Member Story: After Confronting Management Over Armed Robberies, Members Continue Fight for Safer Safeway

Pine Hurst Safeway activists Jane Wynn, Annette Wilde, Lailanie Stamper, Maria Austin, and Kalen Wright

Working the self-checkout area ranks as one of the toughest jobs in our grocery stores, mostly because running these departments with skeleton crews forces cashiers to serve multiple customers and to deal with multiple problems at the same time. The working conditions are more than just frustrating—they can be dangerous, too.

Safeway cashiers Lailanie Stamper and Maria Austin experienced this problem firsthand. One October morning at the self-checkout stands, a man displayed a gun and then demanded that Stamper open the cash drawer, she said. In the same store’s liquor department just a few months later, a man flashed a knife at Austin and demanded alcohol.

These interactions shook their confidence in the company’s ability to keep them and their co-workers safe.

"It's not safe anymore, working alone in the morning," Stamper said.

"I'm scared to come to work," Austin added. "I feel hopeless. I need the money, so I need to work, but I am afraid this is going to happen again.”

Rather than wait for the company to get around to maybe doing something about safety in the stores, after the knife incident the two workers decided to take action. They tapped UFCW 3000 Shop Steward Kalen Wright and other coworkers to start a petition demanding in-store security during all open hours, increased staffing on the front end, and a new system that alerts workers to any incident involving a weapon within 24 hours.

Union workers taking action at Pine Hurst Safeway for a safer store

After gathering the signatures of more than 80% of the store’s workers, they presented their petition to Store Director Brenda Swarts. Shortly after that, management increased the store’s security.

Unfortunately, Safeway has since pulled out the extra security. The Pinehurst Safeway crew isn’t giving up, though. They’re continuing to fight for a safer Safeway. UPDATE: Safeway has once again put in store security back in the store. But this fight is ongoing at this and every retail location.

In addition to helping them in this struggle, the rest of us can lighten their load by fighting for a contract that ensures better staffing throughout our stores, particularly in self-checkout areas. According to one recent Harvard University study, compared to traditional checkout, self-checkout machines increase negative interactions with customers by 40%. These machines also increase chronic understaffing in stores by 26%.

That study—and our lived experience—shows us that the path to safer stores runs right through better staffing. To win it, we need to communicate with each other, stand together, and take action.

Central Co-op Update- New Contract Ratified!

Our Union Bargaining Team is happy to announce that our new Collective Bargaining Agreements for both the grocery and meat units were ratified this past Tuesday by an overwhelming majority of those voting!

The terms of the contract are now in effect while the Negotiator works through the post-vote process of review and approval of Local 3000’s President Faye Guenther’s signature. In the meantime the “redline” draft of the contracts showing all deletions and additions in red will be available online within a few business days.

If there are questions or concerns please speak with a Bargaining Team member or call our Member Resource Center at 866-210-3000 so that we may have the appropriate person get back to you.

Our Bargaining Team (left to right): Chris Paine, Interim Produce Manager; Andee Taylor, Grocery Clerk; Eddie Parks, Interim Assistant Deli Manager; Dylan Lindquist, Meat Cutter [not pictured]

Help Support Our Striking Union Allies by Donating to Their Strike & Defense Funds

Right now, nurses with Providence in Oregon and grocery workers with Kroger-owned King Soopers in Colorado are on strike for better staffing and safer workplaces. Join us and contribute to their strike and defense funds by using the links below. Donations help provide supplies like food, hot beverages, warm clothing, childcare, signs, and other needs as workers battle the cold rains in the PNW and the freezing temperatures in the Denver area. Their fight is our fight—and when we fight, we win!