SoCal grocery workers vote to authorize strike
Source: ABC TV-10 San Diego
Thousands of grocery workers across Southern California have voted to authorize their union to call a strike amid continued contract negotiations with the owners of stores including Ralphs and Vons/Pavilions/Albertsons, union officials confirmed. Voting began Monday, and the results were announced Saturday by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 770 in a statement.
Roughly 47,000 workers represented by seven UFCW union locals between Central California and the Mexico border were eligible to cast ballots. The membership covers workers at more than 500 stores. Grocery employees are continuing to work under the terms of the previous contract.
Union officials said they are seeking a $5-per-hour wage hike, along with bolstered safety standards and "adequate scheduling and hours." According to the union, the grocery stores offered only a 60-cent-per-hour wage increase.
Ralphs (Kroger) says it pays an average hourly wage of $19 an hour, with more than half of associates having been with the company for more than 10 years, and more than one-third having been with Ralphs for more than 20 years. Ralphs also provides healthcare benefits and a pension for retired associates.
Read more: https://www.10news.com/news/local-news/socal-grocery-workers-vote-to-authorize-strike
Union officials announced earlier this month that contract talks had stalled. A three-year-old labor contract between the unionized grocery workers and Southern California supermarkets expired March 7, raising fears of a possible strike.
Ralphs responded with a statement noting that "a strike authorization vote doesn't mean a strike will happen, but it does create unnecessary concern for our associates and communities, at a time when we should be coming together in good faith bargaining to find solutions and compromise. At Ralphs we remain focused on settling a deal with the UFCW."
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