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

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!

Notice from the Election Chairperson:

Any Facebook postings or comments that contain any campaigning for UFCW 3000 Officer Elections have been / will be removed from the UFCW 3000 page and the UFCW 3000 Political Team page.

These pages are not accessible for all potential candidates to campaign on, which violates the UFCW International Constitution Article 35.

For questions, please email Elections@ufcw3000.org or call 360-419-4670.

Thank you,
Kim Micheau
Election Chairperson

Safe Staffing Moving Forward!

The Presidents of SEIU 1199NW, UFCW 3000, and WSNA speak to the huge victory for patients, communities and nurses with the new Safe Staffing Law, the need for nurses and communities to hold hospital administrations accountable to the new law, and a much deserved celebration for this victory. Watch the Video:

The Presidents of SEIU 1199NW, UFCW 3000, and WSNA

More on our long fight for Safe Staffing!>>

Workers Win Case to Wear Black Lives Matter Buttons

UFCW 3000 Press Release

For Immediate Release: May 3, 2023

Contact: Tom Geiger, 206-604-3421

Workers Win Case for Wearing Black Lives Matter Buttons on the Job –

Fred Meyer and QFC (both Kroger-owned stores) Must Allow Workers to Wear Their Buttons

In a clear statement of the rights of workers to wear buttons and other materials such as masks at work, as part of collective, concerted activity, the Administrative Law Judge, from the National Labor Relations Board Division of Judges in San Francisco today ruled in favor of UFCW 3000’s case for workers wearing Black Lives Matter buttons and ruled against Fred Meyer’s attempts to curtail that right.

Finding in favor of the Union’s core argument that the workers’ actions were protected under Federal labor law because racism is a workplace issue, Administrative Law Judge Mara-Louise Anzalone wrote in their decision that, “by collectively displaying the ‘Black Lives Matter’ message on their work uniforms, the employees in this case acted to advance their interest—as employees—to an affirmatively anti-racist, pro-civil rights, and pro-justice workplace.”

The judge’s ruling also struck down the Employers’ overly broad dress codes.

The ALJ’s decision essentially agreed with earlier findings in this case going back to the September of 2022 finding of Region 19 of the National Relations Labor Board (NLRB) that Fred Meyer and QFC violated federal labor law when they prohibited workers from wearing union-sponsored Black Lives Matter buttons. There was a lengthy trial before the ALJ when Kroger refused to reach a settlement agreement. The decision by the ALJ was issued today and is subject to appeal to the NLRB in Washington DC.

Sam Dancy outside of his QFC in the summer of 2020

“It feels good to win again! When we as workers speak out through these buttons and collectively say Black Lives Matter and then QFC and Fred Meyer said to take the buttons off, that was insulting and a violation of the law. We knew all along we had the right to call out social and racial injustice in the workplace and in our neighborhoods and this judge’s decision reiterates that right,” said Sam Dancy a Front End Supervisor at the Westwood Village QFC in West Seattle, WA who has worked for QFC for over 30 years. 

UFCW 3000 President Faye Guenther concluded, “It is important that workers’ rights and legal standards be protected. Kroger, the owner QFC and Fred Meyer continues to be a problem and needs to do a better job of hiring and promoting workers who are Black at every level of the company and making it clear that it will not tolerate racism from customers or employees.”

Background

After Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd on May 25, 2020, many UFCW 21 members working in grocery and retail stores chose to express their opposition to racism at work and in the community by wearing face masks (otherwise worn for protection from COVID) or other items bearing the Black Lives Matter slogan.

Although Kroger issued public statements expressing sympathy with the Black Lives Matter movement, managers at Kroger-owned stores in Western Washington started ordering UFCW 21 members to remove Black Lives Matter masks in August 2020.

UFCW 21 responded to the company’s Black Lives Matter ban by collaborating with Fred Meyer and QFC workers to distribute union-sponsored Black Lives Matter buttons with the UFCW 21 logo. When managers banned the Union buttons, UFCW 21 filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board. Kroger’s ban and the Union response received widespread local and national attention. In September of 2021, Region 19 of the NLRB ruled in favor of the UFCW 3000 grocery store workers. The case was unable to reach a settlement and therefore went to trial in April of 2022 before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) who today ruled in the favor of the workers and found Kroger’s Fred Meyer and QFC were in the wrong and had violated the workers’ rights. As a result of the ruling, the workers will be allowed to wear the buttons.

UFCW 3000 represents over 50,000 workers at grocery stores, retail, healthcare, and other industry jobs.

A New UFCW Begins to Take Shape at 9th International Union Convention

Your UFCW 3000 delegation to the 9th International Union Convention.

Every 5 years, the UFCW International Union holds a convention where union leaders from across the country meet to discuss the future of our union and help set its direction for growth. The 9th UFCW International Convention was held in Las Vegas last week. UFCW 3000’s delegates, elected directly by the membership of our union, proposed a slate of amendments and resolutions to create a stronger UFCW.  

