Teamsters on the Fred Meyer negotiations committee are ready to go! 

Negotiations for one of our Local's biggest bargaining units got underway yesterday as a dozen Fred Meyer Teamsters gathered together at the Union hall.

Collectively, the group represents 460 members who work at the company’s massive distribution center in Puyallup. The facility is one of the most productive in the country, proving once again that Teamster labor is second to none.

On the dry side of the house, Cameron Osborne spends his day picking orders, wrapping boards, and shipping them out to dozens of stores across the Pacific Northwest. Going on 14 years as a Teamster, Osborne is already looking down the road to retirement, wanting to secure healthcare for current retirees and see meaningful increases to his pension.

“A big thing for us is trying to get the senior guys their benefits. And with the pension, I’m halfway to the point when I can start thinking about retiring myself,” he said.

For 28–year employee Christopher Clift, improvements to health and welfare benefits are the top priority. Clift is becoming increasingly frustrated with the the company's medical plan with its high co-pays and deductibles.

“With inflation going up, we need to stay on par with others in the industry," he says. "If we keep falling behind, it’ll be no better than working at McDonald's."

These concerns, together with the need for a healthy wage increase, are some of the issues identified by members at the demands meeting held in April.

Cameron Osborne (r) and Chris Clift (l) bring decades of experience to the bargaining table.

Heading up these negotiations is Secretary-Treasurer Paul Dascher, working in partnership with Senior Staff Attorney Briana Drakes and Senior Union Representative Lance Asher. Both Dascher and Asher have extensive experience at the bargaining table and are well aware of the profits Fred Meyer's parent company - Kroger - has reaped over the years off the backs of hardworking Teamsters.

“Kroger takes in upwards of $150 billion in annual revenue and the Puyallup distribution center where our members work is one of the top facilities in the country,” Dascher said. “We expect to see the company reward our members for their hard work and dedication in delivering sustained profits and impeccable service to customers who rely on the Fred Meyer brand. We won’t settle for anything less.”

Osborne echoed that sentiment in his message to the members: “We’re not going to hold back. We’re not going to leave anything on the table.”