UFCW Reaches Tentative Agreement with Ralphs and Albertsons

On July 2, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Locals 135, 324, 770, 1167, 1428 and 1442 reached a tentative labor agreement with Albertsons, which also owns Vons and Pavilions, and Kroger, the owner of Ralphs. The union was representing 45,000 workers across Southern California. Workers’ contracts with Ralphs and Albertsons expired on March 2, 2025, and the union has been bargaining with them since then.

According to groceryrisingworker.org, the new contract includes higher wages, and improved pension, health, welfare and staffing. The union had a 40-hour bargaining session that began the morning of June 27 that eventually reached this agreement.

UFCW members voted on June 11 to authorize a strike against Ralphs, Albertsons, Vons and Pavilions for unfair labor practices. They accused the stores of surveilling, interrogating, threatening and retaliating against union members. However, the union still had a few scheduled bargaining dates left, June 25 to 27, though the actual bargaining continued until July 2.

UFCW staged several practice strikes beginning in mid June, including a 500-person strike June 27 at a Ralphs in Downtown Los Angeles.

The tentative agreement will now go to a vote by UFCW members.