Negotiations are not a game, Stater Bros.
This is our livelihood
Stater Bros. talks to us like we’re idiots. We’ve had four bargaining sessions with the company and it’s clear they don’t know how negotiations work.
They’re hiding their full wage proposal and they’re the ones accusing us of playing games. On the very first day of bargaining, we gave Stater Bros. all of our proposals, including a comprehensive wage proposal. Today they admitted they were holding off on presenting wage increases for meatcutters and courtesy clerks until we respond to their $1 per year increase for only the food, GM and meat clerks at the top rate.
We won’t sit by while they attempt to piecemeal wage increases for some and try to divide us. All of us deserve fair wages, not just the workers who they deem to be the most important.
We also tried to address another big issue to us – staffing. We gave them a full staffing proposal and explained why adequate hours and full-time jobs are so important to our stores. But they don’t care. The company just wants to increase their profits while requiring us to do more and more work with less and less staff.
We’ve confirmed April 11 for future negotiations and we’re waiting to hear back from the company on more dates. When we meet again with Stater Bros. we expect them to stop playing games and come prepared to negotiate on the issues that affect our lives.
The federal government offers a service that helps parties resolve contracts to avoid a labor dispute. The bargaining committee requested Stater Bros. to participate in this process to have more productive conversations and the company continues to refuse.
What can you do to stand up to Stater Bros.?
Stay tuned this weekend for a video from your bargaining committee about the company’s misinformation. We’ll post it on groceryworkersrising.org and our social media accounts. In the meantime:
Join us on for an all Southern California UFCW grocery worker call on Wednesday April 9 at 9:00 AM and 7:00 PM. Join these calls to hear exactly what’s happening at negotiations with Stater Bros. and future actions from the best source – us – your bargaining committee. We’ll be talking about the company’s misinformation campaign, what their proposals are, and what we’re fighting for. Register for the calls with the links below:
April 9 at 9AM: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Rojs95hGSrOHGK1PN0Zxpg
April 9 at 7PM: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Hm_1DzLBQJek_tAMy-F3sA
Join our next campaign action on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, at 11:00 AM in La Verne, CA. We’ll be marching from Vons to Stater Bros. to show how powerful we are when we stand together. Talk to your union representative or bargaining committee members if you need transportation to the march.
Register for the march here: https://forms.gle/zTyhcqMDGusAL7kv6
Continue to wear your buttons!
The company sees how powerful and united we really are – that’s why they’ve resorted to spreading misinformation and attempting to undermine us, the people at the bargaining table. They’re afraid of us standing together to demand the contract we deserve and they’re doing everything in their power to try and silence our voices and intimidate us. But we know we deserve better. And so does the public, whose support for us has been overwhelming.
We will be continuing to escalate our campaign, and the more we participate in actions like the April 14 march, stay involved in bargaining by joining calls, and stand together, the more power we have at the table to negotiate for the contract we deserve, including meaningful wage increases for every member in every year of this contract. We can’t pit one class of workers against another. We must remain united and strong to ensure we get what we deserve.
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 Union Representative or Bargaining Committee Member.
In Solidarity,
Your Grocery Workers Rising Bargaining Committee
