Portland Fred Meyer employees begin day 1 of strike at 28 locations

PORTLAND, Ore. (KPTV) – About 4,500 employees of Fred Meyer’s grocery and butchery division at 28 Portland stores have begun the first day of a strike that will last through Tuesday morning. Members spent the day holding signs on the sidewalks in support of their cause.

The strike comes after the union filed two unfair labor practice lawsuits against Fred Meyer, saying the company claimed to its members that it was offering “additional funding” for pensions but failed to bring any such proposal to the bargaining table.

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“This dishonesty undermines the bargaining process and shows a blatant disregard for workers’ rights,” said Miles Eshaia, communications coordinator for UFCW Local 555.

“This is called direct negotiations. You cannot negotiate with the members, you have to negotiate with the union as a whole. The employer said they wanted to invest in higher pensions for our members, but no proposals were made at the negotiating table. Since no proposals were made at the negotiating table, they cannot make this claim,” Eshaia added at a press conference on Wednesday.

The union also said Fred Meyer has failed to pay the pension contributions currently required and has not responded to the union’s complaints about this. The union said it has filed suit in federal court over the matter.

FOX 12 visited several locations with striking employees and customers reported that the tone and staffing levels were different than usual.

“Very subdued. A lot less people in there, and then of course you only get in through one entrance, so we’re all trying to walk around and get in,” said Randy Kemper, who has shopped at the SW Walker Rd. store in Beaverton for more than 60 years. “A few people stocking shelves and stuff, but not many cashiers and just a lot less people there right now. I think there are more people there protesting than working.”

“There was very little staff, not the people I normally see at the checkout,” added shopper Kim Forrer.

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“When I went back to the meat department, the entire meat department there was closed and I noticed a lot of people walking around and in a hurry,” said shopper Sarah Baldwin.

Customers we spoke to said they hoped for a quick solution to the crisis, not only for the store operations but also for the employees.

“One woman I spoke to who works in the flower industry was working a 12-hour day. It’s affecting her, there’s no doubt about that,” Baldwin said.

“I just went my own way, tried not to take sides and let them do their thing,” Kemper added. “It’s just part of the negotiation process and we let things go as they go.”

FOX 12 asked Fred Meyer how they are making up for the staffing shortage during this time and they issued a statement.

“Fred Meyer respects our employees’ right to peacefully protest, and we are doing our best to ensure our customers continue to have access to the essentials they need. This is a good reminder that even when we disagree, we encourage respectful dialogue.”

Both sides will return to the negotiating table on Thursday and Friday in the hope of reaching a solution.

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