Hundreds Rise Up For More Staffing & A Fair Contract
Press Release| April 15, 2025
300 Grocery Store Workers, Congressmember Gil Cisneros, March for a Contract That Provides Sufficient Staffing, Fair Wages, Benefits
La Verne, CA – On Tuesday, April 15, over 300 grocery store workers represented by seven California UFCW local unions marched from Vons to Stater Bros. in La Verne to show their employers they’re ready to fight for fair wages, secure health benefits, reliable retirement plans and adequate hours and staffing levels, ensuring employees’ well-being and a good shopping experience for customers.
“Even just 20-30 years ago, a job at the grocery store was an entry into the middle class and grocery workers could afford to live, raise a family and save for retirement,” said Mark Ramos, president, UFCW Local 1428. “However, working conditions for grocery workers have declined rapidly over the past 20 years and grocery companies are trying everything they can to make executives and Wall Street investors rich. That’s why grocery workers across Southern California are rising up and showing that they’re ready to do what it takes to get the contracts they deserve.”
Grocery workers from across Southern California are fighting for a fair contract from their employers Kroger (Ralphs in Southern California), Albertsons (who also owns Vons and Pavilions), and Stater Bros. Their contract campaign comes at a time when grocery companies are trying everything to make a buck on the backs of workers. Staffing has been reduced to unsafe levels, stores are relying on self-checkout machines and are looking into other ways to maximize their profits, while avoiding paying the labor costs needed to give customers an excellent shopping experience. This practice of chronic understaffing leaves workers overworked and vulnerable to violence, affecting the shopping experience for consumers and the public.
“Stater Bros. is doing everything it can to take away our benefits and blame the union for it,” said Michelle Diaz, a service deli clerk at Stater Bros. and member of UFCW Local 1428. “We have to join together to fight to protect our health care. We have to protect our retirement.”
Seven UFCW California locals represent over 65,000 grocery workers across Central and Southern California, making up the largest union grocery contract in the nation. These workers are employed at Ralphs, Albertsons, Vons, Pavilions, Stater Bros., Gelson’s and Super A stores. The locals involved include UFCW Locals 8GS, 135, 324, 770, 1167, 1428, and 1442, spanning from Central California to the U.S.-Mexico border.
“I know everyone here today is also here to fight for their families and their futures,” said Marcos Dihernan, a cashier at Albertsons and a member of UFCW Local 1428. “We need to have living wages, staffing to ensure our stores run properly, health benefits that we can count on if we get sick and a secure retirement.”
Kroger has spent over $1 billion since 2022 on the unsuccessful merger with Albertsons. That price tag will increase as the two companies continue to fight in court. They also initiated a $7.5 billion stock buyback following the failed Kroger-Albertsons merger. Instead of enriching CEOs and shareholders with stock buybacks, Kroger could spend $7.5 billion to:
Open 280 new stores
Remodel 3,269 stores
Offer $158.17 in discounts to every loyal household
Hire 125,723 new full-time employees (46 per store)
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ABOUT GROCERY WORKERS RISING
Grocery Workers Rising is 65,000 essential grocery workers rising up for what they deserve. Visit the campaign at www.groceryworkersrising.org.
Their current contract expired on Sunday, March 2, 2025.
These 65,000 grocery workers across Southern California are rising up and fighting for:
Living wages
Affordable healthcare benefits
A reliable pension
More staffing and better working conditions for a better customer experience
