Workers at Columbia River Veterinary Specialists (CRVS) in Vancouver, Washington ratified their first union contract on August 12 by an overwhelming margin of 53-1. These workers have been bargaining a contract with CRVS management for over a year, after voting to join the ILWU Local 5 in February 2019.

Photo from the Queen’s North Hawaii Community Hospital Technical Unit ratification of their first contract on June 2, 2020. Pictured clockwise from left are negotiating committee members Sheryl Weinstein, Tom Pinkert, Hawaii Division Director Elmer Gorospe, Organizer Colleen Antonio, Business Agent Tristie Licoan and Local Lead Organizer Ron Clough.

If the current pandemic has taught us anything, it is that we cannot take anything for granted. In these challenging times, many gained a newfound appreciation for the quiet courage of the humble grocery store worker. Their hard work, once so easy to overlook because it is so commonplace and necessary, is now being recognized as crucial to our frontlines.

In addition to our union brothers and sisters working at Foodland stores statewide, we also have hardworking members in Sack N Save markets on the Big Island, Maui, and Oahu. When you visit one of these Sack N Save stores, you will be supporting some of the 200 Sack N Save employees in our union who have been on the frontlines since the start of the outbreak. Mahalo to our members for helping their community make it through these challenging times with their dedicated service and commitment to safety. Here are some of the faces and experiences of our resilient members.