Shoppers at local Raley's stores may notice something new this weekend: picket lines.
Employees of the store and sister chain Nob Hill went on strike Sunday after rejecting a contract offer from the company.
“We look forward to returning to the bargaining table when Raley’s management has adopted a more constructive attitude,” United Food and Commercial Workers Local 8 Presidents Jacques Loveall and Ron Lind said in a statement. “Our goal from the beginning is to negotiate a fair agreement serving the needs of both Raley’s and its Union employees.”
Raley's this weekend offered its employees its final-offer contract including the elimination of extra pay for working nights, Sundays and holidays, and the creation "of two distinct classes of workers — those hired after the next contract is ratified and those hired before," according to the union. A federal mediator was involved in the negotiations.
The Sacramento Bee reported the strike is the first in the 77-year history of Raley's, and noted that Bel Air employees are not affected because they haven't ratified a strike vote.
The union said its members will urge customers to shop at Safeway, Save Mart, and other union stores during the strikes.
Raley's has a store in Elk Grove at 4900 Elk Grove Blvd.
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Disclosure: Cody Kitaura is a former Bel Air employee and former member of the United Food and Commercial Workers union.
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