Giant Food, Safeway Workers Ratify Contracts

Members of United Food Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 400 and Local 27 working at Safeway and Giant Food stores throughout the Baltimore-Washington, D.C., region have voted to ratify new union contracts.

“We didn’t get everything we wanted, but both contracts include several key improvements over our previous collective bargaining agreements, including higher starting pay; more frequent wage progression increases; wage progression increases by months of service, instead of by number of hours worked, no cost increases to employee health insurance; and a plan to secure our pension,” noted Landover, Md.-based Local 400.

Although for the past 40 years, Giant and Safeway have jointly negotiated union contracts with the union, this year, the companies negotiated separately, according to Local 400.

Giant, also based in Landover, noted that “the agreement guarantees Giant Food associates will remain among the highest-compensated grocery workers in the Baltimore-Washington area, while also positioning Giant Food to remain competitive in a challenging marketplace.” The Ahold USA banner’s three-year contract with the UFCW covers almost 17,000 workers.

The same locals also negotiated a three-year contract with Safeway, Stacey Brown, VP of human resources and labor relations for the Pleasanton, Calif.-based chain’s Eastern division, told The Baltimore Sun, adding that the banner has about 11,000 employees in the region.