FOLLOWUP: PCC, union agree on hazard pay chain-wide

| Coronavirus | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

Two weeks ago, we reported on the PCC Community Markets CEO’s letter to the mayor opposing the new Seattle law that was about to take effect mandating $4/hour hazard pay for most grocery workers in the city. Then the day after the law took effect, PCC said it was negotiating with UFCW Local 21 to extend that pay to workers throughout its chain. Earlier this week, another city in which PCC operates, Burien, passed a hazard-pay mandate for $5/hour. Then tonight, PCC and the union have announced an agreement on the chain-wide $4/hour. From the union announcement, received via email:

PCC agrees to extend $4 per hour hazard pay to all PCC workers in all stores through June 5th, 2021, expanding on the Hazard Pay ordinances won by UFCW 21 workers in Seattle and Burien.

*We have a commitment from PCC to bargain over extending this agreement, including hazard pay, at least 30 days before it expires.

*The agreement provides for Quarantine Pay for workers who get diagnosed with COVID 19 as well as other safety provisions.

*PCC will begin a curbside pickup program that captures work for union members instead of giving it away to the gig economy.

*We also reviewed our continued commitment to discuss new technologies in the stores with the Union before implementation.

PCC’s announcement is on the chain website here. Six of its 15 stores are outside Seattle/Burien and therefore wouldn’t be paying the extra money if not for the agreement.

Delridge February 11, 2021 (5:44 am)

I’m glad PCC employees got what a lot of the other stores did, there’s a lot of industries that deserve this pay too, we all understand that. It’s pretty comical to me how dumb PCC looks after all this back and forth. They could have just saved face and done it anyway, even if they didn’t want to (read: they didn’t) I work at neighboring company that funnels a TON of business into one of their stores, I don’t want to hear any of nonsense about how PCC can’t afford to do it. People love defending corporations for some godforsaken reason. I used to love going to PCC but, I will learn to do without them. Do I as one customer affect their bottom line? Nah, of course not but it’s not about that. It’s sad to see a lot of companies true colors shine thru during the pandemic but, I suppose it’s better now than later.

Melissa February 11, 2021 (9:17 am)

Wonderful to hear! This is a worker -friendly change I’m glad to see. They were also wise to make the switch to curbside pickup. There were almost always more Instacart shoppers than other people in there, which is a conundrum for people who want to shop there, don’t want the endanger workers, and don’t want to give $$ to Instacart. Glad to see this change for the better. Now if they can stop putting money into fancy stores and put it into worker and community betterment….

JVP February 11, 2021 (12:02 pm)

I can’t find curbside options for PCC. Got more info? Instacart is an expensive train wreck (we often got wrong stuff, items skipped, etc.), and Amazon Fresh has dodgy quality on some stuff and often misses stuff items we still get billed for. They are cheap, I’ll give them that. They’re good at refunds, but you better check that receipt every time!

I’m 100% going back to in-store once the pandemic is over or my at-risk family gets their shots. Grocery delivery is a failed experiment.
- WSB February 11, 2021 (12:06 pm)
  
  The way the announcements are worded, it appears to be something they will offer but are not offering yet.
- Jerry, grocery worker February 12, 2021 (9:24 pm)
  
  I begged them for curbside delivery last year. I felt really bad for poor people and technology- uncomfortable folks. This should have happened far earlier, but this is a welcome addition, especially before the next surge hits. Also, the management has sourced and supplied KN95 masks for employees who want them. Many employees are wearing surgical masks with cloth masks still, but it’s nice to have the option.This is a contract negotiation year. Stay tuned.And thanks so much to everyone who wrote and called in support of workers!
bill February 11, 2021 (3:49 pm)

Melissa: “Stop putting money into fancy stores…” Huh? The writing was on the wall when the Queen Anne Metropolitan Market at Admiral opened. (Anyone else remember how all of West Seattle laughed out loud at that name?) PCC was already dumpy. The Met made it look even worse. PCC had to up its game to stay in business. And PCC had no choice in the recent rebuild. It doesn’t own the building.

Maggie February 11, 2021 (9:34 am)

Suzy Monford’s efforts to deny hazard pay for employees has really undermined my faith in PCC. Grocery store employees around the country have died because of their service during this pandemic. They are keeping our communities fed and making record profits for grocery stores. To actively work to undermine your employees when they put their lives on the line daily is unconscionable. Thank goodness for unions. Please write to the board and let them know that #SuzyMonfordMustGo Email: board@PCCmarkets.com

Casey February 11, 2021 (11:13 am)

When is Kroger going to do this, and, statewide? There are other areas of King County (including unincorporated areas – looking at you, County) ) that have an absurdly high cost of living, and yet, those grocery store employees are doing the exact same the jobs for no higher pay.

AMD February 11, 2021 (2:10 pm)

I had the same thought thinking about the Roxbury Safeway employees. Across the street workers doing the same job get hazard pay. The workers at PCC organized this with help from their union representatives, hopefully Safeway and Kroger (QFC/Fred Meyer) employees will have the same success.

Tiro February 11, 2021 (1:26 pm)

Thanks to WSB for picking up this story. Your reporting led me (and many others, I imagine) to contact PCC and I have little doubt that public pressure is what led the company to do its about-face.

And thanks to the PCC employees for sticking up for their fellow employees and ensuring that all PCC employees would receive this benefit. Unions matter!

anonyme February 11, 2021 (2:50 pm)

Good point about the union. This absolutely would not have happened without the union. Union-busting has been going on in our region and across our country for some time now, with devastating results for workers. I worked at Nordstrom during their winning campaign against the union, and it was down and dirty. I’d love to see a new era of unionization take place nationwide. Trickle-down economics is a demonstrable failure, and the notion that corporations and large companies will voluntarily do right by their employees is a fallacy.

Huck February 12, 2021 (5:46 am)

While it’s great the employees are getting more pay, prices will rise as a result. If you look at the amount of people shopping at PCC you will notice much less traffic compared to other stores. I can imagine this wont get any better for them. Time will tell.

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