Posts Categorized: Grocery

On Oct. 7, about 250 members of UFCW Local 3000 who work at Fred Meyer in Richland, Wash., ratified their first union contract. These workers joined our union family in December of 2021, and the entire store, including meat, grocery, front end, and retail and general merchandise, is now wall to wall union.

The three-year contract, which was ratified by an overwhelming margin, includes:

•           A new wage scale with four across the board wage increases;

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

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

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

•           Access to affordable high-quality health care for workers and their families;

•           A pathway to a Taft-Hartley pension; and

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

“We were able to come together as a store and a community, winning a historic first contract in the Tri-Cities,” said Fred Meyer employee Eden Hill, who also served on the Bargaining Committee. “We will continue to fight to improve working conditions and pay for all Fred Meyer workers.”

Last week, the UFCW responded to the proposed merger between Kroger and Albertsons, two of the UFCW’s largest employers.

“The proposed merger between Kroger and Albertsons has serious implications for hundreds of thousands of our UFCW members and America’s families who are more concerned than ever about inflation’s impact on the price of their food and groceries, prescription drugs, and gas,” said UFCW International President Marc Perrone in a statement. “As America’s largest union of essential workers, protecting the livelihoods of this nation’s grocery workers, union and non-union, is our highest priority.”

“Given the national impact such a merger would have, the UFCW and our local unions are discussing this and will stand together to prioritize the best interests of our members, their families, and the communities they proudly serve,” Perrone added. “To be clear, the UFCW will oppose any merger that threatens the jobs of America’s essential workers, union and non-union, and undermines our communities.”