Reprinted from “The Stand”

GROCERY STRIKE SET FOR MONDAY

(Oct. 18, 2013) — Tonight at 7 p.m., the unions negotiating with Puget Sound-area grocery stores gave 72-hour notice of a strike at all area Safeway, QFC, Fred Meyer and Albertsons stores, which will begin at 7 p.m. on Monday night, Oct. 21. The unions negotiating as a team in these contract talks on behalf of more than 30,000 workers are United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 21, Teamsters Local 38, and UFCW Local 367.

A press conference is happening at 9 p.m. tonight (Friday, Oct. 18) at Westlake Park in Seattle, where a vigil will be held between now and when the strike is set to begin at 7 p.m. on Monday. All union members and community supporters are invited to come to Westlake Park and show their solidarity with grocery workers.

Grocery workers in King, Pierce, Snohomish and Kitsap counties voted by a 98% majority last month to authorize a strike, and grocery workers in Thurston and Mason counties also voted this week to authorize a strike.

The unions must give employers 72 hours’ notice before walking out. That still leaves an opening for both sides to return to the bargaining table and reach a resolution.

The unions have been negotiating for more than six months for a new contract, but the grocery stores have demanded:

– 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 the contract

Stay tuned or visit www.ufcw21.org for more information on this developing story.