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Nob Hill Workers on Strike After Contract Talks Break Down

The grocers' parent company Raley's couldn't reach a labor agreement after more than a year of negotiations. Workers to picket stores.

An estimated 7,000 grocery workers at Raley's and Nob Hill Foods grocery stores in Northern and Central California walked out on strike Sunday after 15 months of contract negotiations ended in acrimony.

The strike follows the implementation Sunday by Raley's of its "last, best and final" contract proposals, according to the United Food and Commercial Workers 8-Golden State and Local 5. The union accused Raley's of bargaining "in bad faith." The union also filed unfair labor practices complaints on Thursday, including allegations that Raley's managers have interrogated and intimidated union members, union officials said.

"We look forward to returning to the bargaining table when Raley's management has adopted a more constructive attitude," a statement from UCFW Presidents Jacques Loveall and Ron Lind said today. "Our goal from the beginning is to negotiate a fair agreement serving the needs of both Raley's and its union employees."

Raley's officials rejected the allegations. "We're very frustrated that it's come to this, this has been going on for 15 months," said spokesperson John Segale. "We submitted our last and final offer four weeks ago and we never heard from the union, they never let their employees vote on that."

"So we had no choice but to implement our wage package this morning," Segale said. Segale said Raley's urgently needs to cut costs in a "fiercely competitive" market. He said the Sacramento-based chain, which includes Raley's, Nob Hill Foods and Bel Air stores, has closed five stores in the past year and seen the opening or expansion of 240 non-union stores in its markets since 2008.

The conditions imposed today apply only to wages, Segale said. The store moved to freeze pay increases for two years and eliminate the premiums paid for employees working Sundays, night and holidays, but retained the one week of paid vacation and four paid holidays employees currently receive, he said.

Workers will be picketing stores and asking shoppers to take their business to competing grocery stores, union officials said Sunday. Raley's and Nob Hill Foods have more than two dozen stores located in the Bay Area and more in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties.

 

Copyright © 2012 by Bay City News, Inc. -- Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.

