An estimated 45,000 Albertsons, Pavilions, Vons and Ralphs grocery store workers are preparing for a possible walkout after voting to authorize a strike.
KTLA’s Omar Lewis was outside the union headquarters in Koreatown on Thursday as they prepared picket signs and trained strike captains for what could be Southern California’s largest grocery store strike in decades.
UFCW 324 said workers came together on Wednesday to “overwhelmingly” vote yes to authorize an Unfair Labor Practice Strike against the four grocery retailers.
“For months, we’ve pushed for real solutions to short staffing, unsafe conditions, and unfair wages, and while we had some good discussions on staffing in this session, we still don’t have satisfactory results from Kroger and Albertsons,” the union stated in a news release.
Kroger, which acquired Ralphs in 1998, issued a statement in response to the strike authorization, saying it remains committed to bargaining.
“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,” a portion of the statement reads.
While no official strike date has been set, union workers hope the authorization will send a message to the companies.
Negotiations are expected to resume on June 25.
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