San Diego workers at Ralphs, Vons, Albertsons and Pavillions may soon be on strike if unions fail to reach an agreement with the grocery chains.
The last region-wide strike of this scale occurred in 2003. The existing labor contract expired on March 7, but the unions says that the terms and conditions are still in effect for the time being.
The seven different unions that represent the region's workers spent 12 days in negotiations with grocery representatives. After no deal was reached, the unions authorizes a strike vote, which will be held March 21 - 26, 2022.
In a statement, United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 770 said, “Bargaining committees composed of front-line grocery workers and union leaders came prepared with proposals that would fairly increase wages and improve store conditions to reflect the needs of workers in a pandemic and post-pandemic world. The corporations representing the stores offered pennies, a proposal that would ultimately be a pay cut due to inflation.”
Ralphs says they are is open to a deal that provides: more money for every associate; affordable groceries for customers; and a sustainable business model.
“It’s unfortunate that substantial progress toward reaching an agreement was not made during our 12 total days of bargaining with the union,” said Robert Branton, vice president of operations at Ralphs. “While the company made several wage proposals, the union continues to propose very costly items which impacts our ability to meet customer needs and remain competitive.”
Branton also said, “Negotiations are a process and we’re committed to reaching an agreement no matter how long it takes,” Branton said. “We are hopeful the union will return to the bargaining table with renewed interest in reaching a balanced agreement.”
Albertsons, Vons and Pavillions have also stated that they are committed to working with the unions "to ensure that we reach an agreement that is fair to our employees, good for our customers, and allows Albertsons, Vons, and Pavilions to remain competitive in the Southern California market."