Yury Silva (left) counting ratification votes along with fellow Teamsters.

Teamsters at Fred Meyer voted resoundingly in favor of a fully-recommended contract proposal last weekend.

This was not an easy win. With Teamsters securing strong contracts at Safeway and SuperValu earlier this year, Fred Meyer workers authorized a strike in July by a vote of 332-1 and voted down two subsequent proposals.

John Scearcy, our union’s secretary-treasurer, said that the workers’ collective power brought the company back to the negotiating table. “By standing together and demanding a better deal, our members got a proposal that is commensurate with industry standards and will lift up their families.” 

“We are the number one distribution center,” said Yury Silva, a shop steward who participated in the tough negotiations. “Our co-workers wanted our contract to put us at number one.” Among the achieved benefits was a reduction in family healthcare cost, protected vacation leave, and solid wage and retirement increases.

This win was a result of workers feeling empowered to not settle for less and be on the same footing with the grocery giant. “I am proud to work for Fred Meyer and I am proud to be a Teamster,” concluded Silva.  “Our union is only as strong as the people who work there, and that’s us.”