LOCAL
IBT: Fred Meyer threatening workers, breaking labor laws
TUKWILA (Sept. 7) — Teamsters Local 117 filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board accusing Fred Meyer of 10 violations of federal labor law. Fred Meyer is accused of threatening workers, worker surveillance, and unlawful interrogation of its employees while workers were engaged in federally protected activities, among numerous other violations. Charges were filed with the Regional Director of the NLRB on Sept. 1.
“Fred Meyer is engaging in unlawful practices designed to intimidate workers into accepting a substandard contract with subpar benefits. Threatening, interrogating, and spying on workers is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. We demand that Fred Meyer stop these activities and bargain a fair contract for its employees,” said Tracey A. Thompson, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 117.
Fred Meyer is also accused of bad faith bargaining, direct dealing with its employees, restricting union access to its facility, unilaterally changing wages, hours and/or working conditions of its employees without first notifying and bargaining with the Union, failing to provide the union relevant information during bargaining, refusing to negotiate over mandatory subjects of bargaining, and prohibiting employees from engaging in protected activities at its stores.
All of the unfair labor practice charges can be viewed on the Teamsters Local 117 website at www.teamsters117.org.
Teamsters at Fred Meyer have been working without a contract since August 15. Federal mediation between Teamsters Local 117 and Fred Meyer is scheduled for September 7. Safeway, SuperValu, and Unified Grocers settled their contracts with the Teamsters in early August, leaving Fred Meyer as the only Teamster grocery warehouse in the area that has not reached an agreement with the Union. Fred Meyer is owned by Kroger, a national, multi-billion dollar corporation.
Also see: Hoffa to rally with Fred Meyer Teamsters on Friday
and Fred Meyer bargaining stalls over health care
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