The purpose of any union is to build collective worker power to improve safety, wages, working conditions, and to amplify the voices of workers in our workplaces and communities. To do this on a local and national level UFCW must be accountable to its members- the essential workers who showed up every day so our communities could get the prescriptions, groceries, medical care, and of course toilet paper they needed during the lockdowns of the pandemic. 

Our diverse slate of member delegates were able to make their voices heard by taking to the podiums and addressing the convention directly about the importance of reforming our UFCW union. At a convention known for speeches by top union officers, UFCW 3000’s speakers were exclusively workers in our local from a spectrum of work locations and background including Grocery Stores, Hospitals and Clinics, Cannabis industry, Retail clothing and Drug Stores, Food Processing, Laundry, and Textile workers.

UFCW 3000 Delegates Zion Grae-El, Maggie Breshears, and Jeff Terpening at the mics addressing the convention on proposed Amendments and resolutions.

Together, and with other reform minded UFCW locals, we proposed: 

• The need for direct elections for members of the International Executive Board; one member, one vote! 

• Having rank-and-file representation on the International Executive Board, just like our Executive Board here at UFCW 3000. 

• Committing more resources to organizing workplaces like Amazon, Walmart, and the healthcare industry. 

• Capping staff salaries to free up more money for member representation.  

• And 1st Day Strike Pay!  

UFCW 3000 Delegates at the Mics adressing the convention. From Left to right and then Top to Bottome, Jeff Smith, Andy Dusablon, Monalisa Bauman, Sam Dancy, and Rob Shauger.

It was a long week, but our delegation and the delegations from other reform-minded locals won important victories including: 

• Stop the Merger: After six months of many UFCW Locals, including UFCW 3000, opposing the Kroger/Albertsons mega-merger, UFCW International has filed a complaint with the SEC to stop the merger. 

• Strike Pay Reform: Newly organized workers can now get strike benefits and UFCW Union strike benefits for workers will start on the 8th day instead of the 15th day of a strike. This is significant progress towards our 1st Day Strike Pay goal.

• Health Care Division: UFCW will finally be forming a health care division to ensure that these workers have a stronger voice in our union! 

• Prioritize Safety: Making the safety of essential workers a priority in all contract negotiations so we can win and enforce strong safety regulations and safeguards. 

• A Voice on the E-Board: Constituency groups such as UFCW Women’s Network, Minority Coalition, OutReach, and United Latino’s, will now have a liaison on the international Executive board. 

• Resolutions were passed in strong support of: Medicare for All, rights to reproductive health care, gender-affirming healthcare, affordable housing, racial justice, taking action on climate change’s affects on our members, and other important issues to all workers.

At the end of the convention our delegation believes we were able to build unity and solidarity with members from other UFCW locals, and many more are willing to join with us to help make UFCW a member-focused organizing powerhouse! Strong unions are only possible with strong members. Because when we fight, we win!

Interested in learning more about your rights at work? START HERE!

Online trainings are open to all UFCW 3000 members looking to build a strong union in their workplace. We'll review our basic contractual and legal rights as union members and learn about special rights that apply when we are acting as Shop Stewards.

Join the next Leadership Training!>>

UFCW 3000 Endorses Bob Ferguson for Governor!

UFCW 3000 – State’s Largest Labor Union Endorses Bob Ferguson for Governor

Des Moines, WA - Today, UFCW 3000, the state’s largest labor union, announced the endorsement of Bob Ferguson for Governor. UFCW 3000 represents over 53,000 workers in grocery stores, health care, retail, food packing/processing, cannabis and several other industries.

“We have worked with Bob Ferguson for many years, and he has consistently been an advocate for working people, standing up for our rights, defending us, and making sure we are protected,” said Kyong Barry, an Albertsons worker and elected UFCW 3000 executive board member who came to the United States as a young child and became a naturalized US citizen in 1999.

"Attorney General Ferguson has taken the time to come and speak in person with hundreds of our member leaders over the years,” added Patricia Brown, a Licensed Practical Nurse at Tacoma General and an elected UFCW 3000 executive board member. “This personal connection has allowed essential workers from across our union to meet him and hear directly from him as to his values and his commitment to upholding the laws of the land and defending the interests of workers, consumers, patients and the community."

The list of Ferguson’s efforts on behalf of working people is too long to fully articulate here, but many of the most important examples include:

1. Protecting Grocery Store workers and shoppers: Attorney General Ferguson filed a lawsuit against Albertsons to block the $4 Billion pay-out to shareholders as part of the proposed mega-merger of Albertsons and Kroger. This lawsuit delayed the massive pay-out for several months and forced the companies’ executives to testify under oath and make public important details about the proposed merger.

2. Protecting Immigrant Rights: Attorney General Ferguson was a leader among AGs across the nation defending the rights of people in the US and around the world from an unconstitutional travel ban that discriminated against people of certain religious beliefs or their nation of origin. One of his lawsuits blocked the Trump administration’s decision to rescind DACA, the federal program that protects DREAMers.

3. Protecting Access to Quality Affordable Health Care: AG Ferguson sued Providence and CHI Franciscans over their lack of proper charity care that resulted in improved access to quality, affordable care for those who qualify for free or low-cost care and allowed them to get access to that care in their communities.

