Recently, UFCW 663 member Gabe Court from Driskill’s Downtown Market experienced the Union Advantage firsthand when he was unjustly terminated.
Gabe had recently been assigned the responsibility of reviewing timecards and applying PTO and ESST. He was then terminated for allegedly failing to follow company PTO and ESST policies, despite never receiving training on those policies in the first place.
Without a Union, that could have been the end of the story. But Gabe knew he had rights, and so he contacted our Member Action Center (MAC).
Gabe began the grievance process to fight the unjust termination. Our MAC representative, Paul Swanson, represented Gabe all the way through mediation, where a settlement was reached.
At that point, Gabe decided he no longer wanted to return to Driskill’s. Instead of seeking reinstatement, Gabe accepted a severance package totaling $6,205.
Because Gabe knew his rights and reached out to the MAC, he now has financial security as he moves on from Driskill’s and settles into a new job.
In an interview, we asked Gabe, “What difference did having a Union make in this situation?”
Gabe put it simply:
“What’s the difference between $0 and $6,000?”
UFCW 663 Provides Wins for Workers
If you’re having an issue at work, please contact your steward, your Union representative, or the Member Action Center at 1-800-292-4105 or mac@ufcw663.org.