SoCal Grocery Workers Authorize Strike
Members of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) local unions representing 45,000 grocery store workers at Ralphs, Albertsons, Vons and Pavilions locations across Southern California have voted overwhelmingly to authorize their bargaining team to call for an unfair labor practice (ULP) strike in response to alleged labor violations during contract negotiations. The Kroger Co. and Albertsons Cos. are the parent companies of Ralphs, Vons, and Pavilions grocery stores.
“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,” noted the bargaining committee for UFCW Locals 324 and 770 in a statement. “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.
“At the same time, the companies have broken labor laws by engaging in unlawful surveillance, interrogation of members at actions, threats and retaliation for union activity. This is unacceptable.
“We’re at the breaking point. We are disrespected, overworked and undervalued by Kroger and Albertsons. We’re tired of asking these corporations to invest in their workers and customers, only to see no results. We’re tired of asking the companies to respect our labor rights and seeing our co-workers intimidated.
“This strike authorization vote means that we expect the companies to return to the bargaining table, negotiate a deal that works for everyone and desist from their unlawful tactics before we walk out and hit the picket lines.”
[RELATED: SoCal Union Workers, CVS Reach Tentative Agreement]
The locals also cited a recent Consumer Reports investigation finding that Kroger was overcharging customers by 18.4%.
The ULP strike authorization votes took place in the first two weeks of June. Negotiations are slated to resume on June 25, 26 and 27.
Additionally, tens of thousands of additional union grocery workers across the United States who are employed by Kroger and Albertsons voted to authorize a strike last week, meaning that as many as 100,000 grocery workers could strike at the same time. If that were to happen, “it 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,” according to the Southern California locals.
Grocery Workers Rising is a group consisting of 65,000 Southern California grocery workers at Ralphs, Albertsons, Vons, Pavilions, Stater Bros., Gelson’s and Super A stores. Their contracts expired on Sunday, March 2. These workers are fighting for living wages, affordable health care benefits, a reliable pension, and more staffing and better working conditions for a better customer experience. The group is planning a week of practice strikes starting Monday, June 16 and a rally on June 20 in Long Beach, Calif., from 12-2 p.m.
In other labor news, after an unfruitful negotiating session, the all-worker bargaining committee for the Safeway/Albertsons grocery store workers in Colorado who also voted to authorize a strike have decided to give the required 72-hour notice to Safeway/Albertsons for the termination of the current extension agreement, enabling a strike to take place as early as Sunday morning.
As of Feb. 22, Albertsons Cos. operated 2,270 retail food and drug stores with 1,728 pharmacies, 405 associated fuel centers, 22 dedicated distribution centers and 19 manufacturing facilities. The Boise, Idaho-based company operates stores across 34 states and the District of Columbia under more than 20 well-known banners. Albertsons is No. 9 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2025 list of top food and consumables retailers in North America. Cincinnati-based Kroger employs nearly 420,000 associates who serve more than 11 million customers daily through a digital shopping experience and retail food stores under a variety of banner names. The grocer is No. 4 on The PG 100. PG also named both companies among its Retailers of the Century.
Locals 324 and 770 are affiliated with Washington, D.C.-based United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, which represents more than 1.3 million workers in the United States and Canada and is one of the largest private-sector unions in North America.
