Safeway workers in Northern California are preparing to strike if union negotiations over wages, health care and pensions fail to reach a deal by the end of the day Friday. A strike could begin as early as Saturday.
United Food & Commercial Workers Union Local 5 represents workers along the Northern California coast and the Bay Area. The union has been in negotiations with Safeway since February. The grocery store chain is the union's largest employer.
The union has been without a contract since April, when its previous agreement expired. Members voted to authorize a strike earlier this month after the union accused Safeway of failing to bargain in good faith.
Jim Araby, the union’s director of strategic campaigns, says Safeway is using “scare tactics” to discourage a strike.
Four Safeway stores in Humboldt County have posted hiring flyers, stating they are accepting applications for replacement workers due to the labor dispute.
A link on the flyer directs applicants to an online portal listing hundreds of temporary positions at grocery stores across California.
The listing says the company is building a pool of candidates to fill temporary roles if a strike occurs. Those selected would be hired only for the duration of the strike. The positions pay $27.73 an hour.
“They’re offering more money than they pay most of the workers at Safeway, which is kind of ridiculous,” Araby said. “They can offer this money to temporary, nonunion workers. Why can’t they put something like that on the table?”
But Araby said the union isn’t concerned about workers losing their jobs to replacements. Since this is an unfair labor practice strike, federal law protects employees from being permanently replaced, he said.
Safeway spokesperson Justin Hendrickson said in an email that the company is “hopeful a resolution will be reached soon, as we have in other parts of the country through successful collaboration with our union partners.”
Araby said the goal is to reach a deal, not to strike, but the union doesn't believe the company's current offer is enough.
Araby said Safeway maintains that its pay and benefits are competitive. The union doesn’t dispute that, but believes it’s not enough. “We just think they can do more,” he said.
Safeway and the union remain at the bargaining table. Talks could continue, Araby said, up to the midnight deadline on Friday.
