Safeway strike looms as contract talks stall

“Safeway’s latest wage proposal continues to be an insult,” according to The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union. “It is hoped that representatives of Safeway will come back to the bargaining table so a strike can be avoided.”

Ballots for a strike authorization were distributed to members last week.

“Our Safeway member’s voices are being heard loud and clear by store management,” according to a union statement. “The message has worked its way up to top executives of Safeway and Albertson’s, and they are listening.”

Locals 5 and 648 meeting with Safeway representatives have resulted in little progress. The union said that Safeway’s latest wage proposal “continues to be an insult, increasing the offer by ten cents, to one dollar an hour over a 3-year period for experienced clerks.”

The first increase of thirty cents would not be retroactive to the contract expiration, it said.

“Just as outrageous, Safeway’s current wage offer is half that bargained between Locals 5 and 648 and Lucky stores, Safeway’s main rival in Northern California.”

According to the union, Safeway representatives have refused to discuss making available additional full-time opportunities; fully compensating employees for lost pay when wage calculation mistakes are made; earlier schedule posting and several other proposals important to its members.

Safeway has not commented publicly on the negotiations.