Yesterday, 45,000 Southern California grocery workers voted to authorize a strike against Albertsons, Vons and Ralphs after months of what union officials say are unfair labor practices during contract negotiations.

President of UFCW Local 324 Andrea Zinder said both companies — Albertsons, which owns and operates Albertsons, Vons and Pavilions, and Kroger, which owns and operates Ralphs — have used intimidation tactics, surveillance methods and threats to managers to interfere with negotiations. 

According to the UFCW Local 324 and 770 Bargaining Committee, negotiations have been going on for months without successful progress. 

“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,” reads a Wednesday statement from union representatives. “The companies have dismissed our proposals and claimed that our concerns were ‘anecdotal’, downplaying the real challenges we and our customers face daily.” 

The strike authorization vote means grocery workers are prepared to walk out if deemed necessary as they negotiate for increased wages, healthcare benefits and increased staffing.

Zinder said negotiations have become increasingly strained and difficult, and she said the vote is meant to protest against unfair labor practices.

“Negotiations are at a difficult point right now,” Zinder said in a phone interview on June 12.

Albertsons’ Director of Communications and Public Affairs for the Southern California division, Courtney Carranza, provided a statement to Voice of OC regarding the contract negotiations.

“We respect the rights of workers to engage in collective bargaining and remain committed to negotiating in good faith to reach an agreement that is fair to our employees, good for our customers, and allows our company to remain competitive,” she wrote in a Thursday email.

A Ralphs spokesperson also responded to the claims.

“We remain actively engaged in bargaining with the Union because we believe the best outcomes are achieved at the table, not through disruption,” the spokesperson wrote in a Thursday email.

“Our current offer reflects that commitment, including market leading wage increases for associates over the life of the agreement, and continued investment in industry-leading healthcare and a pension. These are benefits that many non-union competitors do not offer. We remain committed to good faith bargaining that rewards our hardworking associates and keeps groceries affordable for our customers.”

Zinder said employee wages have fallen behind the cost of living, even after a recent significant pay increase that was a result of 2022 contract negotiations.

“We want fair wages,” she said in a phone interview. “Our members are feeling the same effects of inflation as everyone in the community, but it is really hitting our members hard.” 

She said staffing is another issue that grocery store employees want to see addressed in these contract negotiations.

“Stores are very understaffed,” Zinder said. 

According to Zinder, when stores are understaffed, they increasingly rely on self-checkout, shelves may go unstocked and delis sometimes close early.

“This not only affects the customers, but it also affects the employees in the store,” Zinder said. “They are doing twice as much work, and the customers are often unhappy and lashing out at employees because they are so frustrated.”

Zinder also emphasized that understaffed stores result in safety issues and work environment issues.

There are three more dates of negotiations at the end of June, with the first one scheduled for June 25, according to Zinder. 

The local grocery union president said she hopes these two companies come back to the table and give employees on the bargaining committee an opportunity to tell their stories and listen to the concerns and needs of employees regarding staffing and wage increases.

“We are hoping they will come back to the bargaining table, realizing they are making a lot of money,” she said. “Both of these companies are making a lot of money, giving millions out on Wall Street to shareholders.” 

Zinder added that it was time these large corporations invested back into their stores.

“They need to invest in the stores,” she said. “Investing in the store not only means putting in more money to remodel, but it also means paying employees what they deserve and having enough employees.”

Zinder said a rally will take place on June 20 in Long Beach to raise awareness and give a platform to workers’ demands.

If the companies are not willing to make progress towards reaching an agreement with the union’s demands, the employees are prepared to strike, she said.

“If we are not able to make progress, we may need to go on strike over these unfair labor practices that companies have committed,” Zinder said.

Zinder said that only select stores would face strikes, but that all employees are getting ready if it becomes necessary.

“We are hoping that companies will understand that we are serious and they need to do the right thing or they will face strikes outside their stores.”

Isabel Torres is a Voice of OC intern. You can contact her at isabtorres@chapman.edu.