Grocery Workers to Resume Contract Negotiations Wednesday

Negotiations are scheduled to resume Wednesday for a new contract for workers at Albertsons, Pavilions, Ralphs and Vons grocery stores after they voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike.

For four months, seven Southern California United Food and Commercial Workers locals and their bargaining teams have been negotiating for a new contract that addresses several issues impacting store operations, working conditions and customer service, including increasing staffing levels, according to the union.

The union also said it is seeking “living wages, affordable health care benefits (and) a reliable pension.”

The union representing approximately 45,000 workers at the four stores in Southern California announced June 11 that its members had voted overwhelmingly to authorize an unfair labor practices strike.

A vote count was not released. The vote was taken during the first two weeks of June, according to the union.

Members began a series of practice strikes last Monday.

The stores have also begun preparations for a possible strike, seeking to hire temporary replacements for striking workers.

“Our message is clear: We are fed up with these corporations’ union- busting tactics designed to intimidate us and prevent us from getting the fair contract that we’ve earned and deserve,” according to a statement released June 11 from the Bargaining Committee of Locals 324 and 770 of the United Food and Commercial Workers.

“For four months, we’ve negotiated with Kroger and Albertsons, offering solutions to the staff shortage crisis that hurts store operations, working conditions, and customer service. The companies have dismissed our proposals and claimed that our concerns were `anecdotal’, downplaying the real challenges we and our customers face daily.

“At the same time, the companies have broken labor laws by engaging in unlawful surveillance, interrogation of members at actions, threats, and retaliation for union activity. This is unacceptable,” the statement continued.

” … This strike authorization vote means that we expect the companies to return to the bargaining table, negotiate a deal that works for everyone, and desist from their unlawful tactics, before we walk out and hit the picket lines.”

Albertsons, which is also the parent company of Pavilions and Vons, said in a statement that “We respect the rights of workers to engage in collective bargaining and remain committed to negotiating in good faith to reach an agreement that is fair to our employees, good for our customers and allows our company to remain competitive.”

A Ralphs spokesperson said in a statement: “We remain actively engaged in bargaining with the union because we believe the best outcomes are achieved at the table, not through disruption. Our current offer reflects that commitment, including market-leading wage increases for associates over the life of the agreement, and continued investment in industry-leading health care and a pension. These are benefits that many non-union competitors do not offer.

“We remain committed to good faith bargaining that rewards our hardworking associates and keeps groceries affordable for our customers.”

The workers’ contracts expired March 2.

A strike authorization vote does not necessarily mean there will be a strike.

Union members approved a three-year contract in 2022 after a threatened strike, including wage increases of $4.25 per hour for most workers while some classifications received higher pay raises.