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Madalyn Perrine November 5, 2012 at 12:04 am
I love Nob Hill and want to have available as many choices for groceries as possible. And, I support the workers. I am confident management and labor will work something out as soon as possible to keep this company in business. in the meantime I will support the picket line.
Claudia Cruz (Editor) November 5, 2012 at 12:38 am
Thanks @Madalyn! Yes, hopefully a resolution will come forth soon.
Caissie Stephens November 5, 2012 at 12:48 am
The employees who work at Nob Hill are always kind, courteous, thoughtful, and our part of our community. I know that no one wants to go on strike....as it is a loss of salary that most can not afford. During this strike, I will not cross their picket line and will frequent other grocers even if it is less convenient for me.
Claudia Cruz (Editor) November 5, 2012 at 01:08 am
@Caissie, where will you get your groceries instead?
Los Gatos Observer November 5, 2012 at 01:44 am
On Los Gatos Blvd, there is Trader Joe's, Nob Hill, Whole Foods, and Lunardi's all within a few hundred yards of each other. And then there is Safeway either in town or 5 minutes towards San Jose.
But Nob Hill does a good job in competing and has really nice people working there. The company's terms do not look kind to employees - one week's paid holiday, nothing extra for working nights, etc., etc?
Sinclair November 5, 2012 at 04:14 am
I thought I'd have a quick trip to the corner market tonight pick up a couple of things, but it turned into two separate stops, one to Trader Joes and another CVS to get what I needed. I won't cross a Union picket.
Larry Arzie November 5, 2012 at 12:55 pm
Getting paid time and a half to work on Sunday, went out in the 60's. I can not see
where wages are being decreased. Paying higher wages than your neighbor and expecting to make a profit is a path to insolvency. Can someone explain why Nob Hill should pay workers for something no other market does? Equal pay plus equal benefits as the competition seems logical, in what looks to be a different world from now own.
Claudia Cruz (Editor) November 5, 2012 at 03:39 pm
@Larry, do you think that the employees at non-union supermarkets want to be paid less? Can supermarkets find other things to cut or other ways to generate revenue without cutting employee wages?
Patti November 5, 2012 at 05:42 pm
Larry- You need to read more about what is actually going on. ALL other union stores (Lucky's, Safeway, Lunardi's, Molly Stone's, Draeger's, just to name a few) are union stores and have agreed to the proposed contract which Nob Hill refuses to honor! On top of that, they claim that they are losing money but refuse to open their books to prove what they claim is in fact the truth.
Los Gatos Observer November 5, 2012 at 06:10 pm
Larry,
Equal pay plus equal benefits seems the logical way to approach this, as you say. Patti now seems to have addressed this very neatly. Thanks Patti. I passed my local Nob Hill this morning and gave the thumbs up to several of the workers there, many of whom I've known for years.
Larry Arzie November 5, 2012 at 07:17 pm
There is very little information out there except in the Mercury and on TV news.
They stress that employees are being paid time and a half for Sunday. Neither side has made their offers public. From what I can gleam Lucky's Safeway, etc. are not paying time and a half for sunday and that the Unions want Nob Hill to continue paying the time and a half plus sign on to the same contract that the others have done. Perhaps Patti has the inside track and can tell us all . As Observer so neatly paraphrased my comment : equal pay equal benefits is still my suggestion, especially at a time when things have changed for everyone else.
jewels November 5, 2012 at 09:07 pm
Comparing nob hill to Safeway and Lucky's is ludicrous! The latter two are subpar stores. Maybe lower cost for some items but the service is awful and most are unkept in appearance. There is also a lot of "riff raff" hanging around outside. Not a comfortable or safe feeling. Maybe I will try lunardis until the strike is resolved. I just cannot cross that picket line with a clean conscience
Daniel Skeen November 5, 2012 at 09:09 pm
I'm not going to shop at Nob Hill while this strike is on. I love the store but I respect the rank and file that work there even more. I can't believe that the owners are asking these families to take pay and benefit cuts for the sake of corporate profits.
Los Gatos Observer November 5, 2012 at 09:24 pm
But we are not comparing stores. Rather we are comparing pay and conditions for workers at the stores. However, if your point is that Nob Hill workers should earn more because they provide better service then I'd agree.
Los Gatos Observer November 5, 2012 at 09:27 pm
Yup, but the owners are doing just that of course.
Shirley Wilson November 6, 2012 at 02:26 am
I am a retired member of UFCW, 33 years service with Safeway Stores. I plan to join the pickets at Nob Hill in Martinez. Does anyone know who I can get in touch with as to when they need help with picketing? Days and hours?
Debbie Lawson November 6, 2012 at 02:38 am
Holding out for time and a half for Sundays while Safeway etc... Do not pay that? My young daughter pointed out to me that there are many unemployed people in this town that would love to work on Sunday or any day...
Manuel November 6, 2012 at 03:49 am
I would like to point out to all on comment blog that as a proud husband of a loyal union member and active Nobhill employee on the picket line; It is a hard decision and action all the families are taking to be fighting for their own rights for their future / healthy family upkeep.
I respect the Loyalty these family are showing to eachother and their current customers in their community. Please Research what their fighting for before commenting : www.ufcw5.org Their fight in a short explanation is to maintain current pay take home they have earned in their years of vesting into this company and Health Care coverage for them and recent retired members. Basically imagine being a loyal customer to your car insurance provider for years/decades and the day you actually need them the services you have paid into are not warranted.
Note Article
Just a short thought to get the word out quickly about anything in your neighborhood.
Share something with your neighbors. Write a new post... What's up? Make an announcement, speak your mind, or sell something
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Claudia Cruz (Editor) May 24, 2013 at 03:46 pm
Very cool!
Jeanne Sanders May 29, 2013 at 12:20 pm
Hi Claudia; what is this business and where ???
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