Grocery workers at major supermarket chains in Southern California have reached a tentative agreement, avoiding a potential strike that was looming due to stalled contract negotiations.
The United Food and Commercial Workers’ union, representing over 45,000 workers, announced the deal with the parent companies of Ralphs, Albertsons, Pavilions, and Vons on Wednesday.
The announcement came after the union was preparing for potential strike action as negotiations had remained stagnant for months.
In a statement, the union’s negotiating committee expressed that this progress was made possible through collective action.
“This victory wouldn’t have been possible without the power of our collective action,” the statement read.
The announcement underscores the union’s determination, noting that they “stood strong against the companies’ disrespect” and expressed readiness to fight for the contract they deserve.
Currently, negotiations are ongoing between Kroger, which owns Ralphs, and Albertsons, which owns Vons and Pavilions, and the unions representing grocery employees in Northern California.
Strike authorization votes for Northern California workers are scheduled for next week, highlighting the potential for broader labor actions across the state.
Last month, the union revealed that 90% of its membership voted to authorize a strike in response to stalled negotiations, echoing the growing discontent in the workforce.
During this time, Grocery Workers Rising organized a week of
image source from：patch
