Southern Californian grocery workers and employers of grocery stores recently came together on an agreement regarding a three-year labor deal. The contract involved 47,000 grocery workers represented by United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local Unions and large chain grocery stores such as Ralphs, Albertsons, and Vons, and the head of the international union.
This agreement paves a pathway for many other states across America, and this can be shown through the UFCW. The UFCW not only includes 16,000 grocery workers in California, but also involves 56,000 Kroger workers in Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Utah, Tennessee, and 72,000 Albertsons workers in California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, and Utah. In total, they represent 1.3 million workers and families in many industries other than just grocery stores, such as meatpacking and retail stores.
The UFCW explained, “We know the road to get here has been a long one for you and your co-workers. Your dedication to standing up for good jobs – engaging tens of thousands of customers with over 200 communities rallies and store actions – has been the driving force behind getting a deal that you can be proud to have stood up for.”
This has been an ongoing issue for many months now. This resolution has brought relief and what seems to be a happy ending on both sides. Now we can only hope this content conclusion will last. This crucial agreement effectively evaded a large strike involving 532 stores, which would have been the first since 2004.
UFCW Local 135 President Todd Walters expressed his excitement and relief about the deal as it was thankfully reached before the possibility of a strike against Ralphs. The agreement contract ensures workers affordable and quality healthcare, fully funded pensions, and wages above each state’s minimum wage.
