Update: On November 21 the grocery workers and supermarkets reached a tentative agreement.
You’ve likely heard that local grocery workers may go on strike, perhaps as soon as next Monday, a QFC worker told us.
Members of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) and two other unions voted overwhelmingly last week to take the first step toward a strike, union officials told our news partner The Seattle Times. The unions represent approximately 17,000 workers in King, Kitsap, Snohomish and Mason counties who work at Safeway, QFC, Fred Meyer and Albertsons. The two sides are meeting again today and tomorrow.
If the unions go on strike, you’d need to cross a picket line to shop at QFC, now the only grocer in Wallingford (Tangletown’s Meridian Market recently closed). QFC is hiring temporary workers now, in case of a work stoppage.
Here’s a story that KING 5 ran last night on the possible grocery worker strike:
If the workers do go on strike, we’ll cover the story in depth. In the meantime, we were curious to know where you’d shop if a strike does happen. Please let us and your neighbors know in the poll below or leave a comment here or on our Facebook page.
Love the workers at Wallingford and Roosevelt QFC, just not the remodeled result of the former and the eventual disappearance of the latter (to make room for light rail). To that end, my grocery needs are served by being a member of 2 co-ops: PCC and Madison Market (recently renamed). Granted it takes some pre-shop planning to make that paradigm affordable but I look at it as a hobby. Organic produce gets delivered weekly – gorgeous, affordable, consistent quality stuff – from New Roots Organics (a this-blog advertiser). Oh yeah, and fresh eggs come from the back yard . . .
I would use PCC, University marker, Costco and Trader Joe.
PCC, Greenwood Market, Ballard Market, Ken's — there's plenty of choices.
I'll shop at QFC. I've been under a wage freeze for the past Biennium, and will most likely be for the next one too – I'm a nn-union public employee making below market wages.
I've given up a LOT, so I am having a difficult time feeling much sympathy for grocery clerks – especially since I used to be one.
What's the point of switching to Whole Foods in case of a QFC strike? Whole Foods is notoriously anti-union.
Trader Joe's is also non-union, although not quite as union-busting as Whole Foods.
PCC is union. And local.
Marketime is non unionized as far as I know, but at least they are locally owned.
Here's a link to a list of IFCW stores:
http://www.ufcw21.org/know/shop-union
From what I understand, both sides are in furious negotiations at the moment. I don't think the strike will last very long. Really unfortunate timing though.