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No progress: Puget Sound-area grocery unions set strike votes

The following was distributed Friday by United Food and Commercial Workers Local 21:


13-grocery-contract-July4-picket

Puget Sound-area grocery workers conducted informational picketing on Aug. 28 before the latest unsuccessful round of contract talks. (See news coverage.)

(Sept. 20, 2013) — Grocery store workers across Puget Sound have been in contract negotiations since March in more than a dozen negotiation sessions. Despite our best efforts during a recent round of three days of back-to-back bargaining this week, no progress was made. Our union member Bargaining Team has unanimously recommended a strike authorization vote, which will take place Sunday, Sept. 22 through Wednesday, Sept. 25.

Employers’ proposals still include:

— No health care coverage for everyone working less than 30 hours a week

— No time and a half on holiday and no 10¢ above minimum wage guarantee

— No wage increase and massive cuts in many parts of our contract

CONTRACT VOTE MEETINGS

Vote meetings are scheduled for union members at Safeway, QFC, Albertsons, and Fred Meyer. All three unions (UFCW Local 21, UFCW Local 367, and Teamsters Local 38) will be voting at their respective meetings. At the meetings, there will be time for members to review the proposals and have questions answered before casting their votes.

Vote Locations & Times:

SEATAC — Sunday, September 22 — 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Doubletree (18740 International Blvd, Seattle, WA 98188)

SEATTLE — Monday, September 23 — 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Seattle Center, San Juan Room in the Northwest Rooms (354 First Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109)

BELLEVUE — Monday, September 23 — 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Bellevue Hilton (300 112th Ave SE, Bellevue, WA 98004)

BREMERTON — Tuesday, September 24 — 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Kitsap Conference Center (100 Washington Avenue, Bremerton, WA 98337)

LYNNWOOD — Tuesday, September 24 — 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Lynnwood Convention Center (3711 196th St SW, Lynnwood, WA 98036)

TACOMA — Wednesday, September 25 — 9 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Landmark Convention Center (47 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma, WA 98402)

For more information, visit ufcw21.org or call 206-436-6549.

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