4. Supported the City of Seattle Minimum wage law when it was challenged in court by business interests. This 2015 case was an important one and helped future advances in the minimum wage law that was passed statewide in 2016.

5. Filed lawsuits that helped enforce wage theft cases where workers were not being paid appropriately under the law.

6. Helped our efforts to address Retail Theft concerns and defend the interest of workers who have significant safety and employment security as a result of organized crime’s retail theft in our stores.

7. Fought for the rights of workers against unfair so-called Non-Compete clauses that harmed workers by constraining their freedom to seek out and find employment.

8. Attorney General filed lawsuit to protect the rights of those incarcerated at the Tacoma Detention Center who were being paid $1 a day in violation to state wage laws.

Again, these are just some of the highlights of the many actions taken by Ferguson that have demonstrated for over a decade his commitment to UFCW members, and all workers across the state, and indeed all people across the world against those who would trample on our rights.

"We need elected officials like Bob Ferguson and are confident that he would be able to continue to be an advocate for the rights of all Washington workers. He has no qualms about taking on the billionaires and the bullies and we are standing with him in his campaign to become our next Governor,” said Faye Guenther, President of UFCW 3000.    

Press contact: Tom Geiger, UFCW 3000, 206-604-3421

Our advocacy paid off: Safer staffing is coming to Washington hospitals!

Download or print this update for your bulletain boards>>

Our bill to address safe staffing in hospitals, ESSB 5236, was passed by the House earlier this month — the last step in a lengthy legislative process that we, in coalition with SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, UFCW 3000, and the Washington State Nurses Association, helped move forward with our actions, stories, and willingness to use our collective voice to ensure safer care in our hospitals. When we fight, we win!

The bill landed on Gov. Inslee’s desk to be signed into law on April 20, 2023. As of today, our bill is law.

What’s next?

We’ll celebrate our success at coalition victory parties around the state on May 11 from 6-8 p.m. RSVP to a Victory Celebration Here >>

• Seattle: Seattle Labor Temple, 5030 1st Ave. S

• Spokane: UFCW 3000 Office, 2805 N. Market St.

• Tri-Cities: SEIU 1199NW Office, 7525 W. Deschutes Pl Ste 2 Kennewick, WA 99336

• Tacoma: Shiloh Baptist Church, 1211 S I St.

• Mt. Vernon: UFCW 3000 Office, 1510 N 18th St.

• Everett: Snohomish County Labor Temple, 2810 Lombard Ave.

• Olympia: Washington State Labor Council, 906 Columbia St. SW (2nd floor)

We’ll distribute an implementation timeline, provide resources, and share information to help us enforce the new staffing law and ensure accountability.

“I’m very glad to see the nursing staff representatives on our staffing committees expanded to include CNAs and LPNs alongside RNs. I know ensuring strict enforcement of a new staffing law is going to take some work, but I’m excited to get started learning how we can use it to keep our patients safer, our hospitals accountable, and our jobs more sustainable.”

— Patricia Brown, LPN, Tacoma General, member of UFCW 3000

The new safe staffing law will:

• Strengthen accountability to hospital staffing plans set by staffing committees.

• Eliminate CEO veto power over those plans.

• Expand staffing committees to include LPNs, CNAs, and other direct patient care staff in addition to RNs.

• Reduce hospitals’ ability to pack staffing committees with people who impede plans.

• Create uniform reporting forms, which will mean that patients and healthcare workers will easily understand how many staff should be present.

• Require hospitals to report noncompliance to the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I).

• Allow DOH to issue corrective action plans that could require minimum staffing standards and fines.

• Expand meal and rest break laws to include all frontline staff.

• Close loopholes to make mandatory overtime laws fully enforceable.

• Allow L&I to issue escalating penalties for missed breaks.

• Funds the Washington State Institute for Public Policy to conduct a study of existing staffing plans.

Washington State House Passes Safe Staffing Bill — Next Up, the Governor’s Desk!

Today the House passed the healthcare staffing bill (ESSB 5236), the final legislative hurdle in a long process, to begin addressing the ongoing hospital staffing crisis this legislative session. The bill now heads to the governor’s desk.

We would not have gotten this bill through the Legislature without the countless members like you who sent in selfies, signed in “pro” on bills, contacted your legislators, testified in hearings, and so much more. The voices of healthcare workers at the bedside pushed the State Senate to go farther down the path toward safe staffing than ever before.

ESSB 5236 reflects a compromise between SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, UFCW 3000, the Washington State Nurses Association and the Washington State Hospital Association. The final compromise will strengthen accountability to staffing plans and allow for corrective action by state agencies if necessary up to and including enforcing safe staffing standards on hospitals. It represents a meaningful step toward safe staffing.

The final bill:

• Strengthens accountability to hospital staffing plans. If hospitals fall below 80 percent compliance with their staffing plans, they are required to report noncompliance to the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I). Noncompliant hospitals will be assigned a corrective action plan by L&I and DOH, which may include elements like safe staffing standards set by L&I that the hospital will have to follow.

• Expands meal and rest break laws to include all frontline staff, closes loopholes to make mandatory overtime laws fully enforceable, and ensures hospitals follow the law. If there are more than 20 percent of breaks missed in a month, L&I will issue escalating penalties.

