Safeway, Vons Come to Tentative Agreement With NorCal Workers

Albertsons’ Safeway and Vons banners in Northern and Central California have reached a tentative agreement with United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) 8-Golden State that the union described as “excellent.”

“At the bargaining table, we were able to build on the key achievements of decades of union solidarity,” noted Jacques Loveall, president of Roseville, Calif.-based UFCW 8-Golden State. “This contract is one of our best ever, a big ‘win’ for union members.”

The three-year agreement has provisions for improved funding of pension benefits, enhanced health care benefits with no employee premiums and meaningful wage increases, according to Loveall.

Details of the tentative agreement will be mailed to affected Safeway and Vons members in a special edition of the union’s Voice of Action magazine, which will also feature a mail-in secret ballot so the members can vote to ratify the new contract. The details won't be made public until members have reviewed and ratified the tentative agreement, which isn't expected to take place before mid-August. The union “strongly” recommended that members vote in favor of the agreement.

Despite this apparently successful resolution, negotiations are still going on between UFCW 8-Golden State and other major supermarket operators in the region, including Save Mart/Lucky/FoodMaxx/Maxx Value and Raley’s/Bel Air/Nob Hill/Food Source. The organization is additionally in continued negotiations with its sister UFCW locals in Southern California on behalf of its members in that area.

UFCW 8-Golden State represents 35,000 members who work in grocery and drug stores, food-processing plants, distilleries, and medical facilities and offices.

Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons Cos. operates stores across 35 states and the District of Columbia under 20 well-known banners, including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen and Carrs, as well as meal-kit company Plated. The company is No. 3 on Progressive Grocer's 2019 Super 50 list of the top grocers in the United States.