Overview of Negotiations - A Message for your union President, Greg Frazier
A message from the employees' President, Greg Frazier.
Through the entire bargaining process, you will start to see that the Company is for increasing profits and your Union is for increasing the wages and benefits of the workers. Your Union feels that Albertsons Safeway has enjoyed its best years, and the workers deserve to be heavily rewarded for their sacrifices. These workers are not home on unemployment, they are driving to work from miles around and paying $5 gallon to get to their Safeway jobs. They love their customers, but they need help to make working worthwhile. Safeway workers are back to wearing face masks, and other precautionary steps for COVID-19. What you are striving for will impact you and your family, the community, and all the workers and their families that come after you.
The bargaining process can go much faster providing both sides commit to that. Unfortunately, both sides will be working to change the pulse of the workers and ultimately the public. If most or all the employees are sticking with the Union, Safeway will know it and that helps you making the gains you deserve. If the Safeway workers buy into the Company’s arguments of being in a recession and steep costs and fear of striking, then Safeway will keep you from those gains. What do you want? Do you want Safeway to get more, or do you feel the employees should have more than the crumbs Safeway is offering? Safeway wages are poverty level, and we must fix this. No one should starve working or not be able to make a living while they work. I hope each of you make an informed decision. United We Stand! Divided We Fall!
The bargaining process can go much faster providing both sides commit to that. Unfortunately, both sides will be working to change the pulse of the workers and ultimately the public. If most or all the employees are sticking with the Union, Safeway will know it and that helps you making the gains you deserve. If the Safeway workers buy into the Company’s arguments of being in a recession and steep costs and fear of striking, then Safeway will keep you from those gains. What do you want? Do you want Safeway to get more, or do you feel the employees should have more than the crumbs Safeway is offering? Safeway wages are poverty level, and we must fix this. No one should starve working or not be able to make a living while they work. I hope each of you make an informed decision. United We Stand! Divided We Fall!
Thoughts to ponder
Problem for Safeway: Safeway is struggling to hire employees and retain employees. Current employees hold more power when the pool of replacement workers is few.
Perfect Storm: Customers remember your importance during the Covid Pandemic peak. Public surveys taken in select areas show they are sympathetic to Grocery workers helping them during a scary time. They also know Safeway made A LOT of money during this time.
Leverage: The Safeway contracts are expiring about the same time as Safeway contracts in Wyoming. Both places are seeking like Colorado settlements. This is good for the Safeway workers. Our Union sisters and brothers in Wyoming at UFCW Local 7R seek very similar improvements and are committed to protecting their wages, benefits, and working conditions.
Colorado and New Mexico share the same struggles of Corporate Greed. This is a great time for coordinated bargaining since both areas deal with the same executives and share the same problems. The workers in Wyoming are treated the same way you are and want many of the same improvements. They have hiring and retention problems and do not work hard enough to take care of employees hanging in and toughing out these rough conditions.
Safeway always comes in wanting to take things away.
New Mexico and Wyoming are both facing large productive supermarket chains who give a small budget for their workers. Safeway’s bargaining stye usually begins with reductions in the workplace for the employees. They should treat you as the essential workers you have proven you are. The customers acknowledged how essential you were, and we will not let them forget all that you worked through last couple years to help them, while others collected unemployment checks. Essential workers need better pay and benefits.
Facts to consider during Negotiations:
Perfect Storm: Customers remember your importance during the Covid Pandemic peak. Public surveys taken in select areas show they are sympathetic to Grocery workers helping them during a scary time. They also know Safeway made A LOT of money during this time.
Leverage: The Safeway contracts are expiring about the same time as Safeway contracts in Wyoming. Both places are seeking like Colorado settlements. This is good for the Safeway workers. Our Union sisters and brothers in Wyoming at UFCW Local 7R seek very similar improvements and are committed to protecting their wages, benefits, and working conditions.
Colorado and New Mexico share the same struggles of Corporate Greed. This is a great time for coordinated bargaining since both areas deal with the same executives and share the same problems. The workers in Wyoming are treated the same way you are and want many of the same improvements. They have hiring and retention problems and do not work hard enough to take care of employees hanging in and toughing out these rough conditions.
Safeway always comes in wanting to take things away.
New Mexico and Wyoming are both facing large productive supermarket chains who give a small budget for their workers. Safeway’s bargaining stye usually begins with reductions in the workplace for the employees. They should treat you as the essential workers you have proven you are. The customers acknowledged how essential you were, and we will not let them forget all that you worked through last couple years to help them, while others collected unemployment checks. Essential workers need better pay and benefits.
Facts to consider during Negotiations:
- Realize the source of your information when considering the information.
- Your Company wants to increase sales, then profits. Why? Because this increases Executives’ profits, bonuses to management and shareholders earnings. Your Union, which is made up of Safeway employees, wants to improve wages, benefits, and working conditions for the workers. Your Company will be knocking your Union because we are getting in the way of increasing their profits.
- Consider the facts and support the side which you feel will raise your living standards.
- Facts about a strike: Safeway does not want a strike! Customers do not want a strike, and Safeway’ Union employees do not want a strike. At the same time, we cannot afford to not strike if Safeway is going to continue poverty wages and not recognize our need for more money and equality. Strikes may only be called if 2/3 of the workers vote for one, and that usually happens when the Company does not meet the demands, or they insist on taking away current premiums / benefits, and other changes they do not really need, or they are bargaining in bad faith.
- Let’s focus on standing together and not on what happens or does not happen during a strike. We will provide detailed information as it becomes necessary. Right now, let’s tell Safeway loud and clear, “I don’t want to strike, but If I have to, I will, and right now you are not taking care of us.”