• Funds the WA State Institute for Public Policy to conduct a study of existing staffing plans to establish what’s actually happening in WA hospitals and compare them to elsewhere. This study would set a baseline understanding of the staffing crisis in WA by a credible, nonpartisan source, and provide a benchmark against California and professional association standards for staffing levels, which is critical for continued work to ensure safe staffing in Washington.

After the Governor signs the bill, we will turn to implementation and enforcement. We will be reaching out about plans to educate members – particularly members of staffing committees – on the elements of the bill.

Taking Our Fight Against the Corporate Grocery Mega-Merger to the FTC!

UFCW 3000 Leadership with allies ready to testify before the federal trade commission

UFCW 3000 and our fellow UFCW locals continue to work aggressively to stop the mega-merger between Albertsons/Safeway and Kroger (parent company of Fred Meyer and QFC).

Recently, union presidents from UFCW Locals 7, 324, 400, 770, and 3000 presented compelling evidence to the Federal Trade Commission on the negative impacts of this merger and our negative experiences with past grocery mergers. Representatives from 10 states’ Attorneys General offices attended, along with UFCW 3000 member and leader Naomi Oligario, a longtime Safeway worker from Port Orchard who shared her story of how the Safeway-Albertsons merger caused her and two other family members to lose their jobs.

We will not stop fighting against this corporate greed and overreach, and bring frontline grocery store workers’ voices front and center so our lawmakers, regulators, and employers hear directly from experts who work in these stores and serve our communities every day.

Take Action!

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Read on to hear some of what Naomi and our president, Faye Guenther, shared.

“My name is Naomi Oligario. I started working at my local Safeway store, in Port Orchard, Washington in 1985. I raised my four kids with my income and benefits from this job. My kids were Safeway babies. As they have grown up, over the years, at one point or another, each have worked at a Safeway store. And my customers are like family too. It is a tight relationship that we all have. We share our triumphs and our tragedies.

In 2015, after nearly 30 years with the company, after coming in on extra shifts, doing extra work to make the store run, after working through holidays, I found out one day, without any advance notice or for-planning, that my store would be bought by Haggen, and that no one would be allowed to transfer to another store. […]

I lived through the debacle of my Safeway store closing, and the new Haggen opening, but quickly it became clear that this was not a good situation. The prices were too high. Many of my loyal customers, within three weeks or less, came to me with tears in their eyes and apologized to me. They said they’d tried but could not shop here anymore. Sales dropped through the floor. Our hours were cut, and quickly many staff were having to look for work elsewhere any where they could find employment… This impacted three income earners in my one family. But the fallout from that failed merger was huge. It was not just me and my family. Similar experiences were felt by workers at over a hundred closed stores. […]

It’s just greed. Plain and simple. A few months ago, back in November, I was in the Senate Subcommittee hearing room and saw the Kroger CEO say they would not close stores or lay off workers. Under oath he said that to a US Senator. But they’re not telling the truth. They will end up closing stores and laying off workers just like happened to me, my family and my co-workers seven years ago. And our customers will lose out again too. This merger is a bad idea and needs to be stopped.”

Naomi (L) and FAYE (R) traveled to speak directly with the ftc on the proposed merger.

“My name is Faye Guenther, President of UFCW 3000, representing 50,000 workers in Washington, Idaho, and Oregon. I represented workers in Fred Meyer in 1999, prior to its purchase by Kroger. In 2008, I represented workers in Kroger, Albertsons, Safeway, and Haggen. […]

Haggen was a 90-year-old, union, family-owned company, headquartered in Bellingham, WA. After the divestiture of 146 stores to Haggen (as a result of the Albertsons/Safeway merger), we watched this once-local company go bankrupt in a few short months. Workers were hurt in too many ways to enumerate here today. Instead of offering competition, all remaining Haggen stores now belong to Albertson.

The divested Haggen stores were in trouble fast. Something was wrong and workers started calling us immediately. At the store by my house, the banner was changed, but the only things that changed in the store were higher prices and wilted lettuce. Customers fled. Hours were cut, impacting everything from pension contributions to healthcare qualifications and leave banks. 

After bankruptcy, we had to then negotiate with Albertsons, to try restore workers who re-applied to get their seniority back which impacted Sunday pay, healthcare and every other wage and benefit issue.”

Anti Kroger-Albertsons merger coalition launch Stop The Merger website

United in Opposition to the Kroger-Albertsons Merger, Coalition of Over 100 Organizations from Across the Country Join Forces & Launch the “Stop the Merger” Website  

For Immediate Release: March 14, 2023
Contact: Tom Geiger, UFCW 3000, 206-604-3421

The Stop the Merger Coalition includes national, state and local organizations from across US

Des Moines, WA (March 14, 2023) – Today, a coalition of 100 organizations representing diverse interests from around the country have joined forces in the “Stop the Merger” campaign, a national and state-level effort to oppose the proposed $25-billion merger of grocery store chain giants Kroger and Albertsons. The coalition is announcing the launch of its website (www.NoGroceryMerger.com) which includes facts and research about the proposed merger’s negative impact, stories from community members, workers, and others, as well as tools for organizations and individuals to take action and communicate their opposition to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which has the regulatory oversight responsibility to review proposed mergers such as this.

