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Supermarket workers in Southern California voted to authorize a strike as their union holds negotiations with the owners of the Ralphs and Vons/Pavilions/Albertsons stores.
This Saturday night , the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW Local 770) reported that the intention of its thousands of members is to call a work stoppage if the owners do not accept the proposals of the workers.
The consultation of the employees took place during the week, and the result of the vote does not mean that you start a strike, but it gives the authorization to the representatives of the UFCW Local 770 to convene it if the talks with the supermarket owners fail.
Related: Southern California supermarket workers brace for strike
Near 47,000 employees of more than 500 supermarkets in Southern California, represented by 7 union locals of the UFCW, were eligible to cast their vote.
The 3-year labor contract between grocery store owners and the UFCW Local 770 ended March 7, and since the beginning of the month the employee representatives had mentioned that the negotiations for the new contract had stalled, which increased the risk that a work stoppage occurred.
“The bargaining committees made up of front-line workers and union leaders came prepared with proposals that would increase salaries fair and would improve store conditions to reflect the needs of workers in a pandemic and post-pandemic world. The corporations representing the stores offered pennies, a proposal that would ultimately be a pay cut due to inflation,” said the UFCW Local 500 in a statement in early March.
“A strike authorization vote does not mean a strike will occur, but it creates unnecessary concern for our partners and communities, at a time when we should come together in good faith to negotiate solutions and compromise. At Ralphs, we remain focused on reaching an agreement with the UFCW,” the company said in a statement.
“We have three very clear goals: put more money in our associates’ paychecks, keep groceries affordable for our customers, and maintain a sustainable future for our business. By working together, we win together,” Ralphs added.
The company said its latest proposal includes investments in salaries for more than $141 million dollars during the next 3 years, without increasing health care costs for workers.
As long as the negotiations of a new labor contract do not advance, employees remain working under the terms of the agreement that expired at the beginning of March.
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