Workers at dozens of Colorado Safeway and Albertsons stores ended their strike Saturday after the union representing them announced a breakthrough in contract negotiations.
The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 announced on social media that it reached a tentative agreement on 45 key contract provisions, including higher wages, improved dental and vision benefits, a fully funded pension and protection against union work going to gig companies such as DoorDash.
In the post announcing the end of the strike, the union described the tentative contract as “all gains, no concessions.”
The contract is still subject to a ratification vote by the union members. Those meetings are still being scheduled. Meanwhile, the union is calling for all members on strike to return to work by Monday.
Representatives for the union did not immediately return requests for comment Saturday morning. In a statement, Nicole Criner, a spokesperson for Safeway’s parent company, Albertsons, said the company is “pleased to have reached a fair and equitable agreement with the UFCW that will benefit our associates and allow us to continue to serve our customers in Colorado.”
The strike began June 15 with stores in three Front Range cities and the company’s Denver distribution center. The strike expanded over the following weeks to 48 of the 80 Safeway locations in the state. The union had been negotiating with the grocery store chain for nine months, without reaching an agreement, before launching the strike.
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