UFCW 3000 Member Story: Alison DeBoise

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Alison DeBoise recording a solidarity video for California Planned Parenthood workers fighting for a union

Alison DeBoise (she/they pronouns) works as an Insurance Biller for Planned Parenthood in Seattle and is an active shop steward at her work location. They talk about how they got involve in being a steward:

After college, I knew I wanted to work for Planned Parenthood because I'm passionate about access to reproductive healthcare for all. I began working at the Bellevue location in the Refill Center mailing patients their medication and became interested in the union after getting to know my coworkers better, attending general membership meetings, and our contract expiring not long after the pandemic started. Other stewards in my workplace inspired me to become a steward because I wanted to be a helpful resource to my coworkers.

Alison is now serving on the bargaining committee for the Planned Parenthood contract during negotiations this year, and has also stepped up to offer solidarity with Southern California Planned Parenthood workers fighting to organize a union with UFCW Local 324 by recording a video to offer those workers solidarity:

Being a part of a union with my coworkers has given us greater power to ask for and get what we need. Better wages, better working conditions, better work-life balance, and better time-off benefits.

We couldn’t agree more with Alison!

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

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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!

Take Action with Organizing Starbucks Workers This Labor Day Weekend!

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Our fellow coffee and food workers at Starbucks stores across the country have been organizing for change at work, including forming Starbucks unions, and UFCW 3000 members have been taking action alongside them here in our area. This weekend, Starbucks Workers United are asking allies to join "Sip-In" actions on Sunday and Monday, by visiting specific Starbucks locations at certain times and showing support for the organizing effort. We encourage any UFCW 3000 members to join in solidarity if you can.

More information about these actions is in the flyer and below, and further Starbucks solidarity actions are planned for later this month, on Tuesday September 13. Find that 9/13 event information on our events calendar >>.

When workers are organizing, especially in our region or industries, we stand with them because we know that it takes a powerful, united movement of working people to make real change. And during our contract negotiations and workplace actions, other workers, unions, and community groups stand with us.

Want to get more involved in supporting organizing efforts at Starbucks? Sign the "No Contract, No Coffee" pledge, or get in touch with your Union Rep about ways our union is supporting these workers.

Labor Day Weekend Actions at Seattle Starbucks Locations:

SUNDAY SEPT 4

  • 11am: Broadway & Denny Sip-In

    101 Broadway E, Seattle

  • Noon: University Way Sip-In

    4147 University Way NE, Seattle


MONDAY SEPT 5

  • 10am: Holman Road Sip-In

    9999 Holman Rd NW, Seattle

  • 2pm: Reserve Roastery Sip-In

    1124 Pike St, Seattle

How to Participate:

  • Order simple drinks! Avoid Frappuccinos, Refreshers, or anything with cold foam (or just get a water if you don't want to give Howard Schultz your money)

  • Give your name as: "Union Strong," "Workers Rights," "Solidarity," etc. (if you use the Starbucks app, change your name in the app, as it puts your name in automatically)

  • Leave thank-you notes and words of encouragement on community boards. Tell workers how inspiring they are!

  • Encourage customers to tip

  • Sign the "No Contract, No Coffee" pledge

UFCW 21 Mourns with Our Fellow UFCW Members in Tennessee

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At UFCW 21, we are standing with our UFCW siblings in Tennessee who experienced a shooting in their Kroger workplace this afternoon that injured at least a dozen people. We don’t have all the information, but we are in touch with UFCW Local 1529 to offer solidarity and support as they deal with the impacts of this heinous incident of workplace violence.

This is at least the second mass shooting in a grocery store this year, and we know many grocery store workers and other workers are concerned about workplace violence. Everyone deserves a safe workplace, and we are committed to addressing workplace safety so everyone can work without fear of injury or violence.

If there are ways to offer direct mutual aid to our fellow union members in Tennessee, we will share that information as soon as we have it. If you are interested in organizing around workplace safety, please get in touch.

UFCW 21 stands in solidarity with the members of Local 7 in Boulder Colorado

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The 46,000 members of UFCW 21 stand in solidarity with the members of UFCW local 7 who are mourning the killing of grocery store workers and others in Boulder yesterday. All workers, including those of us in grocery stores, deserve a safe place to do our jobs. We urge all who would like to learn more to read the statement issued by UFCW local 7:

http://ufcw7.org/2021/03/23/local-7-mourns-tragic-deaths-of-several-victims-after-active-shooting-at-a-king-soopers-store-in-boulder-co/