Click on the links below to read news important to UFCW's working families and related to our ongoing bargaining efforts. If you have a seen a story in the news that you think might be relevant here, send us an email and be sure to give us the URL internet address.

 

September 24, 2008
UFCW Council Honors A&Ps Haub

A council of union leaders this week lauded Christian Haub, executive chairman of A&P, for his leadership efforts in creating a seamless integration between A&P and Pathmark. ... READ MORE


August 28, 2008
Union piles pressure on Tesco through US supplier

America's biggest food workers' union has stepped up its pressure on Tesco's US operation, by reporting its ready-meals supplier to a labour-relations tribunal... READ MORE



August 14, 2008
Tentative agreement reached between union and Canada Safeway workers in B.C.

Canada Safeway workers will vote on a tentative contract reached late Tuesday night between the United Food and Commercial Workers Union and the grocery retailer... READ MORE


August 13, 2008
Kroger and UFCW Local 1059 Reach Fully-Recommended Tentative Agreement

The Kroger Co. announced today it has reached a tentative agreement on a new contract with the United Food & Commercial Workers Union Local 1059 in Columbus, Ohio. ... READ MORE

 

August 4, 2008
Shaw's strike averted as workers ratify new contract

Yesterday, Shaw's workers “overwhelmingly approved” a new five-year contract, according to a statement posted on the Local 791 Web site. ... READ MORE

 

August 4, 2008
Local 555 to hold a community rally to support non-food workers at Dalles Fred Meyer seeking their first contract

Local 555 will hold a community rally at The Dalles Fred Meyer on Aug. 5th. The Non-Food employees have been seeking their first contract since Nov. 2007.... READ MORE

 

August 4, 2008
Kroger begins bargaining with Columbus workers

The union representing 11,000 Kroger workers in Cincinnati was on the verge of calling a strike last fall before negotiations resulted in a contract with an improved pension and wage increases. ... READ MORE

 

August 4, 2008
Shaw's and Union reach tentative contract

The union representing more than 5,000 workers at Shaw’s supermarkets in Rhode Island and Massachusetts yesterday morning reached a tentative five-year agreement with the company. ... READ MORE

 

August 1, 2008
UFCW Local 791 contract set to expire

5000 members of Local 791 at 38 Shaw’s Grocery stores in Wells, Maine will watch their contract with Shaw’s grocery expire at midnight Saturday... READ MORE


August 1, 2008
Wal-Mart warns of Democratic win

Wal-Mart is mobilizing its store managers and department supervisors to warn that if Democrats win in November, they'll likely change federal law to make it easier for workers to unionize companies .... READ MORE

 

July 28, 2008
Slam dunk for Starbucks?

In the latest twist in New England's coffee wars, Quincy grocery chain Stop & Shop will drop Dunkin' Donuts stores from inside 130 supermarkets next year and likely replace them with rival java giant Starbucks.... READ MORE

 

July 22, 2008
Grocery prices going up -- again

Food manufacturers, under pressure for months from higher costs for everything from product ingredients to the packaging, are confessing to new plans for price increases..... READ MORE

 

July 17, 2008
As Vons closes, workers wait for word on jobs

The store in Visalia closes for good Saturday, and workers say they've not yet learned whether they'll be transferred to other stores or whether they'll keep the retirement and health care benefits into which they've paid..... READ MORE

 

July 15, 2008
Soaring food costs take a huge bite out of grocery & farm budgets

At virtually every link in the nation's food chain, the cost of oil is pushing expenses ever higher.... READ MORE

 

June 27, 2008
Local 1439 votes to authorize strike, but put on hold

A Strike Authorization vote was taken with Albertsons and Rosauers members on Monday, June 16 at three separate meetings at the Carpenters’ Hall and was overwhelmingly approved. .... READ MORE

 

June 25, 2008
Obama urges Sir Terry Leahy to talk to US unions

Barack Obama is urging Tesco's chief executive to engage with trade unions in the US over workers rights at the company's Fresh & Easy chain. ... READ MORE

 

June 25, 2008
Save-On-Foods employees will issue strike notice

Fifty-eight percent of members of United Food and Commercial Workers local 1518 voted Tuesday night to reject their company's offer and will issue 72-hour perishable notice this morning..... READ MORE

 

June 19, 2008
Grocery shopping made easy

This new countertop device makes grocery shopping easy--it offers a color screen on the front, a laser scanner underneath and a Wi-Fi antenna.... READ MORE

 

June 19, 2008
Overwaitea workers reach tenative contract

Overwaitea Food Group's unionized workers reached a tentative settlement for a new contract with their employer late Wednesday. .... READ MORE

 

June 18, 2008
Local 23 settles contract with Kroger

The contract affecting nearly 950 Local 23 Kroger members was narrowly ratified on Wednesday May 27th by a 286 to 278 margin.... READ MORE

