Local News

Richland Fred Meyer workers unionize, will vote on new contract Friday

Northwest Public Broadcasting | By Lauren Paterson

Published October 6, 2022 at 10:05 PM EDT

A women with red hair, black glasses, and orange shirt and a green hat poses in front of a produce section at Fred Meyer in Richland, Washington. — Christine Coffey stands in the produce section of Fred Meyer in Richland, Washington. She says the pandemic was rough on grocery store workers.

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Workers at the Richland Fred Meyer are voting tomorrow on their first ever contract agreement with Kroger Corporation. Regional Correspondent Lauren Paterson tells us more.

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Around 250 workers at the Fred Meyer store in Richland voted to form a union for the first time earlier this year.

Christine Coffey has worked at the produce department for 10 years. She said she’s tired of seeing the CEO make millions, while workers get little.

“We didn’t make any more money. Inflation is going up and up and up. And they're charging more for stuff. But we're not seeing it," she said.

After a Fred Meyer customer shot and killed another shopper, and wounded an employee in the Richland store in February, Coffey said many workers had safety concerns.

The new contract will include emergency training, guaranteed wage increases, and a better healthcare plan.