Progress made in ‘23 – Building for more in ‘24
Progress made in ‘23 – Building for more in ‘24
Our union came into 2023 with some great successes, like winning a "best in a generation" contract for 25,000 Western Washington grocery store workers, but we also faced some huge challenges. Health care workers continued to be crushed by severe staffing shortages at hospitals that threatened both patient and caregiver safety alike, and at the same time, we had just learned of a proposed mega-merger between Kroger and Albertsons that threatened layoffs, store closures, and higher prices. 2023 was shaping up to be a big year.
UFCW 3000 members working in health care, grocery stores, food processing plants, retail businesses, and many other industries are fundamentally linked to the communities we work and live in. We are the essential workers that our communities depend on every day. That is why the challenges we face, like ferocious corporate greed that under-staffs us to make huge record profits, or the extreme and growing inequality between the wealthiest one percent and everyday working people are not just a problem for our workplaces —they are problems for our entire community. Greed and inequality are also underlying and insidious drivers of systemic racism and sexism —pitting us against each other, while an economic appetite of extraction and churn threatens the future of humanity itself. These toxic realities of greed and inequity also threaten our most cherished aspirations of democracy, freedom, and a better life for the next generation.
If together, as organized workers and communities, we want to fight back and build a better future, we are going to have to face these challenges head-on. While we recognize we still have a lot of problems and a lot of work to do to make things better in 2024, we also think it is important to celebrate the fact that we have been a leader in our region and around the nation —attacking these problems, making an impact, and being part of the movement to turn things around for the better.
Here’s a snapshot of some of our accomplishments from 2023, our wins as a collective union of workers in action.
In 2023...
We won important reforms at our UFCW International Convention and began the much-needed campaign for greater reforms in the future. Learn more about our local's fight to bring democracy to the UFCW >>
We joined the 'year of strikes' when thousands of UFCW 3000 members voted to authorize ULP strikes: The nurses at Providence Everett and workers at Macy’s in Southcenter, Alderwood, and Bellingham went on strike in 2023. Both strikes were joined by hundreds of community supporters while thousands signed petitions in support of these striking workers.
Providence strike recap video >>
Macy's strike recap video >>We passed a Safer Staffing Law! Working in a first of its kind in the region, a coalition with SEIU Healthcare1199NW, WSNA and UFCW 3000 worked to pass the historic ESSB 5236 Safe Staffing legislation that will take steps towards ensuring safer hospital staffing levels across WA. Learn more about the Safe Staffing legislation >>
We opened a new Union Hall in Des Moines! After completing the sale of our flagship office of over 20 years in Seattle to the Seattle Labor Temple, we held an open house in our brand new union hall in Des Moines. This new location will save money, be more accessible to members (it is located on the new Light Rail route), and be a gathering space for members. Learn more about UFCW 3000 office locations >>
Our elected Executive Board made of rank-and-file members adopted a powerful new 5-year strategic plan to guide our union and prioritize our work until 2028. Learn more about the Strategic Five Year Plan >>
Our Executive Board also helped begin a national call from labor unions for a ceasefire in Gaza. Learn more about the petition for peace >>
Had fun! Thousands of members and their families attended UFCW 3000’s summer events at Wild Waves in Federal Way, WA, and Silverwood in Idaho. Save the date for the next Summer Picnics at the Park: Silverwood is August 6 and Wild Waves is August 8.
Union member bargaining teams won 8 first-time contracts and ratified 30 new contracts with higher wages, improved benefits and better working conditions.
Held off the grocery store mega-merger by being instrumental in building a national coalition of unions that includes UFCW locals 5, 7, 324, 400, 770, 1564 and 3000 and community groups including 55 from our own region to oppose the Kroger and Albertsons mega-merger. We have successfully lobbied —through data, testimony, and evidence to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) who has recently ruled in our favor and decided to reject this proposed mega-merger! Learn more about efforts to stop the mega-merger >>
In 2023 we organized hundreds of new members! New organizing wins from determined organizing committees both big and small resulted in hundreds of new members joining our union. Welcome Ferry County, Downtown Dog Lounge, REI Bellingham, MultiCare Auburn Pros, and Fred Meyer Port Orchard General Merchandise, and our first Cannabis producer contract at Mfused, who won a standard-setting contract in the cannabis industry.
People powered politics in action: Our member-led endorsement committee interviewed 57 candidates for local office. 68 members participated in our Political Action Advisory Committee and were able to help win a new just cause standard for grocery store workers around retail theft. Learn more about our People-Powered Politics agenda >>
The Essential Workers Organizing Academy is up and running! The program was broken up into three distinct phases: training, internal organizing, and external organizing/preparing for strikes. Apprentice organizers supported on campaigns that included Macy’s, Bartell Drugs, Fred Meyer, PCC, Providence Everett, as well as political and community projects. Congratulation to the first EWOA graduating class of 2023! Learn more about EWOA >>
Enforced our rights: Together as members, stewards, and union Reps we work hard to ensure members’ rights are protected and that the process is transparent, and management is held accountable to our members, our contract, and the law. In 2023 we had to file 182 grievances against management that could not be resolved at the worksite level.
Got the training to empower ourselves: Over 300 members participated in a union training in 2023. These trainings included topics like Weingarten training and enforcement, Leaders in Action, New Member Meetings, Grievance Training, Retirement Seminars, and more. Learn more about upcoming union trainings >>
No union should be an island. We support others in their struggles and UFCW 3000 attended strikes, showed solidarity and gave other support for Starbucks Workers United in Washington and around the nation.