9/27/09

By Rachel Azevedo

Protestors blow the whistle on what they say amounts to mistreatment of Fred Meyer workers. Nearly a hundred members of several different unions marched in front of the Fred Meyer store on South 3rd Street in Bend on Tuesday, as the effects from an incident 200 miles away were felt locally. Three union representatives were arraigned in Washington County court after being arrested and charged with criminal trespassing at a Hillsboro Fred Meyer. The store called police after the reps wouldn't leave when asked.

"Instead of having one or two people in the store, they had 8 to 12 people in the store. They wouldn't leave the sales floor, they were disrupting business, asking employees to read and sign a petition right there on the sales floor in front of customers. They were asked to go to the break room; they refused," said a representative for Fred Meyer.

United Food and Commercial Workers say it's in the contract that representatives can talk to workers inside the store. Nearly five hundred AFL - CIO members from around the state are in Bend for a convention. They showed their support for UFCW, which did not appear at the demonstration. One local 290 union representative said he knows several people who work at Fred Meyer.

"A few of them are afraid to speak up, and so this rally that we're holding is speaking for them, to tell them we're here for them," said David Burger.

In addition to the Hillsboro incident, another issue of topic is ongoing contract negotiations. Fred Meyer says workers are under currently under contract. Meanwhile, demonstrators here say being a part of a union helps guarantee their quality of life, and that's why they're sticking up for other unions.

"Gives me good working conditions, allows me to do the job I want to do, which is safe patient care," said Bruce Humphreys.