Safeway.com Grocery Delivery Drivers in WA Ratify 1st Teamster Contract

8/14/2018
Safeway.com Grocery Delivery Drivers Ratify 1st Teamster Contract

Grocery delivery drivers working for Safeway.com in Washington state have voted overwhelmingly to ratify their first-ever Teamster contract last night, following a year of negotiations that led to a strike authorization vote in June.

Made up of 60 Local 174 (based in Tukwila) members and 30 Local 313 (based in Tacoma) members, the drivers are anticipating many improvements to their working conditions and lives, including increased wages, with some of the lowest-paid drivers receiving double-digit percentage increases. Other benefits will include:

  • Affordable health care for both drivers and their families, which most of the drivers did not previously have access to, as they were held to part-time hours and the costs were prohibitive
  • Joining the Western Conference of Teamsters Pension Plan – an unusual benefit for a group ratifying its first contract – which will begin the process of building a secure retirement with a defined benefit pension plan
  • Better scheduling rules, daily guarantees, hard limits on the length of unpaid breaks between shifts in a given day, and dramatic safety improvements

"I can't wait to work under this new contract," said Michael Fanning, a Safeway.com driver and bargaining committee member. "There are so many improvements … the difference in our day-to-day life on the job is going to be like night and day. I'm psyched."

Added Jeff Frazer, a 12-year driver and bargaining committee member: "This contract means security. We finally have some security in our schedules, in our jobs and in our retirement. We've never had that before. This is huge."

In June, Safeway.com drivers who are members of Locals 174 and 313 held a strike authorization vote when faced with “slow progress and management’s unwillingness to back off from several unacceptable proposals.” The majority voted in favor.

Issues included Safeway.com placing new hires in full-time positions without offering those positions to current part-time employees, as well as management’s insistence on proposals that would allow the withholding of better routes and hours from drivers on the basis of qualifications, including “attitude.”

Safeway.com is an ecommerce arm of Boise, Idaho-based grocer Albertsons Cos. Albertsons is No. 3 on Progressive Grocer’s Super 50 list of the top grocers in the United States.

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