In October of 2022, Kroger and Albertsons announced they would pursue a $24.6 billion mega-merger, joining together the two largest standalone U.S. grocery chains, and thereby creating a monopoly in many areas across the country. Both these chains have stores and manufacturing facilities in nearly every state, employing over 700,000 workers across their numerous local banners. The mega-merger, currently undergoing FTC review, would drive out competition, increase food prices, create food deserts, and put hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk as well as hurt local farmers and ranchers. 

The coalition of over 100 organizations has written numerous letters to the FTC and state Attorneys General, held meetings with federal and state elected officials and regulators, held press conferences and virtual town halls, attended public events on the merger hosted by government officials, and participated in various local community activities opposing the merger. All this activity has helped reveal growing evidence that shows the real motives for the proposed merger: corporate greed at the hands of C-Suite executives and the private equity firms that are significant owners of their stock. The diverse and large number of groups across the nation now include organizations whose focus includes consumer protection, faith, economic justice, anti-poverty, food justice, environmental protection, women’s rights, Black Indigenous People of Color advocates, farmer and farmworker advocates, and many others.

For more information on the negative impact of the mega-merger, please visit: NoGroceryMerger.com. Interested organizations can also join the Stop the Merger Coalition through the form on the site.

# # #

The Stop the Merger campaign includes over 100 national, state and local organizations representing diverse interests who share a common goal: to stop the proposed Kroger-Albertsons grocery merger because of its negative impact on our nation’s communities. For more information visit www.NoGroceryMerger.com

Welcome to Our Union: Mfused Workers Won Their Union Election!

MFused workers posted their win to social media

We are excited to announce that workers at Mfused have won their union election to become a part of UFCW Local 3000! This is the first cannabis processor/producer in Washington State to have its workers go union! Mfused cannabis oil cartridges are sold in most dispensaries across the state. The workers do just about everything at Mfused; lab work, production, delivery driving, and marketing! Stay tuned as the workers and our bargaining staff start the process of bargaining their first union contract. Congratulations!

Remembering Candice Hemphill

Over the decades, Candice Hemphill was a leader in this union, her union. As a Macy’s worker, she felt a connection with co-workers and customers. What she demanded at work was respect from her employer, and at the most basic level, that respect is what she fought for. The headline of her column in a local paper in 2018 read “Macy’s workers unite for better working conditions and respect.” That says a lot about how she approached union activism. A call for unity. A call for better conditions at work, the place where we spend a large part of our lives. That call for respect, something that does not cost the employer anything, is often hard to get an employer to understand; but time after time Ms. Candice succeeded in making sure that it was heard.

Candice’s efforts toward worker solidarity took place in a consistent, relentless, and effective manner year after year. Whether it was coming to a large training of union stewards, getting co-workers to wear MACY’S UNITED buttons (like in the picture below) during a nationwide Macy’s action, or speaking at a national press conference, she was both fierce and friendly. It was those two things that would often make her so effective and so inspiring to others. Her smile would welcome everyone into the group; her ability to stare anyone down would show that she meant business. Her persistence demonstrated to everyone that she was not going to be ignored or worn out.

Here Canide has covered her sweater in Macy’s United Buttons, making it easier for her to hand them out to co-workers and to make a statement to everyone about our collective activism.

For those of us who knew her, we know how lucky we are. We were blessed by her energy, her smile, her empathetic nature, and her sense of humor and wit – a  comment delivered with a sly grin provided just the right medicine after a long day of bargaining or a cold and rainy leaflet action. Last but surely not least was her sense of style and fashion that would outshine most of us any day of the week, no one else could wear warm layers on a 75-degree day like Candice.

Stories about her activism come to mind quickly when looking back over the years. She helped win advances and protections in her Macy’s contract, bargain after bargain. She was one of many members of our union who serve on bargaining committees, sitting across the table from the employer, pushing for progress. Despite not being able to return to work at Macy’s in 2021 because of the pandemic and her health she still served on Macy’s bargaining committee and led her coworkers to take repeated action to fight for a fair contract.  She did all of that by calling and texting her coworkers remotely, which is why Candice is one of the most gifted labor organizers ever. That’s the kind of member-led union Candice wanted and it is the union she helped build.

Candice also attended community meetings, rallies, marches, and events to build a bigger and more powerful movement. After having pushed for Paid Sick Days for years in contract negotiations, Candice was one of the hundreds of our union members who helped qualify the Paid Sick and Safe Leave/Higher Minimum Wage Initiative in 2016 and then made sure voters passed it into law. That one law has changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of workers who needed Paid Sick & Safe Time.

At an event in 2015, Candice got up in front of a large audience and did what she did so well. She told her story in a way that made others want to be part of the change that needed to happen. Here is what she said:

“Good evening. It is an honor to be here tonight and to speak with you all. Let’s talk for a minute about the struggle for fairness. Our successes that have taken place and those which have yet come to pass. It means so much to me, to workers everywhere, to our customers, and everyone in the community.

