SoCal Grocery Workers Union Agrees To Tentative Deal With Stores, Strike Averted For Now

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — A strike involving thousands of grocery workers in Southern California may have been averted Sunday, as their union reached a tentative agreement with the owners of Ralphs, Vons, Pavilions, and Albertsons.

Workers will begin voting Monday to approve the agreement, with results being  announced  September 12. Details of the agreement have not been disclosed publicly.

Negotiators for the United Food and Commercial Workers union will recommend a "yes" vote to approve the agreement.

"We believe this agreement is a step forward towards our vision of what grocery jobs should be in the future,'' said John Grant, the president of Local 770 said. ``Consumers and community leaders stood with us to show our value and the impact we have in our stores and communities. We have many to thank for their support.''

The other side seemed satisfied with the agreement as well. "We are pleased to have worked with the union to secure increased wages, continued premium health care coverage, and pension. Our associates are the heart of our company and this agreement is a reflection of their contributions,'' Ralphs spokesman John Votava said.

The union announced earlier this year that its membership had voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike if union leaders called for one. The vote raised fears of a repeat of the 2003-04 Southland grocery strike, which dragged on for 141 days.

The contract between UFCW and the grocery companies expired in March.

(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)