By SDCN Staff
Los Angeles, CA–Local 770 of the United Food and Commercial Workers union, which represents around 45,000 workers at Albertsons, Ralphs, Pavilions, and Vons in Southern California, announced Wednesday that its members have overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike.
The unions accuse Kroger and Albertsons of labor violations throughout negotiations that have prevented workers from getting the fair contract they deserve. Both grocery stores are the parent companies of Ralphs, Vons, and Pavilions.
“Our message is clear: we are fed up with these corporations’ union-busting tactics designed to intimidate us and prevent us from getting the fair contract that we’ve earned and deserve,” the UFCW Locals 324 and 770 Bargaining Committee stated in a news release. “For four months, we’ve negotiated with Kroger and Albertsons, offering solutions to the staff shortage crisis that hurts store operations, working conditions, and customer service. The companies have dismissed our proposals and claimed that our concerns were ‘anecdotal’, downplaying the real challenges we and our customers face daily.”
The strike authorization vote means that workers expect the companies to return to the bargaining table, and negotiate a deal that works for everyone before they walk out and hit the picket lines.
UFCW members across Southern California took unfair labor practice strike authorization votes in the first two weeks of June. Negotiations are scheduled to continue on June 25, 26 and 27.
Union members say the strike could create the largest grocery strike in modern history, and a major labor disruption for two of the nation’s largest grocery chains this summer, their busiest season of the year.