My name in Candice and I love helping people. I love my co-workers and I love my family. I also love my union UFCW 21. I love justice.

I have a weakened immune system that makes it dangerous for me to get sick or be exposed to people who are sick. So if I, or one of my co-workers is sick, I need to make sure we are all safe. I need people to be able to stay home, rest, drink plenty of fluids, and get well before they return to work. Not come to work sick so they don’t miss a day’s pay. 

But I also understand that is a false choice to put before someone who has to pay the rent.

I need parents to be able to stay at home and care for a child when they are ill and not send that kid to school so they can go to work themselves because they don’t have paid sick days. But I understand that parent also needs to provide for that child’s well-being with food, shelter, and clothing and may not be able to forgo a day or two of pay to care for a sick family member.

We need this injustice resolved.

My health and well-being is connected to all of you. And your health and well-being is connected to thousands of others in the community. Where we work. Where children go to school and play. The library, the community pool. The grocery store. The bus. The restaurant. The movie theater. We are literally all connected in our community. One person’s fate touches everyone else.

That is why we have fought for and continue to press on for paid sick leave for all.  We have not won it yet. But we have been denied justice before and fought on. That is how we won it in Seattle. That is why I joined our US Senator Patty Murray on a press conference call to advocate for national paid sick and safe leave. That is why I have gone to our state’s capital to push for a new state law. That is why we will keep it up TOGETHER to win where we can win and keep pushing elsewhere. Thank you.”

Thirteen months after she gave that speech, we passed Paid Sick and Safe Leave for all in Washington.

We know that Candice will be dearly missed by her former co-workers, her union colleagues, all her friends, and family members including nieces and nephews to whom she was a dear Auntie. You are in our thoughts and prayers. 

UFCW Local Unions Disappointed by Washington State Supreme Court Ruling to Allow Albertsons Massive $4 Billion Dividend as Part of Proposed Mega Merger

UFCW Local Unions React to Washington State Supreme Court Decision on Massive $4 Billion Albertsons Dividend as Part of Proposed Mega Merger

Jointly Issued Press Statement by :
UFCW 3000 of WA & Northern ID
UFCW 400 of MD, DC, VA, WV, KY, OH, & TN
UFCW  7 of CO & WY
UFCW 770 of Southern CA
UFCW 5 of Northern CA
UFCW 324 of Orange County, CA and Southern Los Angeles County
UFCW 367 of South Puget Sound, WA
Teamsters 38 of Snohomish Country, WA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 17, 2023

Contact: Tom Geiger, UFCW 3000, 206-604-3421

UFCW Local Unions Disappointed by Washington State Supreme Court Ruling to Allow Albertsons Massive $4 Billion Dividend as Part of Proposed Mega Merger

“We are disappointed to see a ruling that favors a small number of ultra-wealthy shareholders over the many thousands of essential workers and millions of Americans who will be left to suffer the consequences of the outright financial looting of Albertsons. Despite this setback that allows the $4 billion dividend to be issued, the delay allowed the United States Senate to scrutinize the dividend payment as well as the mega-merger, and alerted the public to the disastrous consequences if the merger were to go through. We applaud Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson and his staff for their efforts fighting to protect our members and the communities we serve. Our unions will not stop working to protect our members and our communities from the harmful impacts of this proposed mega-merger of Kroger and Albertsons. It is now even more important that the Federal Trade Commission take swift and decisive action to block the acquisition.”

Background:

From the first day the proposed merger was announced, UFCW Local 5, UFCW Local 7, UFCW Local 324, UFCW Local 367, UFCW Local 400, UFCW Local 770, UFCW Local 1442, UFCW Local 3000 and Teamsters 38 have been taking action to intervene and stop this devastating deal. 

On November 1st, Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a lawsuit in state court seeking to stop the payout and a temporary restraining order was granted through December 9th.

On Tuesday November 29 the US Senate Judiciary Subcommittee held a hearing to scrutinize the proposed Kroger/Albertsons mega merger, along with an alarming, up to $4 billion “special dividend” announced by Albertsons in connection with the merger agreement. In a letter to the Federal Trade Commission urging the agency to intervene, more than two dozen antitrust experts and local unions representing Albertsons’ workers decried the payout as “nothing less than an out-and-out looting of the company” and a brazen attempt to destabilize the company ahead of regulatory review of the merger. 

On December 9th, the Superior Court Judge in King County Washington ruled against issuing a preliminary injunction, but delayed the effect of the decision until December 19th to allow time for an appeal by the WA AG to be considered by the State Supreme Court. On December 16th, the WA State Supreme Court issued a ruling granting the State AG’s Injunctive Relief and extended the Temporary Restraining Order on the Albertsons dividend until further order of the court.

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UFCW 3000 Joins Labor & Community Allies in Calling on Ostrom Mushroom Farms to Recognize Their Workers' Union & Negotiate a Contract

UFCW 3000 joins United Farm Workers, our union siblings, and community partners in calling on Ostrom Mushroom Farms to recognize their workers' union & to negotiate a contract that addresses unfair wages, dangerous working conditions, and harassment in the workplace.

