Wages for Some, Not for All
It’s clear Stater Bros. doesn’t care about workers at all.
We met with Stater Bros. for another day of bargaining, where the company began by doubling down on its mistreatment of courtesy clerks. At the last session, we asked why the company was hiring courtesy clerks at some stores while laying them off at others. Today, they responded by informing us of a freeze on hiring new courtesy clerks.
And the day only got worse from there. They provided us with a wage proposal of $3 over three years—but only for workers at the top rate. Don’t we all work hard? Don’t we all deserve a wage increase that recognizes the increasingly high cost of living in California?
Relying on California’s mandated minimum wage increases is not enough. We’ve presented a wage proposal to increase top wages by $5.50, with fair increases for every single worker at Stater Bros. We all contribute to Stater Bros.’ prosperity, and we all deserve to be able to pay our rent and put food on the table.
Stater Bros. continues to come to negotiations and disrespect us, our union representatives, and the role we play in the company. They even refused to allow the federal mediator to attend negotiations today. The mediator’s job is to serve as a neutral party to help ensure that bargaining is productive and fair. Even Kroger and Albertsons have welcomed the mediator to help the bargaining process along. We strongly encourage Stater Bros. to reconsider allowing the mediator at our next session.
What can you do in the meantime? Your union representatives will be out in the stores distributing buttons to all Stater Bros. members. Wear the button! This act of solidarity shows Stater Bros. that we’re all united and standing together for the contract we deserve. When customers ask about the button, tell them we’re fighting for a fair contract and that Stater Bros. is disrespecting us and our contribution to their success.
Stay in touch with your co-workers. Remind them that we work hard to make our company successful, and it’s time Stater Bros. recognizes that with a fair contract for all workers. Stay involved with the Grocery Workers Rising campaign! Updates are available on our website and social media at www.groceryworkersrising.org.
We will send another update after our next session on March 19, 2025. These updates come directly from your co-workers on the bargaining committee and contain the most up-to-date information about negotiations. We’re here fighting for the best interests of all Stater Bros. workers to ensure we all get what we deserve.
If you have any questions about bargaining or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your Union Representative or Bargaining Committee Member.
In Solidarity,
Your Grocery Workers Rising Bargaining Committee
