Women's History Month Member Story: Northwest Center Early Supports Workers

The NOrthwest Center Early Supports Bargaining Team, From left to bottom to right: Kaylee Ainge, Kirsten Syberg, Kimberly Burns, and Jenica Barrett

In 2022 Early Supports workers at Northwest Center decided to form a union and contacted organizers at UFCW 3000. Northwest Center is a not-for-profit organization that provides assistance and support to people with disabilities or those who care for them. The Early Supports Services program offers services to children who have issues with their early development along with their families.

Bargaining team member Jennica Barrett said their team provides “speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and resource coordination. We’re kind of a holistic child-focused team.” Kimmy Burns, also on the bargaining committee, added that Early Supports is about “making sure these kids can excel” as well as educating parents and caregivers, and connecting them with the resources needed “to care for their children.”

These workers are professionally trained therapists who care very deeply about the families they serve. As the world moved away from pandemic restrictions being a part of daily life, they were seeing increasing problems with their working conditions and how it was impacting the quality of the care that they were able to give. The leadership of Northwest Center wasn’t seeing what they were seeing, so the Early Supports workers began meeting as a group to talk about solutions.

Often the professional care and support of children is work done by women. From daycare to primary education to healthcare, women overwhelmingly are the ones doing the work to care for our children, and unfortunately that can mean that this work is undervalued, underpaid, or made invisible. Caregivers can be expected to sacrifice fair pay, good working conditions, and a voice on the job, or made to feel guilty for being selfish when they try to change that.

The women at Northwest Center Early Supports knew that they did not have to accept this, and understood that advocating for better compensation and working conditions for themselves would help, not harm, the families they served. They concluded that they needed to organize a union to make sure that their voices were heard and that they could meet with management at the bargaining table as equals.

After they won their election they formed a bargaining committee (and added to it after a member left Early Supports), then got down to business at the bargaining table, where they continued to assert themselves as an independent voice speaking out on behalf of themselves and their client families. They started an Instagram page for their unit, including creating their own Early Supports Union Logo, and did not hold back in letting everyone know just how important their struggle was and how committed to it they were:

Early Supports Union’s First Graphic Post

To show union solidarity in the workplace they had stickers, static cling decals, and coffee mugs with the logo they made. Management was definitely hearing from members at the bargaining table and in their offices!

First contract bargains can take a long time to complete and are nearly always difficult because the Union is literally bargaining with the Employer over everything. But because of the strong solidarity of this bargaining unit and the strong women leaders who knew they were making history, the Early Supports Union reached a tentative agreement in late January 2024, and ratified their first contract in February.

In their contract they won:

• Wage scales with raises every year

• A caseload system to start to ensure that client families got the proper care they need

• Better break times

• Increased paid time off

• New wage recognition for education, degrees, previous job experience, and tenure

• Basic seniority rights and protection from unjust discipline

There were many other victories in their first contract, and so the group worked with their union rep to hold a meeting for everyone to learn about their new rights under the union contract and how to make sure the contract is enforced.

The women leaders of Northwest Center Early Supports did what they set out to do, made history, and laid a foundation for others, but they aren’t stopping now. They look forward to upcoming Labor Management Committee meetings, and the next bargain in 3 years!

UFCW 3000 Member Story: Allison Hanely

Allison Hanley and a canine Friend

It pays to know your rights! Your employer must follow the discipline and termination language in your union contract, and if you’re organizing your union or bargaining your first union contract, you still have federal labor rights to protect yourself from retaliation. When UFCW 3000 member Allison Hanley was terminated from the newly organized Downtown Dog Lounge, she felt sure it wasn’t fair and immediately called her union rep for support. After working together and looking at the facts, Allison ended up winning an $8,000 settlement in compensation from her employer! Congrats, Allison.

“The UFCW 3000 staff showed amazingly strong support for me in helping me fight for my rights, educating me about the settlement, and providing me the resources to get a new job at a unionized workplace!”—Allison Hanley

If you’re not sure what’s happening to you at work is fair, call us and ask to talk to your union rep, or to a union organizer if you’re not yet a member! UFCW 3000: 1-800-732-1188

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

MFUSED - Bargaining Begins—Management Starts By Dragging Their Feet!

On May 3 your Bargaining Team met with Management for our first bargaining session. We started out hopeful that it would be productive and had a federal Mediator join us for joint training. Unfortunately, it appears that Management intends to draw out the process, proposing to meet only once a month for a maximum of 4 hours. It was a struggle to even get them to agree to future dates!

“Management said that eight hours of work (negotiating) is too grueling. They expect us to work a full shift and then negotiate after work. This is unacceptable!”

— Bargaining Team  

We need Management to take us seriously and meet with us at reasonable times and dates to address our issues and negotiate a Fair Contract Now! 

Want to show Management we are united? Stand in solidarity with us by wearing our new buttons and T-Shirts on May 23 and May 30. Reach out to your Bargaining Team to get yours!

Next Bargaining Dates: May 30 and June 13

Our Bargaining Team: Ariel Simmons, Kimberly Greenside, Jennifer Wade, Robert Elkins, and Diba Kamayo 

Have questions? Reach out to a Bargaining Team member or Your Union Rep Chris Arellano at (360) 409-0241

Richland Fred Meyer Workers Ratify First Contract!

Richland Fred Meyer Workers Ratify First Contract!

After voting all day today (Friday 10/7), workers at Richland Fred Meyer have overwhelmingly voted to ratify our first union contract!

This legally binding contract includes big wins like:

• A new wage scale with wage increases each year

• Workplace safety language and avenues to escalate concerns that aren’t addressed at the store level

• “Just Cause” protections (meaning we cannot be terminated or disciplined without a reason)

• A grievance procedure giving us the ability to challenge unjust discipline or any violations of our new contract

• Access to affordable high-quality health care for ourselves and our families

• Union recognition and union security to ensure we have a strong union store for years to come

NEXT STEPS – A FIRST CONTRACT IS JUST THE BEGINNING

First, we celebrate. This win took more than three years! Next, we get to work. The next steps will be getting familiar with our new contract, so we can exercise our rights on the job, stepping up to get union training (on contract enforcement, safety, and more), recruiting workplace leaders to become our trained Shop Stewards, and getting to know our UFCW 3000 Union Representative.

Two important things everyone should remember:

If you or a coworker needs any help regarding an investigatory meeting with management, are facing any discipline or corrective action, or believe our contract is being violated, contact the UFCW 3000 Member Resource Center at 1-866-210-3000.

In addition, always remember your rights around meetings with management, called “Weingarten rights” after a 1975 Supreme Court Case:

You have the right to union representation if you are called to a meeting with management that could lead to discipline. Follow these guidelines: The employee must make a clear request for union representation either before or during the interview. (Managers do not have to inform employees of their rights.) Management cannot retaliate for requesting representation. Management must delay questioning until the union steward arrives. It is an unfair labor practice for management to deny an employee’s request for a steward and continue with interrogation. In this case, an employee can refuse to answer management’s questions.

READY TO GET TRAINED UP?

To sign up for further training with our union on things like contract enforcement, Weingarten rights and meetings, grievance procedures, and safety, contact Marc Auerbach, Education Director at 206-436-6519