UFCW wins tentative contract for 25,000 grocery workers

By Sheri Williams

Following five months of stalled contract negotiations, grocery workers have won a new contract.

UFCW 8-Golden State, along with UFCW Locals 5 and 648, announced in late July that a tentative agreement has been reached with Albertsons Companies, parent company of Safeway and Vons grocery stores, that will bring better wages and working conditions to more than 25,000 members.

“This agreement is the result of our members standing strong together,” said UFCW 8-Golden State President Jacques Loveall. “Because of their unity and determination, this new agreement will bring them the respect and dignity they deserve. These workers are more than the backbone of these companies—they are part of the fabric of our communities, and their efforts drive our shared success.”

“This is a hard-earned and inspiring victory,” said UFCW Local 5 President John Frahm and UFCW Local 648 President Dan Larson in a joint statement. “Because our members stood together—strong and unshakable—they secured a contract that reflects their value and delivers real improvements for their families and futures.”

Ratification votes will be scheduled in the coming days. Union leaders expressed confidence that members will approve the deal.

The tentative agreement includes wage increases, a fortified and secure retirement plan, properly-funded healthcare benefits and strong job protection language for a safer and more respectful work environment, the union said.

The contract came after intense round-the-clock bargaining sessions with a strike looming for stores from the Grapevine in Southern California to the Oregon Border. Had it occurred, it would have been the first such strike in more than three decades.

Loveall and other union leaders credited both union solidarity and support from the public for their success in negotiating the new deal. The majority of union members voted in favor of authorizing a strike.

“We’re deeply grateful to the customers we serve for their unwavering support. Your encouragement gave our members strength, resolve, and the confidence to stand united. We were never alone thanks to you,” Loveall said.

The possible strike had also been supported by the UFCW International Union and the California State Federation of Labor.

UFCW 8-Golden State members working in Albertsons and Vons locations in Kern, Inyo, and Mono Counties, covered under a separate expired contract, also have a new tentative agreement, the union said.

Prior to the announcement of a new contract, the union said it was prepared to hit the picket lines. As the strike deadline approached on a Friday night, the federal mediator overseeing talks recommended additional time for bargaining, which the union agreed to, citing “incremental progress” at the bargaining table.

“This recognition of our pressure and member solidarity is working,” said Loveall at the time. “Our members remain mobilized and ready, but as long as talks are advancing toward a fair deal, we will continue to bargain.”

That extension paid off, with the tentative contract being announced that Sunday.

“This is about fairness and respect for hard-working, frontline members who keep our communities fed and our stores running,” said Loveall in an earlier statement.