Safeway strike could happen as early as Saturday if agreement not reached

(KRON) — Safeway workers held a demonstration outside a Safeway location in Burlingame Wednesday afternoon ahead of a potentially looming strike. The workers, according to the UFCW Union Local 5, are seeking meaningful wage increases, better benefit funding and improvements to working conditions.

According to the union, Wednesday’s protest saw a huge turnout with workers and their allies “fired up” and demanding a “fair contract.” Wednesday’s protest in Burlingame followed a similar action last week in Pleasant Hill.

Earlier this week, KRON4 reached out to a Safeway spokesperson and received the following statement:

We remain committed to productive, good-faith negotiations with the UFCW locals in Northern California. We have scheduled bargaining sessions this week and continue to work with a federal mediator. While we are disappointed that the Unions have indicated the possibility of a strike at some of our stores, we fully respect our associates’ right to engage in collective bargaining.

We are working diligently to balance the needs of our associates and customers, maintain our position as a trusted choice in the market by delivering consistent value, and ensure the long-term sustainability of our business in a highly competitive grocery industry. We are hopeful a resolution will be reached soon, as we have in other parts of the country through successful collaboration with our union partners to secure agreements that recognize and reward our dedicated associates while supporting the company’s ongoing growth.

Throughout this process, our focus remains on providing exceptional service to our customers and fostering a positive, supportive work environment for our associates across the communities we serve.
– A Safeway spokesperson

If no agreement is reached by midnight Friday, up to 25,000 Northern California union Safeway workers could walk off the job Saturday.