Working people across the United States regularly step up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
More than 45,000 grocery employees across Southern California overwhelmingly voted to ratify new three-year contracts with Ralphs, Albertsons, Vons and Pavilions.
The ratification vote, announced last Friday by United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), signals the end of a contract battle that had been brewing since the previous agreements expired in early March.
“This ratification vote is a victory for the hardworking grocery members who never gave up,” said Todd Walters, president of UFCW Local 135, which represents San Diego County workers. “Our members stood up to illegal company behavior, slow bargaining tactics, and disrespect—and they won.”
Included in the contract are significant wage increases for both new and longtime employees, a new supplemental pension plan, expanded health care benefits, and stronger staffing language that gives the union a say in ensuring safe and efficient staffing levels.
“As a member of the bargaining committee and a Ralphs worker for 36 years, I’ve never seen a group more determined to win real change,” said Camillia Fulton, a Ralphs worker in San Marcos and a member of the union’s bargaining committee. “We fought for respect, and we got a contract that begins to deliver it. I’m proud of what we accomplished together.”