PORTLAND, Ore. — Months after thousands of Portland-area Fred Meyer employees went on strike, their union announced Monday that a new contract has been reached.
United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 555, the largest private sector union in Oregon, said members voted "overwhelmingly" to ratify a new three-year contract on Saturday for Fred Meyer and QFC stores in Oregon and Southwest Washington.
"This agreement ensures significant wage increases, maintains industry-leading healthcare coverage, enhances dental benefits, and strengthens retirement security for more than 11,000 workers," UFCW Local 555 said in a news release.
In early-September, around 4,500 Fred Meyer employees, mostly grocery and meat workers, walked off the job in a nearly-week long strike. It ended without a new contract in hand and Local 555 calling for a boycott of Fred Meyer in response to testimony made about price hiking during a trial over Fred Meyer parent company Kroger's merger with Albertsons, which happened to overlap with the employee strike.
UFCW Local 555 said it pushed for consistent living wages for some time leading up to the strike.
"This contract is a victory for members of Local 555, who showed strength and solidarity throughout the entire fight," said Dan Clay, president of UFCW Local 555. "It was won by union workers coming together and by a community standing with them."
Clay said the new contract "ensures higher wages, stronger healthcare, and a stable retirement." It also allows the union to better address contract violations.
"The new agreement comes after thoughtful and productive work by the company and union bargaining committees," said Todd Kammeyer, president of Fred Meyer Division. "This competitive wage investment and continued investments in benefits represent Fred Meyer, Fred Meyer Jewelers, and QFC’s continued commitment to the well-being of our associates. We appreciate our associates hard work, the excellent and friendly service they provide for our customers every day and for approving this new agreement."
Neither shared specific details for the new contract, but Fred Meyer & QFC echoed in a statement that the agreement invests more in hourly wages, retirement benefits and healthcare.
"This contract is going to change thousands of lives and it could only have been accomplished with the work and dedication of everyone involved and the support of our communities," Clay said.