 

June 18, 2008
Local 700 members ratify good contract

Workers at Kroger in Indianapolis, Ind., ratified a new contract on Wednesday, June 18. Improvements include seniority rights, better paid leave and Holiday leave policies, as well as improved language throughout the contract. ... READ MORE

 

June 16, 2008
Community Rallies in Support of Dalles Fred Meyer Workers

UFCW Local 555 will be holding a community rally at The Dalles Fred Meyer on Tuesday, June 17, 2008. The Non-Food employees at The Dalles Fred Meyer have been seeking their first contract.... READ MORE


June 4, 2008
UFCW wants Obama for anti-Tesco efforts

UFCW is calling on Barack Obama to endorse a new campaign condemning supermarket giant Tesco for the way it treats its workforce in the US... READ MORE

 

June 1, 2008
United for the American Dream

Change to Win executive director Greg Tarpinian says that unity between Barack Obama and Change to Win is the key to victory in November... READ MORE

 

June 1, 2008
The Plan to Save Our Dying Supermarkets

Supermarkets are rapidly becoming an endangered species. If something is not done soon to reverse that trend, supermarkets face extinction... READ MORE

 

 

May 29, 2008
Vince Ready Mediates Grocery Store Talks

Mediator Vince Ready has joined contract talks between unionized grocery workers and Overwaitea Food Group in a bid to avert a strike... READ MORE

 


May 28, 2008
New York Pharmacists Authorize Strike

Waldbaum's New York-area pharmacists have authorized a strike after the company said it wants to pull the plug on their pension benefits.... READ MORE

 May 19, 2008
Oregon: UFCW PUSH FOR OBAMA
UFCW members are joining Congressman Earl Blumenauer, today, in final canvassing and get-out-the vote efforts on behalf of Barack Obama. ...READ MORE

May 16, 2008
Study: the Union advantage for workers
A new report finds unionization raises the wages of the typical low-wage worker by 20.6 percent and significantly improves wages at all wage levels...READ MORE

May 6, 2008

UFCW Union 23 confirms tentative agreement was voted down.
Its workers make up one of the largest grocery retailers in the Ohio Valley, but now some Kroger workers say they are willing to hit the picket line.  READ MORE

April 22, 2008

Obama, Clinton seek union vote in close Pa. race
Local 1776 members in Philadelphia knock on doors of fellow members, letting them know they believe Obama is the candidate for working Americans.... READ MORE

April 21, 2008

Groups discuss ills of Wal-Mart
Giant purchasers like Wal-Mart should implement policies that protect the rights of workers, rather than abuse them, two sweatshop workers told... READ MORE

April 16, 2008

Kroger workers ratify deal keeping pension plan
10,000 Kroger members of Local 227 overwhelmingly ratified a contract Tuesday that preserves a pension plan that is 100 percent funded by the company. READ MORE

April 15, 2008
Save-On workers vote to strike
Save-On Foods workers in the Lower Mainland voted more than 94 per cent in favour of strike action Thursday to back demands for a new contract. READ MORE

April 10, 2008

The Hillary Wal-Mart Videos
The Center for Public Integrity has released two videos tying Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, to Wal-Mart, a company on whose board she once served.  READ MORE

April 9, 2008

Supervalu to Launch New Organic Line
Grocery giant Supervalu Inc., seeking to address a competitive shortcoming, is creating a line of organic and natural foods called Wild Harvest.  READ MORE

April 8, 2008

UFCW Local 1116 and ARGA begin bargaining
ARGA is a multi-employer contract representing over 2500 members in northern Wisconsin, northeastern and northern Minnesota.  READ MORE

April 3, 2008

Supermarket unions accept Giant, Safeway contract offer
Members of Local 400, which covers the Frederick area, and Local 27, which covers the Eastern Shore, voted to accept a new four-year contract. READ MORE

April 2, 2008

Grocery Workers Approve New Contract
Members working at two of the region's largest supermarket chains have approved a new contract with Giant Foods and with Safeway Inc..READ MORE

April 2, 2008

Fresh and Easy a Tough Sell for Shoppers
British retailer Tesco this fall billed its new Fresh & Easy stores as an alternative to large supermarkets. It looks as though many shoppers aren't buying it...READ MORE

March 26, 2008

Tesco's Fresh & Easy start in U.S. not exactly a cakewalk, analyst finds
Tesco officials are shrugging off an analyst's report that its Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market stores are running as much as 70% behind sales projections. ...READ MORE

March 20, 2008

TIME FOR ACTION IN OVERWAITEA NEGOTIATIONS
Negotiations between the Union Negotiating Committee and Overwaitea today entered Day 11. Management has still not discussed  key issues...READ MORE

March 20, 2008
Sticker Campaign Launched
Safeway workers nationwide will be wearing stickers to show solidarity and support for Baltimore/Washington D.C.-area Safeway workers and fellow UFCW members ...READ MORE

