Strike Vote Begins for Thousands of Grocery Store Workers

LOS ANGELES — Thousands of grocery store workers across Central and Southern California March 21, begin voting to authorize a strike against Ralphs, Vons, Albertsons and Pavilions to protest Unfair Labor Practices (ULPs). Voting will take place for several days in various locations across SoCal and the outcome is expected to be released March 27.

A bargaining committee composed of workers and union leaders negotiated with the companies for 12 days before the contract expired on March 6, without reaching an agreement. 

Employees presented reasonable proposals including a $5/hr. raise, improved safety in the stores and adequate scheduling and hours. The companies only offered a $0.60 wage increase and refused to address substantial proposed improvements.

As workers negotiated in good faith, Ralphs and Vons/Albertsons/Pavilions engaged in unlawful activities that undermined the bargaining process and violated workers’ rights to bargaining and union representation. Approximately 47,000 supermarket employees represented by seven UFCW Locals in California are impacted by the companies’ unlawful actions.

UFCW 770 and the other six UFCW Locals filed Unfair Labor Practice or ULP charges against the companies with the National Labor Relations Board or NLRB for violating labor laws by surveilling, intimidating, and interfering with employees for engaging in union activities.

Frontline grocery store workers continue to bear the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic and post-pandemic effects. More than 10,000 ufcw770 employees have been infected with COVID-19, many more lost co-workers, friends and family members. 

Supermarket employees are overworked, underpaid and undervalued while grocery companies stack huge earnings–Kroger alone made $4 billion in profits in 2021.

UFCW Locals 8GS, 135, 324, 770, 1167, 1428, and 1442 represent over 60,000 employees covered by a Master Food Agreement that determines key issues like wage scales, progressions, pension, health contributions and the like. Once the deal is settled with Ralphs, Vons/Albertsons/Pavilions, the other markets affected by this contract including Gelson’s, Stater Brothers & Super A, can either approve it as it stands or negotiate additional details in the agreement.

The impacted employees work at stores spanning from Central California to the border with Mexico.