By Denise Jagiello
As part of America’s food and retail union, members of UFCW Local 367 are not just your neighbors and friends. We’re committed to making Tacoma, Puyallup, Olympia, Elma, Aberdeen and all points in between a better place to live, and take pride in how much our hard work helps everyone make special memories throughout the holiday season.
At Safeway, Fred Meyer, Albertsons, Thriftway and Metropolitan Market, among other stores, we’re working around the clock to prepare much of the great food you will see on your table at family gatherings, or at Macy’s to help you pick out a last-minute gift. For us, the holiday season means long hours and time away from our families, but it also means the privilege of helping families in our community create lasting memories and tasty meals.
Unfortunately, the retail industry is changing. Many companies are shifting to online shopping, anonymous delivery business models, or “self-checkout” to replace the human touch of the retail experience. As a community, we must realize the value people bring to our lives and take steps to ensure that sustainable, family-supporting jobs are available to all of us in the years to come.
We know the retail sector is changing, and that’s why we’re negotiating stronger contracts that guarantee people are the most important part of the retail industry and preparing our members for the workplace of the future. But while our members have union protections and an opportunity to upgrade their skills and education, too many retail workers in our area are struggling to survive in jobs with low wages, little to no benefits, and irregular work schedules that make it almost impossible to arrange for child care or hold down a second job, let alone further their educations or invest in training.
As a community, there are things we can do to help. We can contact our elected officials, including U.S. Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, and tell them they must act now to support forward-thinking policies that will help workers and the places they call home adjust to and thrive in a world with more online retail. We can also contact managers at Macy’s, Fred Meyer, QFC, Safeway and Thriftway stores to tell them the hard-working men and women at their stores cannot be replaced by a machine.
Most important, we can all take a few minutes out of our holiday shopping to thank a retail worker. Now, more than ever, they need to know they are valued members of the community who deserve dignity and respect.
The future for retail workers does not need to be so uncertain. Let’s take steps now, not later, to ensure these hard-working families will be able to support their loved ones and our communities well into the future.
Denise Jagielo is president of UFCW Local 367 in Pierce, Mason, Thurston, Pacific and Grays Harbor counties.
