Local 5 is currently in negotiations with Safeway, Save Mart and Raleys. The union is participating in talks with the employers jointly with Locals 8 and 648. The negotiations cover 53,000 UFCW members throughout Northern California but will have an impact on UFCW members across the country.
Collective bargaining, or negotiating a contract that covers all facets of work under which the local's members are employed, is not easy business. Particularly in the worst economy since the great depression, coming to agreement with employers who want to slash wages and benefits, can only succeed with the full participation of the membership. To that end the union has set up a dedicated email address (negotiations@ufcw5.org) where members can provide ideas and proposals for contract talks. The union newspaper, website, FaceBook page and smart phone apps are all dedicated to contract negotiations for the duration of the talks.
Below is a chronological update of the talks:
May 14: Negotiations continue this week with Lucky-Save Mart on the 15th and 16th, with Safeway on the 17th and with Raley's-Nob Hill on the 18th. Talks with Raley's- Nob Hill are under the auspices of the federal mediator.
May 4: Raley's-Nob Hill announces in the press that they are entering mediation despite the fact that neither the mediator no the unions were contacted.
April 30: Raleys-Nob Hill announces refusal to extend contract past April 30 to facilitate bargaining. Local's 5 and 8 schedule strike votes with involved members. Lucky-Save Mart sets May 9 deadline despite fact that negotiations are ongoing.
March 29: Local 5 holds large mobilization of members in Pleasanton. Raleys agrees to exrtension of contract soon after.
March 5: Negotiations resume this week with healthcare the main topic with Safeway and Save Mart and classification, part time bumping and increased hours for part timers on the docket with Raleys.
March 1: Local 5 launches community support effort to educate the public about the union's challenges in negotiations. On March 1st at three stores, one each of Save Mart, Safeway and Luckys in San Jose, Local 5 members greeted customers with reusable shopping bags and pledge cards. The positive response to the bags was exceeded by the public's support for grocery workers and their willingness to sign pledge cards.
February 20-25: Talks pick up again on Monday February 20. Unions engage Safeway and Save Mart on health and welfare issues. Engage all parties on additional full time guarantees and shift selection and hour maximization for part- timers. Meetings set through March. Unions continue to hammer point home that a contract proposal that does not protect the jobs, wages and benefits of members will not be presented to the membership.
February 2: Negotiations to proceed with Safeway, Save Mart and Raleys and Locals 5, 8 and 648.
January 23: Locals 5, 8 and 648 reconvene talks with the employers this week. The union established a dedicated email address (negotiations@ufcw5.org) for members to submit ideas and proposals for negotiations. The union negotiating committee has received the proposals, will evaluate them and make them part of the union's agenda.
November 18: Local 5 met with Raleys, Safeway and Save Mart on Thursday and Friday. At the meeting Friday negotiators agreed on am extension through December 15. More time is necessary due to the extremely complex nature health plan funding and the fact that there has not been enough progress to call for a ratification or strike vote. Talks are set to pick up again in late November.
October 18: Yesterday the unions and companies met. After exchanging proposals, incomplete on management’s part, talks were put off until nextMonday. See update 6 below for more details.
ENegotiationsUpdates
As times change, so have the ways the union will work to keep you updated throughout the negotiations process. One new method is the union's ENegotiationsUpdates. Members will have access to timely updates on the status of contract talks via union reps distributing updates in the work place, on the website and through various social media the union has engaged, like Face Book.
Click here to review volume one of the ENegotiationsUpdate
Click here for volume two
Click here for volume three
Click here for volume four
Click here for volume five
Click here for volume six
Click here for volume seven
Click here for volume eight
Click here for volume nine
Click here for volume ten
Click here for volume eleven
Click here for volume twelve
Click here for volume thirteen
Click here for volume fourteen
Click here for volume fifteen
Click here for volume sixteen
Click here for volume seventeen
Click here for volume eighteen
Click here for volume nineteen
Click here for volume twenty
Click here for volume twenty one
Click here for volume twenty two
Click here for volume twenty three
Click here for volume twenty four
Click here for volume twenty five
Click here for volume twenty six
Click here for volume twenty seven
Click here for volume twenty eight
Proposals Exchanged Between UFCW Locals 5, 8 and 648 in Northern California Grocery Negotiations
Union Proposals to the Companies
Union proposals to Raleys 1-17-11
Union proposals to Safeway 10-17-11
Union proposals to Save Mart 10-17-11
Company Proposals to the Unions
Raleys (Nob Hill) Proposal to the Unions
Revised 3/8 and 3/15. Status shown in color.
Safeway proposals to the Unions 12-5-11
Save Mart non-economic proposals 10-25-11
Save Mart non-economic proposals 11-11-11
Save Mart economic proposals 11-29-11
Click here to watch the UFCW5 Town Hall Union Meeting 2/2/12
