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The new collective agreement for supermarket workers which was negotiated by UFCW in Southern California and which will be voted on by the workers on Sunday is welcomed by the union's president Joe Hansen.

- This contract goes a long way in maintaining good jobs with health care, wages that pay the bills, and a loyal productive workforce in the grocery industry that is good for workers, communities, and businesses, he says.

Throughout the negotiations process, UFCW members demonstrated solidarity and strength in bargaining for a fair contract. Seven UFCW locals in Southern California all worked together in bargaining and coordinating campaign actions and strategies, the union says. 

Coordinated action with supporters and customers played a pivotal role in gaining a positive settlement. Union members, community members, religious groups, grocery workers, and supporters knocked on thousands of doors, handed out flyers, sent emails and letters of support, wrote editorials, attended rallies and marches, spoke out in churches, and signed pledge cards supporting UFCW members.

- This is a victory for all grocery workers, UFCW Local 770 President Rick Icaza said. We stood up to the employers and demanded a fair contract. We stayed committed to negotiations, and granted they took longer than we hoped, we got a contract without having to go on strike.

- Three years ago we were starved into a contract. Today, we negotiated a fair contract on our terms because you stood up and stayed strong over these past seven months. We know how hard it has been on you and your families, the union Local continues.

Democratic Presidential Candidates wrote in support of workers

In a joint letter to the employers, all Democratic Presidential candidates called for fair negotiations in good faith "to avoid the mistakes of three years ago".

- We are hoping for a fair contract that benefits your stores, your workers, and the Southern California community - a contract that provides adequate funding for quality health care benefits, living wages, and retirement security, the candidates say.

The letter was signed by an extraordinary group of leading Democratic politicians - Bill Richardson, Barack Obama, Dennis J. Kucinich, Mike Gravel, John Edwards, Christopher J. Dodd, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Joseph R. Biden Jr.

- We have always honored workers' picket lines and, when needed, joined  UFCW members in standing up for fairness. We hope we will not need to join Southern California UFCW members in the streets, but if asked, we will be there, the Presidential Candidates said.

Union recommends workers to approve the collective agreement

Now it is the time for the Kroger, Supervalu and Safeway workers to have their say when voting on the agreement. The union and its locals recommend acceptance, and thus a main part of California's retail trade will remain strongly unionised and covered by a proper collective agreement.

This coordinated effort by several union locals in Southern California was part of a UFCW nationwide unity bargaining program. By supporting each other regionally and nationally, as well as engaging customers and community members in their struggle, grocery workers are improving grocery industry jobs for themselves and their communities.