On Monday, July 29, your Bargaining Committee began bargaining for our new Union contracts throughout our Union’s area where we represent workers in Oregon, Washington, and, Idaho. Representatives from Albertsons and Safeway received our initial bargaining proposals for all Albertsons and Safeway grocery and meat contracts in Oregon and Washington.
With a focus on the disparity between the many different contracts within our area as well as with other neighboring cities and states, we presented the employer with proposals to address the following topics:
- Overtime for 7th day pay and excessive consecutive day pay
- Create a full weekend premium for all hours worked on Saturday and Sunday
- Create a penalty for all unpaid or late paid wages
- Add a new longevity wage step for employees who have been with the employer for 10 years or more
- Restore holiday pay to time-and-a-half for all hours worked for all employees
- Add more vacation time to recognize employees with significant time with the employer
- Standardize bereavement leave
- Eliminate the cap on how much back pay you can get if you are unjustly terminated
- If the company is sold or acquired, require any future employer to adopt all aspects of our contracts
Your employer opened up with a small list of modifications that would negatively impact future employees working in Oregon and Washington, in particular, your employer proposed that future employees not receive Sunday premium pay, Night premium pay, and 6th day pay, as well as mark them ineligible for holiday pay until they have worked for the employer for one year. No economic proposals have been made by either side as of yet, and we have not yet exchanged proposals that impact our Union contracts in Idaho.
Your bargaining team is committed to not accepting language changes to your contract that will undermine our industry and the value of your work, whether it is directed at current employees or future employees.
Our next bargaining session is on August 26, August 27, and August 28. We will keep you updated after our next bargaining session.