On April 10 and 11, we met with Food 4 Less / Foods Co. for our very first round of bargaining. We showed up as a strong, united force of proud Food 4 Less and Foods Co. members and UFCW union representatives who are ready to get the contract we deserve. We began the bargaining session by presenting all of our proposals, including higher wages, equity with other union grocery stores, and better staffing.
The company then gave us proposals that would weaken our jobs, our contract, and our union. We told them their proposals were unacceptable and will fight to make our jobs and our lives better. We will not accept a contract that is anything less than what we deserve.
We made our priorities explicit. We shared with the company how much our jobs have changed since we negotiated our last Food 4 Less / Foods Co. contract. The COVID-19 pandemic, record-breaking inflation, and skyrocketing prices in Southern California have meant that it’s harder to put food on our families’ tables. We told them that we are expected to do more work with less staff, and yet many of us still struggle to get the hours we need.
What’s next?
We will meet again with the company on April 25-26 for our second round of bargaining. Between now and then, the company will consider the proposals we made, and we will continue to ask the company to come to the table with serious proposals that value our work.
Our contract is set to expire on June 8th.
When a contract expires, it doesn’t mean that our wages, benefits, or protections will end. However, we will push Food 4 Less / Foods Co. to reach an agreement with us on the contract we deserve by the day our contract expires.
If Food 4 Less / Foods Co. fails to make an offer that rewards our hard work and sacrifice by June 8th, it will be up to members like us to decide what actions we will take to win the contract we all deserve. In order to make a strong contract possible, we must stay united, strong, and engaged.
Whether we’re at the bargaining table or in the stores, we have the power to show the company that we’re serious about our proposals and that we’re ready to stand together to get a strong contract.
If you have any questions about bargaining, or if there is anything we can help you with, please do not hesitate to reach out to your Steward, Union Rep, or Bargaining Committee Member.
In Solidarity,
Your UFCW Food 4 Less/Foods Co. Bargaining Committee
