited a long time to have these important discussions around pay, time off, and benefits. Our team spent most of the day evaluating their proposals and thinking through strategies to reach an agreement that addresses our priorities. We return to the bargaining table on February 13 and 23.

Please reach out to our Union Rep Dominick Ojeda at 206-436-6586, if you have questions or need support.

Deep Roots Stay Threaded Together!

Today we came prepared to negotiate all day but shortened our session due to health reasons of the Deep Roots bargaining team. Nevertheless, we made meaningful progress on bereavement, inclement weather, and seniority! We won the inclusion of close friends, people residing with the employee, and pets in bereavement leave, and are continuing to push for more paid time. We also are proud to have reached a tentative agreement today on our Grievance Procedure which will allow us to have a process to challenge unfair discipline, pay discrepancies, and other violations of our Union contract.

Our team has reached tentative agreements on many articles of our first Union contract:

• Definition of who is included in our Union and protections in the event that Deep Roots were to sell in the future

• Recognition of Union stewards at each studio, access for our Union Rep to visit us at work, and Union bulletin boards to share information with each other

• Protections against discrimination, recognition of our gender identities, fair process for job postings and awarding new positions, standards of practice for covering shifts at other studios

• Just Cause! This is the heart of a Union contract. This protects us from unequal treatment and misapplication of company policies and discipline.

• Rights to leaves of absence under state and federal law, Union leave up to 3 days per year for Union stewards, leave for occupational injury up to 12 months

• Grievance Procedure with 30 day timeline to file grievances

We return to the bargaining table on January 29 to push towards the finish line! We expect at our next session a full economic response from Deep Roots that will include wages, commission, holidays, vacation, sick leave, healthcare, and retirement.

As we organize together, remember that we currently have the right to Union Representation if we are called into a meeting with HQ or management that could result in discipline. This is called our Weingarten right. We also have the right to wear our stickers at work- it is an unfair labor practice for Deep Roots to ask us to remove them if we are allowed to wear other buttons and stickers. Please reach out to our Union Rep Dominick Ojeda, 206-436-6586, if you have questions or need to request that he join you at a meeting.

“We are so close- let’s stay Threaded Together and show our solidarity! Please wear your stickers every day and share with your clients, friends, and other supporters of Deep Roots workers.”- Our Union Bargaining Team, Cy Manning & Lexi Otway

Deep Roots Tattoo and Body Piercing Bargaining Update

Deep Roots members throughout all three locations had a powerful and fun sticker action leading up to a very successful day of bargaining. We were able to reach tentative agreements on Union Recognition, Security and Representation, enabling the union to be recognized in the case of future owners, as well as access to union representation when we need it. There was also movement on fair, progressive discipline procedures that gives multiple opportunities for us to make changes and remain in our jobs. Finally, we offered a counter proposal on bereavement leave and are awaiting a response.

Deep Roots tattoo and Body Piercing - First Full Day of Bargaining

Deep Roots Tattoo and Body Piercing
First Full Day of Bargaining

Our union Bargaining Team met with the Employer on May 16.

Our Bargaining Team member, Hannah Corprew, from the University Way location was representing her colleagues and coworkers at the bargaining table.

During a long and productive bargaining day, the Employer responded to our first proposal from April 21 with a counter proposal, including on noneconomic issues such as union recognition and representation, employment practice, and more.

Our Bargaining Team worked to draft proposals on holidays, seniority and hours of work and overtime.

We agreed to continue our bargaining meetings later this summer when the Employer will be available to meet again.

Meanwhile, our Bargaining Team will be working on drafting more bargaining proposals, including our opening economic proposal.

“As we complete our first full day of bargaining with Deep Roots I feel hopeful that we will be able to win a good first contract that respects all parties and helps make Deep Roots a better company.”

- Hannah Corprew, Bargaining Team Member