The United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) reported that 47,000 employees of more than 500 supermarkets in Southern California would ratify a new three-year collective bargaining agreement this week.
"UFCW locals in Southern California successfully negotiated a tentative agreement with Ralphs, Vons, Albertsons, and Pavilions. The ratification of that tentative agreement will be the following week," the union told Chula Vista Today.
The new contract establishes a salary increase as yet undisclosed.
Meanwhile, the same union announced that it had reached an agreement with the Stater Bros chain store that goes into effect immediately and benefits about 13,000 workers.
"The agreement, which includes significant pay increases, stronger health insurance, and provisions to protect pensions, was reached after months of negotiations and the active participation of thousands of essential supermarket workers in California," the UFCW reported.
Six locals ratified that agreement's last days with Stater Bros, including local 135 in San Diego County.
The last collective bargaining agreement for supermarket workers in Southern California ended on March 7. Since then, the union entered into negotiations, and their primary demand was an increase of $5 per hour of work.
In the negotiations, the union declared the essential role supermarket workers played during the coronavirus pandemic, especially in 2020 and 2021.
The agreement prevented workers at more than 500 establishments from north of Los Angeles to the border from going on a strike that the 47,000 union members had approved.
