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ALBERTSONS/SAFEWAY CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE

8/13/2018

Your Bargaining Committee negotiated with Safeway on July 23rh and 24th. Originally, we had a third day scheduled but we cancelled the last day due to the parties’ lack of progress. All indicators point to a fight with Safeway to protect the benefits you already enjoy and make improvements you so richly deserve. We are fighting to keep your healthcare affordable, make improvements to scheduling and hours, and improve sick leave, among other items. Some of the company’s concessionary proposals are:

Allowing Junior Apprentices to take checker hours.
Reducing vacation accruals and dropping 5 weeks vacation for new hires.
Extending paid holiday eligibility requirements for new hires.
Changing meat cutter seniority and vacation scheduling.

As part of our effort to defend your contract and show the company that you are willing to stand up for your benefits, we are collecting Pledge Cards to give to Safeway the next time we meet. Your Union Representative and/or Shop Stewards will be circulating the Pledge Cards as well as Solidarity Buttons in your store. Please do your part, sign a card, wear a button. Let your Store Directors know you stand strong with your Union. Solidarity Works!!

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UNIONS WILL SURVIVE THE LATEST SUPREME COURT DECISION

8/13/2018

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The U.S. Supreme Court’s 5-4 rejection of the “agency fee” that non-union members must pay Unions for negotiating public employee contract will only make Unions stronger, declared labor leaders and rank and file members. “This is certainly not a death knell or blow to Unions, but an opportunity to communicate batter with our members, to organize them,” said Vince Beltrami, head of Alaska’s AFL-CIO. But at the news conference held at AFL-CIO headquarters in Anchorage, the labor leaders also said they didn’t know how much money the decision would cost them because it was impossible to gauge how many workers would reject Union membership. Scott Hawkins, a Republican businessman running for Governor, said that while he welcomed the decision, it would only “clip their wings a bit.” GOP Rival Mead Treadwell said he didn’t expect the ruling would “erode collective bargaining for government employees.” Gov. Bill Walker described the decision as a “disappointment” that creates and “unnecessary obstacle for working people.” Mark Begich, a Democrat said the decision “undermines working families in Alaska and across the country.” “To paint this as anything other than Union busting is a farce, That’s what it’s always been about.” says Beltrami. He added, “They just happened to get that fifth Justice that they needed on the Supreme Court to have the decision come down in their favor.”

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ALBERTSONS/SAFEWAY CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE

UNIONS WILL SURVIVE THE LATEST SUPREME COURT DECISION

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