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94% of Puget Sound grocery workers
reject employers’ proposal and
authorize a strike
After 9 Months of negotiations,
big chains still proposing cuts to
pay and benefits
Press
Release from UFCW Local 21:
Grocery store workers at the big
chains stores in central Puget Sound
gathered for vote meetings
throughout the Snohomish, King and
Kitsap Counties over the past
several days to consider a vote to
reject employers’ proposal and take
a strike authorization vote. The
last of these meetings took place on
Wednesday evening in Bellevue. After
the meeting all the ballots were
counted.
The vote result: 94%
Vote to Reject Employers’ Proposal
and Authorize a Strike
Difficult negotiations between
workers and these big chains have
been dragging on since they began
nine months ago in mid-March. The
out-of-state-based corporations
include California-based Safeway,
Albertsons (owned by Minnesota-based
Supervalu), and QFC and Fred Meyer
(both owned by Cincinnati-based food
giant Kroger).
These
out-of-state based chains are among
the Top 50 corporations in the
country and paid their CEOs a
combined 30 millions dollars last
year. The grocery stores have not
been hit as hard by the economy as
many other companies because
families have switched to shopping
at the store more and eating out at
restaurants less.
“All we are
asking for is to be treated fairly,”
said Barbara Rhodes, a deli worker
at QFC. “But something is wrong in
this country when the company that
we work for pays their CEO millions
and then proposes to cut your pay,
and health and pension benefits. We
go to work every day and do the best
for our customers. All we want is to
do a good job and be able to take
care of our families.”
Another worker added,
“Unfortunately, these corporations
are trying to use the economy as an
excuse to kick us in the teeth. So
after nine months of negotiations,
we have taken this vote and are
sending a message – we are not going
accept cut after cut.” Lynnette
Larson, a checker at Fred Meyer
continued, “We are standing up and
saying no. It's important for us,
for our customers and the
community.”
Now that the
workers have spoken and rejected the
current offer, clearly the employers
will have to improve the contract
proposal when negotiations resume.
The UFCW 21 is the state’s
largest private sector union with
over 36,000 workers in grocery
store, retail, health care and other
industry jobs. The two other unions
in the joint negotiations are UFCW
81 and Teamsters 38. |
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