The union representing Food for Less workers reached a tentative contract agreement with the grocery company on Tuesday, June 25, averting a possible strike. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
The union representing thousands of Food for Less workers reached a tentative contract agreement with the grocery company on Tuesday, June 25, averting a possible strike.
Workers had previously authorized a strike if labor talks broke down, but representatives of the United Food and Commercial Workers union’s Locals 8GS, 135, 324, 770, 1167, 1428 and 1442 said they had reached a tentative agreement that includes “significant wage increases for all workers, extended guaranteed hours and other contract improvements.”
Details of the proposed agreement were not made public.
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The agreement still needs to be ratified by union members, and details will be communicated to them in a closed meeting this week.
“We are proud to announce a tentative agreement with Food 4 Less/Foods Co., which we unanimously recommend to our colleagues,” the union’s negotiating committee said in a statement. “We appreciate the unity and strength our colleagues have shown throughout the negotiations and the overwhelming support we have received from our customers and local residents, without whom this agreement would not have been possible.”
Food 4 Less operates 15 stores in the Los Angeles area and is a subsidiary of Kroger Co., which also owns Ralphs. The union represents about 6,000 workers.
Kroger spokesman Salvador Ramirez said last week that the company had “presented a historic proposal of more than $70 million that includes wage investments, industry-leading health care and retirement benefits.”
“Our employees are the heart of our company, and we will continue to do everything we can to ensure our customers can buy food at affordable prices, while balancing investments in wages and the overall well-being of our employees,” it said in a statement last week. “Our stores will remain open to serve our local communities.”
Food 4 Less executives have previously said they have proposed to raise pay for full-time cashiers with four years of experience to $25.80 an hour by 2026, with annual salaries of at least $50,000. The proposal would not increase employee health insurance premiums over the life of the three-year contract, the company said.
The union’s demands included higher wages and improved safety. The union’s contract expired on June 8.
Union officials said Food 4 Less/Foods Co. workers should be paid the same wages as workers at other unionized grocery stores, including other Kroger locations.
