PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Thousands of workers are on a week-long strike at 28 different Fred Meyer stores in the Portland area, leaving many customers asking where to shop.
The strike began at 6 a.m. Wednesday after union members claimed the popular grocery chain used unfair labor practices. The union, UFCW Local 555, claimed Fred Meyer had refused to provide “essential information for current negotiations,” leading to the union filing a formal charge against the company on Aug. 20.
DON’T MISS: Fred Meyer employees begin week-long strike
Union members expect the strike to last through Tuesday, Sept. 3. Until then, the union asks Fred Meyer customers to avoid shopping at the following 28 locations until the strike is over:
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Beaverton: 11425 SW Beaverton Hillsdale
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Burlingame: 7555 SW Barbur Blvd
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Canby: 1401 SE 1st Ave
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Clackamas: 16301 SE 82nd Dr
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Cornelius: 2200 Baseline St
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Division: 14700 SE Division St
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Gateway: 1111 NE 102nd Ave
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Glisan: 6615 NE Glisan St
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Gresham: 2497 NE Burnside St
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Happy Valley: 17005 SE Sunnyside Rd
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Hawthorne: 3805 SE Hawthorne Blvd
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Hillsboro: 6495 SE Tualatin Valley Hwy
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Hollywood West: 3030 NE Weidler St
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Interstate: 7404 N Interstate Ave
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Johnson Creek: 8955 SE 82nd Ave
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Oak Grove: 14700 SE Mc Loughlin Blvd
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Oregon City: 1839 Molalla Ave
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Peninsula: 6850 N Lombard St
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Raleigh Hills: 7700 SW Beaverton Hillsdale
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Sandy: 16625 SE 362nd Ave
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Scappoose: 51500 S Columbia Hwy
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Stadium: 100 NW 20th Pl
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Sunset: 22075 NW Imbrie Dr
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Tigard: 11565 SW Pacific Hwy
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Tualatin: 19200 SW Martinazzi Ave
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Walker Rd: 15995 SW Walker Rd
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Wilsonville: 30300 SW Boones Ferry Rd
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Wood Village: 22855 NE Park Ln
“If you see that line at one of our 28 Fred Meyers in the Portland metro area, don’t cross it,” Miles Eshaia with UFCW Local 555 said. “Just shop somewhere else.”
KOIN 6 News visited three of the stores impacted by the strike on Wednesday and found fairly empty parking lots, posted hiring signs, and several honks in solidarity. Meanwhile, the union has created a web page to direct customers to other grocery chains in the area, such as Albertsons and Safeway.
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In a statement from Fred Meyer, the company said they respect their associate’s right to bargain and they shared that the Kroger and Albertsons merger would help ensure a future for unionized grocery stores.
“Protecting our associates’ right to collectively bargain is why it is so important to secure the future of unionized grocery stores in America, and that is exactly what Kroger’s proposed merger with Albertsons will do.”
Fred Meyer also said stores would remain open “to serve the Portland community with access to fresh food, essentials, and pharmacy services” during the strike.
Oregon Sen. Elizabeth Steiner shared she would be “out on the picket lines at the Hollywood Fred Meyer store to show the workers, and I stand with them to ensure that they have fair living wages, good benefits, and that they’re treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.”
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Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden also reacted to the strike on X (formerly known as Twitter) saying that he stands in solidarity with the striking employees.
“I love a Freddie’s rotisserie chicken as much as the next guy, but not even that’s worth crossing the picket line for. I stand in solidarity with the workers striking today for better working conditions,” Wyden said.
Stay with KOIN 6 News as this story develops.
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