Fred Meyer, QFC Strike Over, Pickets Are Down, Workers Are Back

PORTLAND, OR —More than 7,000 workers at Fred Meyer and QFC stores around Portland and the rest of the state walked off the job Friday morning. On Saturday morning, they were back at work.

What had been planned as a week long strike against the two Kroger-owned stores, didn't even last 24 hours.

"We are pleased that Fred Meyer and QFC have recognized the ongoing hazard to its workers, with a settlement agreement that provides significant wage increases, added workplace protections, a secure retirement, and quality healthcare," the union said in a statement.

The union says that the deal is still tentative – workers have to ratify it and meetings have not yet been set. They are expected to do so overwhelmingly.

Until that happens, details of the new contract won't be made public.

The two sides have been negotiating since July. Last weekend, workers voted to authorize strike if progress wasn't made toward a contract.

On Thursday, after three days of meetings with the stores, the union announced that they would walk off the jobs and return at 12:01 a.m. on December 24.

Union officials had said that the workers needed to be treated as the frontline workers that they are. Officials said that many members could not longer afford to live in the communities where they worked.

"We are asking that you get substantial wage increases so you can afford to live in the community that you’ve sacrificed for over the past two years," the union had said in a statement to its members.

"Almost a year-and-a-half ago, Fred Meyer / QFC stopped paying you hourly hazard pay. Since then, you have continued to deal with the pandemic, while the company enjoyed record profits. The hazard never ended for you."

Fred Meyer and QFC say their stores will remain open throughout the strike.

The stores have been advertising for temporary workers.

Two years ago, the union had also authorized a strike but were able to reach a deal before a walkout started.