March 18, 2008

Safeway hiring ahead of strike
Safeway is looking for temporary employees to operate its grocery stores in case there is a strike at the end of the month, when the contracts expire...READ MORE

March 17, 2008

Safeway Shares Hit 52-Week Low
Safeway Inc. shares fell to a new low after the Federal Reserve cut a key interest rate to help bolster the economy...READ MORE

March 13, 2008

Safeway Sees Fewer Promotions, More ‘Everyday Value’
While Safeway will continue to offer promotional pricing, over the next two years it plans to shift to fewer promotions and a greater emphasis on everyday savings...READ MORE

March 13, 2008

Former Ohio Sen. Howard Metzenbaum dies
Former Sen. Howard Metzenbaum, an Ohio Democrat with a long career fighting big business in the Senate, died Wednesday night. He was 90. ...READ MORE

March 12, 2008

Union Applauds Passage of Bill to Issue Food Stamps Twice a Month in Michigan
The grocery industry and its workers, along with food stamp recipients, scored a victory today when the Michigan State Senate passed SB 120...READ MORE

March 12, 2008

Kroger Profit Beats Forecasts as Grocery Buying Holds Up
Kroger reported that it topped Wall Street earnings targets despite a drop in profit. Weak economy has not slowed its grocery store customers...READ MORE

March 12, 2008

A Stand Against Wal-Mart and, for Now, a Victory
Plans to build a 215,000-square-foot Wal-Mart in Ramapo appear to have been scrapped after local efforts to block construction ...READ MORE

March 12, 2008

State’s Largest Grocery Workers Union and Brooklyn Community Group Hold Rally Targeting Supermarket Shortage.
FUREE and UFCW Local 1500 partner to bring services to Fort Greene public housing residents after closing of supermarket and laundry by a developer ...READ MORE

March 7, 2008

Tesco's Fresh & Easy to open more stores in Arizona
Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, the U.S. subsidiary of U.K.-based Tesco, announced that is has opened three new units in Arizona, with plans to open...READ MORE

March 6, 2008
Burd Projects Big Gains in Safeway Profits
Projected profits are up and.Safeway plans to have its first "experimental format" store — a smaller format of approximately 20,000 square feet, according to reports — "up and running in May.....READ MORE


March 6, 2008

Wal-Mart to open 81 stores in March
Wal-Mart Stores Inc., said Wednesday it plans to open 81 new stores and clubs in March, as it slows opening its "Supercenter"-style stores....READ MORE

March 5, 2008
UFCW 1518: Self-Scan checkouts arrive at Safeway
Wal-Mart Stores Inc., said Wednesday it plans to open 81 new stores and clubs in March, as it slows opening its "Supercenter"-style stores....READ MORE

March 4, 2008

Kroger ratifies 4-year deal
Cincinnati-based Kroger Co. has ratified a four-year contract that covers over 7,500 associates represented by UFCW Local 1529...READ MORE

February 20, 2008

Higher Education Gap May Slow Economic Mobility
According to a recent study, economic mobility, the chance that children of the poor or middle class will climb up the income ladder, has not changed significantly...READ MORE

February 8, 2008

Kroger plans to offer $4 generic prescriptions
Beginning Wednesday, Kroger will offer generic prescriptions for $4 at 26 Kroger locations in Memphis...READ MORE

February 8, 2008

Board approves plan to build Wegmans
The Planning Board has approved construction of a new Wegmans store in Columbia; however, construction may be delayed...READ MORE

February 7, 2008

Workers appalled by proposed 2 hour shifts
Despite a labor shortage in British Columbia, one of the province's largest grocery chains wants some of its unionized staff to work only two hours a day...READ MORE

February 7, 2008

A hopeful year for unions
American workers need unions. The share of national income devoted to workers’ wages and benefits is at its lowest since the late-1960s...READ MORE

February 4, 2008

Safeway's "Unofficial Grandmother"
Sally Dickerson turned 85 last week and is not retiring anytime soon. Dickerson is the oldest of Safeway's roughly 200,000 full-time employees...READ MORE

January 25, 2008

Union supports picket outside store
Community members braved the wind and snow to protest the labor practices of the only Schnucks supermarket in Illinois without union...READ MORE

January 23, 2008

Walmart looks to Russia
Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world’s largest retailer, may expand into Russia within the next two years to capitalize on a swelling economy...READ MORE

January 22, 2008

Safeway to launch health initiatives for its employees
Safeway says it plans to offer employees discounts on health insurance if workers participate in a service that tracks nutritional quality of food they buy...READ MORE

January 7, 2008

Union starts job, aid program for former Farmer Jack workers
Former Farmer Jack employees are still struggling. The grocery chain closed 21 stores in Detroit...READ MORE