UFCW Unions in Northern California Vote Overwhelmingly to Approve Contract With Safeway and Vons Markets
ROSEVILLE, Calif.--(Business Wire)--UFCW Union members in Northern California voted overwhelmingly to
approve a new four-year contract with the Safeway and Vons supermarket
chains. The agreement affects approximately 25,000 workers at 300
stores.
"Our Safeway and Vons members deserve congratulations. They stood
together and backed the leadership to achieve the goals they set out
to achieve from the beginning," said Union Presidents Ron Lind (UFCW
Local 5, http://www.ufcw5.org), Jacques Loveall (UFCW 8-Golden State,
http://www.ufcw8.org), Mike Borstel (UFCW Local 101,
http://www.local101.com) and Michael Sharpe (UFCW Local 648,
http://www.ufcw648.org).
"This innovative agreement includes wage increases across the
board and improvements in health care, pensions and job-protection
language," they said. "It bucks the national trend in which employers
are cutting benefits and shifting the costs of health care onto
employees."
In October, UFCW members agreed to a contract with Save Mart
(Lucky in the Bay Area), Raley's and Bel Air Markets. Parallel
negotiations with the Safeway and Vons chains continued until a
last-minute agreement was reached on Dec. 1, just as the previous
contract was expiring.
All of the contracts are concession-free and include the largest
across-the-board wage increases in the history of Northern California
grocery industry contracts. They also improve medical benefits and
reduce or eliminate medical deductibles. As in previous contracts, the
UFCW members will not be required to pay premiums for health care.
The contracts establish a single benefit fund, allowing for more
effective administration of benefits, and employ progressive ideas
that encourage efficient use of health benefits.
The four Union locals negotiated under the banner of UFCW
Solidarity, representing workers from Fresno to the Oregon border and
from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe.
UFCW 8-Golden State
Jacques Loveall, President
916-786-0588, ext. 201
or
UFCW Local 648
Michael Sharpe, President
415-861-7840, ext. 122
or
UFCW Local 5
Ron Lind, President
408-772-6609
Copyright Business Wire 2007
