Negotiators for United Food & Commercial Workers Union Local 5, alongside UFCW Local 648, reached a tentative agreement with Safeway representatives Friday. The agreement was made just hours before the union's authorized strike would have begun.
Bargaining began in February, and the union voted to strike if a deal wasn’t reached by midnight July 25.
The union’s director of strategic campaigns, Jim Araby, said the union was proud of the tentative agreement.
“We’ve avoided a strike and reached a strong tentative agreement,” he said. “Now we look forward to presenting it to our members for ratification and setting a new standard for grocery worker wages and benefits in Northern California.”
Safeway spokesperson Justin Hendrickson said the company is also happy with the agreement.
Details of the contract will be made public after union members vote to ratify it in the coming days, but the union says it included wage increases, stronger pensions and more health care contributions.
