Southern California grocery workers could strike. Would it impact SLO County stores?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- UFCW Local 770 authorized a potential strike targeting Kroger and Albertsons.
- Strike would affect 20,000 workers, including eight stores in SLO County.
- Practice strike scheduled in Paso Robles June 20.
Thousands of grocery store workers across Southern California — including in San Luis Obispo County — could go on strike as their union pushes for a new contract amid concerns of a “severe staffing crisis.”
According to a news release from United Food and Commercial Workers Local 770, members began strike preparations Thursday at union headquarters in Los Angeles. UFCW Local 770 represents more than 45,000 workers across the Southern California region, including over 20,000 grocery members in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties.
According to the release, members authorized their bargaining team to call for an Unfair Labor Practice strike of Kroger and Albertsons, “which have prevented workers from securing a fair contract.”
The strike would include workers at the two major grocery chains’ subsidiaries, such as Ralphs, Vons and Pavilions, according to the release.
If a strike occurred in SLO County, it could affect up to eight stores — Albertsons, Vons and Ralphs locations — from Paso Robles to Nipomo.
“Kroger and Albertsons have pushed us to this point by trying to intimidate us into accepting less than the fair contract we deserve,” union bargaining team member Paszion Horner-Smith said in the release. “This fight for a fair contract isn’t just about us; it’s also about every customer affected by empty shelves, long lines and having to scan and bag their own groceries because these companies refuse to fairly negotiate around adequate staffing at the bargaining table.”
Why are SoCal grocery workers threatening strike?
According to the release, the union’s bargaining team has been negotiating with Kroger and Albertsons for a new contract for the past four months.
UFCW Local 770 said it hopes to obtain a contract that would address “several issues impacting store operations, working conditions and customer service, including the severe staffing crisis.”
“The companies have dismissed workers’ proposals, falsely calling their concerns ‘anecdotal’ rather than solving real problems,” the release said.
The local chapter of the union said the companies also broke labor laws “through unlawful surveillance, interrogations, threats and retaliation against union members.”
“This strike authorization vote sends a clear message: The companies must stop their illegal tactics,” the UFCW 770 bargaining team said in the release.
The local chapter’s efforts are part of a broader national push, with workers from two other UFCW chapters announcing similar plans to prepare for Kroger and Albertsons strikes in Washington and Colorado, according to the release.
“From the Rockies to the Cascades to the Hollywood Hills, nearly 65,000 grocery workers across the Western U.S. are united,” Seattle union member Shawn McGee said in the release. “We are fed up with being disrespected by the grocery companies, and our customers have our backs.”
According to the release, if workers from all three chapters strike at the same time, it could be “the largest grocery strike in modern history.”
When reached for comment Thursday, a Ralph’s spokesperson told The Tribune it remains engaged in bargaining with the union “because we believe the best outcomes are achieved at the table, not through disruption.”
“Our current offer reflects that commitment, including market-leading wage increases for associates over the life of the agreement and continued investment in industry-leading healthcare and a pension,” the spokesperson said. “These are benefits that many non-union competitors do not offer.”
The representative continued: “We remain committed to good faith bargaining that rewards our hardworking associates and keeps groceries affordable for our customers.”
A request for comment from Albertsons media representatives was not immediately returned Thursday evening.
What happens next in SLO County?
A strike is far from a sure thing.
After its members “overwhelmingly” voted Wednesday to authorize a strike, the Southern California UFCW chapter said it expects to hold practice strikes in both Los Angeles and San Luis Obispo counties next week.
Though the majority will happen in Los Angeles County, locally, a practice strike will be held June 20 at the Albertsons at 189 Niblick Drive in Paso Robles, according to the release. The event will last from 10 a.m. to noon.
Negotiations are expected to resume for a final time June 25-27.
If a deal is not met, a strike could include workers from the eight San Luis Obispo County grocery stores, according to union representative Heather Rutman.
Albertsons operates two of its namesake grocery stores in San Luis Obispo County, one at 189 Niblick Drive in Paso Robles and the other at 730 Quintana Road in Morro Bay. The company also operates four local Vons stores: 3900 Broad St., San Luis Obispo; 7135 El Camino Real, Atascadero; 1758 W. Grand Ave., Grover Beach; and 520 W. Tefft St., Nipomo.
Meanwhile, there are two Ralphs in the county, one at 201 Madonna Road in San Luis Obispo and the other at 1240 Los Osos Valley Road in Los Osos.
This story was originally published June 13, 2025 at 9:00 AM.
%20Cropped.jpg)