Local 1439 members met with the employers on December 16th and 17th to try and work out an acceptable agreement after 11 months and 36 meetings of bargaining.  The employers' insistence on having two different wage rates for grocery workers in Spokane with different companies kept these negotiations short of completion.

 

Some progress was made on several issues but the wage rates and health and welfare contributions that the leadership has deemed necessary were not agreeable to the employers at this time.  All the employers left early Wednesday afternoon without giving us a full proposal.  The Local did provide the employers with full grocery proposals for each company. At this time the Local has not received available dates for future negotiations from the employers.

Workers continue to stand together for a fair contract with their employers.