After four months of contract negotiations that cover nearly 30,000 grocery store workers, informational pickets have been called for 32 Kroger (Fred Meyer and QFC) and Albertsons\/Safeway stores in the region, union officials said Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Pickets are scheduled for Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. in front of the Safeway Kent Valley, 210 Washington Ave. S<\/a>, and at 1:30 p.m. at Fred Meyer, 10201 SE 240th St., Kent<\/a>.<\/p>\n Informational pickets have been called for at grocery stores throughout King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties. The purpose of the picketing is to reach out to customers about the serious challenges in the contract negotiations, union representatives said.<\/p>\n According to the unions, progress has been made in negotiations, but “there is still a long way to go to reach an agreement.”<\/p>\n UFCW 21, Teamsters 38 and UFCW 367 represent the workers.<\/p>\n Workers are increasingly feeling the pressure of understaffing, unpredictable schedules and low wages, the unions said, at the expense of corporate profit.<\/p>\n