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Two major supermarket operators in Southern California have reached an agreement in principle on a new employment contract to prevent a strike of more than 500 grocery stores by the 47,000 workers in the chain.
Albertsons, owner of Vons and Pavilions, and Ralphs' division of Kroger Co. said they reached an agreement on Sunday morning with the seven union locals of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union representing workers.
The union confirmed the proposed agreement and announced that its members would start voting Monday to ratify the agreement, with the results to be announced Thursday. Union management recommends a yes vote.
The terms of the contract-in-principle were retained until the workers could examine and vote on them.
Employees, who work in 532 stores in central California on the Mexican border, had already allowed union leaders to call for a strike if a new contract was not possible.
"We are proud to announce that an agreement in principle has been reached with both companies," said
a statement issued Sunday morning by UFCW Local 135
, which covers San Diego County. "We know that the road to get here has been long for you and your colleagues. Your determination to defend good jobs (engaging tens of thousands of customers in more than 200 community gatherings and in-store actions) has been the driving force behind an agreement that you can be proud to defend.
"Because you are part of a unionized family, you have a voice and a vote. Let's make it count.
Albertsons, Vons and Pavilions have 342 stores and 29,000 unionized employees in the region, while Ralph has 190 stores and 18,000 employees.
A strike would have seriously disrupted the $ 45 billion grocery store in southern California, the country's largest, with Albertsons and Ralphs stores accounting for close to 40% of the market.
A strike of this type took place 16 years ago in Southern California. The bitter dispute that lasted four and a half months caused employees financial hardship and cost the chain $ 1.5 billion in lost sales. It was the largest and longest walkout of grocery stores in US history.
Peltz is a Times writer. Weisberg writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.
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