As a union with over 32,000 grocery store workers, we are committed to safe, healthy working conditions all along the food supply chain. We support these courageous workers advocating for basic rights and dignity in their workplace. Join us by signing the petition in support of Ostrom Mushroom Farm Workers today:

WA Court Put the Brakes on Albertsons’ Proposed $4 Billion Dividend

Press Release from UFCW 3000, UFCW 367 and Teamsters 38

For immediate release: 11/3/2022
Contact: Tom Geiger, 206-604-3421

WA Court Put the Brakes on Albertsons’ Proposed $4 Billion Dividend

Seattle, WA – When Albertsons announced in mid-October that it had agreed to a purchase by Kroger, a handful of essential grocery store workers’ unions came out quickly and condemned the proposal saying it would hurt workers and shoppers. We called on federal and state regulators to stop the merger. And then the Attorney General of Washington filed a lawsuit in King County Superior Court to halt the payment of the $4 Billion Albertsons dividend that would be the 1st step of the merger agreement. Attorneys General in CA, IL, and DC filed a similar suit in the District of Columbia.

Today, after hearing the case presented by the WA Attorney General and a slew of attorneys from Albertsons and Kroger, the Court ruled to put a temporary restraining order on the payment that Albertsons had announced would happen on Monday November 7.

UFCW 367, UFCW 3000 and Teamsters 38 reacted: “We applauded these Attorneys General when they filed their lawsuits, and we applaud Attorney General Ferguson and his team for presenting a strong case today and, at least temporarily, putting a pause on Albertsons’ $4 Billion payout for rich stock holders instead of investing in lowering prices, improving store safety and increasing the wages of the workers in the store who made the stores function all during covid.”

UFCW 3000 Calls for Resignation of St. Michael Medical Center Leaders in Petition of No Confidence

UFCW 3000 is publicly circulating a Petition of No Confidence in the leadership at St. Michael Medical Center, after years of inadequate response to issues at the hospital, including the recent experience of UFCW 3000 members in the Emergency Department who had to request assistance from the local fire department as conditions were unsafe due to short staffing.

Hospital staff, emergency services workers, physicians, local leaders, and the entire community of patients and residents in the Kitsap area served by the hospital are invited to sign on to this petition calling for accountability from Virginia Mason Franciscan Health.

We, the undersigned, hereby submit the following letter to Virginia Mason Franciscan Health Chief Executive Officer Ketul Patel:

Our community has been advocating for a safe hospital for years as workers repeatedly sound the alarm on the serious issues plaguing St. Michael Medical Center. Unfortunately, after years of ineffective response, and after workers have had to repeatedly report their concerns to hospital leadership through committee meetings, contract negotiations, and very publicly through picketing, media, and outreach to legislative officials, the health care workers’ pleas have been met with empty promises as the situation continues to deteriorate.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! We demand change, we demand action, we demand that you take the concerns of your workers and the community seriously and make significant changes at St. Michael Medical Center.

We have lost confidence in the leadership team at St. Michael Medical Center and request that you start with the resignation of both President Chad Melton and Chief Nursing Officer Jeanell Rasmussen.

Unions Win Order Against MultiCare Payroll Deductions

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Seattle — Last month, a judge in King County Superior Court handed down an order that said MultiCare cannot deduct money from workers who were temporarily overpaid without an express agreement from the individual employee. The alleged overpayments related to an extended outage of the employer’s timekeeping system.

SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, UFCW 3000 and the Washington State Nurses Association filed suit against MultiCare after the healthcare system announced it had overpaid workers and was going to recover the overpayments by deducting amounts of their choosing from subsequent paychecks without the permission of the worker. The unions argued the law didn’t permit MultiCare to do that. The court agreed with the unions, and MultiCare was ordered to stop deductions unless it had an agreement with the individual member.

The Washington State Nurses Association, SEIU Healthcare 1199NW and UFCW 3000 filed a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) in March to prevent MultiCare Health System from garnishing wages without employees’ consent in order to recover alleged overpayments while the case made its way through the court system.

This legal win will make a world of difference to dozens of workers who were facing drastic deductions from their checks. It would have meant not being able to pay rent or mortgage or keep food on the table if MultiCare had been allowed to proceed with the deductions.

These legal actions are intended to ensure that employees have a fair, transparent, and collaborative process for establishing repayment plans, including an opportunity to challenge MultiCare’s accounting and have a say in their individual repayment plans. Under federal labor law, MultiCare must bargain with the unions to ensure a fair procedure for any repayments.

BACKGROUND

In December 2021, timekeeping software provider Kronos was hit by a ransomware attack, shutting the system down for many employers that use it. During the time Kronos was offline, MultiCare chose to duplicate employees’ last accurate timesheet for payroll purposes.

Employees continued to track hours separately outside of Kronos, but paychecks for four pay periods were based on the first pay period in December.

MultiCare knew from the start that this would result in inaccurate paychecks during the outage, as healthcare worker hours vary, sometimes significantly, week to week. Notably, the period of outage covered the worst months of the Omicron surge, during which employees saw significant upheaval in their schedules.

