Fred Meyer boycott ends with tentative deal

UFCW 555 reaches tentative agreement in Oregon, southwest Washington

TIGARD, Ore. (Sept. 30, 2019) — United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 555 announced Saturday that the union has reached a tentative contract agreement covering grocery workers at Albertsons, Fred Meyer, QFC, and Safeway stores in Oregon and southwest Washington. With the deal, the union has ended its boycott of Fred Meyer stores in those areas, effective immediately.

Meanwhile, separate negotiations for a fair contract agreement continue for some 30,000 grocery workers in 12 counties around the Puget Sound who are represented by UFCW 21. (Get updates at ufcw21.org.)

Details of the UFCW 555 tentative agreement are embargoed until members have reviewed and voted on whether to ratify it. Ratification meeting dates, times, and locations will be sent out over the next few days.

The latest bargaining session with the employers’ negotiating team and UFCW 555’s Unity Bargaining Team — joined for the first time by a federal mediator upon request from the union — lasted throughout the night on Friday, Sept 27. A tentative agreement was reached at about 9 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28.

“UFCW Local 555 thanks everyone for their support of our boycott campaign,” reads a statement posted by the union. “Our bargaining team is happy to report that we were successful in addressing all of our concerns. Local 555 recognizes that this would not have been possible without the support of our community.

“We are now asking all of our supporters to cease the boycott and resume their normal shopping habits, including shopping at Fred Meyer.”

UFCW Local 555 represents nearly 25,000 workers in Oregon and SW Washington and has grown to be the largest private sector labor union in Oregon. Local 555 members are a diverse group of workers in retail, manufacturing, and healthcare, among other industries.