Thousands of California grocery store workers have agreed to a new deal with major supermarket chains to avoid a potential strike
From The Associated Press
Apr 15, 2022 3:54 p.m
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LOS ANGELES — Tens of thousands of California grocery store workers have agreed to a new deal with major supermarket chains to avoid a possible strike, it was announced Thursday.
Union members in the central and southern areas of the state ratified a tentative agreement reached last week. It grants about 47,000 workers higher wages, stronger health benefits, more guaranteed hours for part-time workers, improved store safety and a secure pension, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union said in a statement.
Most workers will receive pay increases of $4.25 an hour over three years, the union said, with higher pay rises for some employees.
The contract also includes provisions to establish health and safety committees at each Ralphs, Albertsons, Vons and Pavilions store so employees have a say on safety issues, the union said in a statement.
Frontline workers, including in grocery stores, have been hit hard during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“After more than two years of risking their lives to serve as vital workers to California communities, there could not have been a more important time for these hard-working members to secure a fair deal with better pay increases, improved healthcare and protected pensions be able. “Says a statement from seven union offices.
“We made history!” Erika Bentzen, a grocer at Ralphs in Thousand Oaks who was a member of the negotiating team, said in a union statement. “This was the first time members were present at the negotiations and I think having us there made a difference. This is the best contract in the country.”
The contract takes effect immediately and covers around 540 branches.
The previous three-year contract expired on March 6 and workers had voted to authorize a strike if no deal was reached.
In 2019, employees at Ralphs, Vons, Pavilions and Albertsons voted to authorize a strike, but the deals were ultimately reached without a strike.
A strike and lockout in 2003-04 forced nearly 70,000 food workers in Southern California to picket for more than four months.