After nearly two months of deliberation by members, fledgling independent New Seasons Labor Union is affiliating with an established independent union, United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE).
New Seasons Labor Union also considered affiliating with Teamsters Local 162 but in an online membership vote held July 31, 65% chose UE over Local 162. Two weeks later, members voted to ratify the affiliation agreement with UE, which was then ratified Aug. 21 by UE’s executive board.
Headquartered in Pittsburgh, 23,000-member UE calls itself “the union for everyone.” It’s known for progressive political stances and sometimes militant tactics with employers. In 2020 UE launched the Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee, a nationwide partnership with the Democratic Socialists of America intended to “organize the unorganized.” Most UE locals are in New England and the Midwest. New Seasons Labor Union is UE’s only local in the Pacific Northwest for now.
During the discussion of affiliation, UE committed to assign two full time organizing staffers, give New Seasons Labor Union members access to $250,000 of strike and hardship funds, and keep New Seasons Labor Union’s existing leadership structure in place.
“Our bargaining committee has been entirely worker led, something we’re extremely proud of,” said New Seasons Labor Union Co-Chair Ava Robins. “We want to maintain that, but having staff there in an advisory capacity is certainly going to help us prepare for the endgame of a first contract.”
NSLU is attempting to bargain a first contract and is now in its third year of negotiations with New Seasons Market. The two sides remain far apart on economic issues.
New Seasons Market has been owned by South Korean grocery conglomerate Emart since 2019.
“You can imagine, in year three of this, people were tired,” said Robins. “This process has injected new energy into our membership…. Getting some more fighting union spirit in the industry is going to be great. We have 11 more shops to organize at New Seasons.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: A previous version of this article reported an incorrect figure for the amount of strike funds.
