On day 1,003 without a first contract, members of United Food
& Commercial Workers Local 555 and community activists joined
together Aug. 14 for a demonstration at The Dalles Fred Meyer. Non-food
employees at the store voted Nov. 16, 2007, to join Local 555 —
the same union that represents their colleagues in grocery, meat,
and central checkout. The bargaining unit of 87 workers is still
waiting for a contract.
“Fred Meyer is denying these workers the exact same benefits
that all other union employees in their stores have and all other
union non-food employees in the state have,” said Secretary-Treasurer
Jeff Anderson. Fred Meyer, owned by grocery giant Kroger Inc., is
trying to force this particular unit of non-food workers into a
401(k) pension plan and a high-deductible health insurance plan.
Other unionized grocery workers have a defined benefit pension plan
and pay much lower health insurance premiums.
“We’ll keep this up until Fred Meyer shows these workers
some respect,” said Local 555 President Dan Clay, pictured
in the photo left with Anderson (on drums) leading about 200 people
through the streets of The Dalles. No talks are currently scheduled.
