Amador County – Regional union workers of Raley’s groceries have voted to support a strike and will go into bargaining Friday, June 8 with management and a federal mediator.

The Northern Region of Raley’s includes 7,750 union employees represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 8, including employees in Jackson.

Raley’s and workers reached an impasse in March and the sides have not spoken since, and Raley’s has requested a federal mediator, according to Local 8. An extension to Raley’s employees’ contracts expired Wednesday, June 6.

John Segale, a spokesman for Raley’s Northern Region said Thursday the Jackson store’s employees are members of the Local 8 United Food and Commercial Workers union, and they had the opportunity to vote this week on the strike issue. He was not sure whether or not they voted. He said 81 employees work at the Jackson Raley’s, including 75 who are union members.

Segale said we’re meeting tomorrow morning (Friday, June 8) with a federal mediator. Both sides will meet and this is the only negotiation session planned at this point. Employee contracts are on a day-to-day extension.

Segale said the contracts will likely be extended through the of end month. During the extension, employees receive full benefits and wages. ¶ Raley’s Northern California and Nevada has 7,750 union employees and 3,125 non-union employees, Segale said. As a company, it has a total of 13,000 employees, including in management, warehouse, trucking, pharmacy and meat cutting.

Segale said Raley’s negotiators will be working toward a peaceful resolution, and he thought it was clear employees do not want to strike, the management does not want a strike, and customers do not want a strike, “but we must reduce our operation expenses to become more competitive.”

He said he is familiar with Jackson, facing competition from new, non-union retailers. Segale said in the Northern California Raley’s territory, they have had more than 200 non-union stores open since 2007, when their last contract was agreed to.

Segale said the Northern Region includes California and Northern Nevada, from the coast to northern Nevada, and from the Oregon border to Madera County. In the region, he said 209 non-union retail outlets have opened since 2007. In comparison, Raley’s operates 131 stores in the region, including 115 in California, and 16 in Nevada.

Jacques Loveall, president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 8 released a statement saying Raley’s is trying to spin results of the strike vote. He said “8 out of 10 Union members working at Raley’s and Nob Hill voted, in an overwhelming turnout, to support the Union calling a strike, if necessary.”

The company has said 30 percent of workers voted “no” on the strike. Loveall said “once again they are posturing instead of bargaining.”

Loveall said “we remain confident cooler heads can still prevail.” He said the contract is on a day-to-day extension requiring three days’ advance notice by either party to cancel,” and “a bargaining session is set for Friday, June 8 with the federal mediator.”

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.