Following Kronos’ recovery, MultiCare announced that it would begin deducting up to $500 per paycheck without employee consent beginning March 18. MultiCare gave workers a March 9 deadline to request alternate payment plans but did not offer an option to repay by any means other than paycheck deductions, and the lowest amount offered was 10% of the amount allegedly owed per pay period. At the same time, MultiCare has not provided transparent accounting for its claimed overpayments (or underpayments), and numerous workers have reported inaccuracies in the accounting provided to them.

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UFCW Locals Applaud Actions of Attorneys General to Protect Workers and Consumers Impacted by Albertsons Proposed $4 Billion Payout

UFCW 5 - UFCW 7 - UFCW 324 - UFCW 367 - UFCW 770 - UFCW 3000 - Teamsters 38

 For immediate release: October 26, 2022
Contact: Tom Geiger, 206-604-3421

In part of the proposed merger announced by Kroger and Albertsons less than two weeks ago, the companies buried that Albertsons is planning a $4 billion payout to shareholders. Today, six Attorneys General including CA and WA pushed back on Albertsons to protect workers and consumers by demanding the companies stop the issuance of the special dividend until regulatory review of the merger is complete.

We expect the CEOs to respond positively to the Attorneys General by the end of the day on Friday and stop the issuance of the special dividend. Any effort to rush this payment threatens thousands of jobs of essential grocery store workers and millions of shoppers who would suffer from reduced competition, reduced choice and increased costs in markets across the United States. 

We applaud Attorneys General Ferguson (WA), Bonta (CA), and Racine (DC) for their leadership and action to protect workers and consumers in our state.

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Essential Grocery Store Workers Say: Stop Albertsons’ Dividend Payment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 22, 2022
Contact: Tom Geiger, 206-604-3421
Union members and leaders available for media interviews

Seattle, WA – On the heels of the proposed merger between grocery giants Kroger and Albertsons, on Tuesday, Albertsons announced that it will pay out a $4 billion dividend to shareholders November 7, 2022. The 64,000+ hard-working members of UFCW 3000, UFCW 367 and Teamsters 38 strongly oppose this dividend payout and are calling upon elected officials and regulators to stop this payment and the resulting devaluation of the company at a time when consumers are facing crushing inflation.

“Taking billions in assets out of a company that is running well, employs hundreds of thousands of essential workers, and provides daily necessities for millions of customers is a bad idea for the workers as well as customers,” said Joe Mizrahi, Secretary Treasurer of UFCW 3000. “That $4 billion could be much-better spent to lower prices of food for consumers facing unprecedented levels of inflation, pay workers more or invest in safer stores for workers and customers. Our essential grocery store members will do everything we can to stop Albertsons from squeezing workers and customers to the bone to shower executives and shareholders with billions.”

UFCW is looking to regulators and elected officials to join us in putting public pressure on Albertsons to invest this $4 billion in workers and lower prices for families, rather than enriching executives and shareholders.

“Our stores are already underfunded,” said longtime grocery store worker Kyong Barry who works at the South Auburn Safeway/Albertsons store in Washington State and is a member of UFCW 3000. “Albertsons just wants to pay out stockholders and bosses instead of investing in workers like me or keeping our stores safer for customers. Paying $4 billion to stockholders is ridiculous when skyrocketing food prices are forcing people in our communities to go hungry. Albertsons should be lowering prices instead of padding our bosses’ pockets.”

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Essential Grocery Store Workers’ Unions Issue Joint Statement in Response to Proposed Kroger/Albertsons Merger

UFCW 7 - UFCW 324 - UFCW 367 - UFCW 770 - Teamsters 38 - UFCW 3000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 13, 2022
Contact: Tom Geiger, 206-604-3421

Proposed Kroger/Albertsons Merger Would Be Devastating for Essential Workers and Customers 

Seattle, WA -  Today it was reported that grocery store giant Kroger could announce a deal this week to buy rival grocery store company Albertsons, resulting in a potential merger that would significantly harm local grocery store industries, essential grocery store workers, and customers across the western US from Southern California to the Canadian border to Colorado.

“The proposed merger of these two grocery giants is devastating for workers and consumers alike and must be stopped. Just as our UFCW workers stood together to negotiate landmark new contracts with both Kroger and Albertsons/Safeway within the last year across the western US, we will stand united to fight for access to nutritious food, a safe shopping experiences, and investments in good jobs in our communities. Essential UFCW grocery store workers emerged stronger from the COVID-19 pandemic, winning improved protections against the virus, store violence and other threats. Standing together, we know our voices are stronger than the corporations’ anti-worker rhetoric,” Faye Guenther, President of UFCW 3000.

This proposed merger of two of the largest grocery companies in the nation will no doubt create a monopoly in the grocery industry for many communities, with one company owning a $47 billion market share.

UFCW’s members have been a leading national voice on enforcing federal and state antitrust laws as well as forwarding the values of protecting a fair marketplace that prevents corporations from using monopoly power to exploit customers and workers. We are asking the appropriate administrative and elected officials to step in and stop this merger and protect workers and consumers.

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