Grocery store workers are rallying for corporate officials to give into their demands.
Many grocery store employees of the Santa Clarita Valley and more are demanding higher wages, better benefits, and more staffing.
United Food and Commercial Workers locals ended negotiations without reaching an agreement before the existing contract expired on March 6th.
Given the service grocery store workers provided during the worst of the pandemic, the workers demand better wages and more.
“The companies were thriving, but our workers didn’t thrive,” a grocery worker said. “Know what our workers got? COVID. Attacked. Beat up. Spit on. Slapped. Overworked. And the company? They did great. They did absolutely great, sitting behind their desk doing their job by Zoom.”
(Photograph by Vanessa Roque)
Officials say the average wage for its nearly 30 thousand employees in California are $19 an hour and when adding the cost of healthcare and pension, the total compensation per employee is $25 an hour.
While officials have made several wage proposals, the union continues to propose very costly items that impact the ability to meet customers’ needs and remain competitive.
“We’ve been loyal to you, It’s time for you to be loyal to us”, a grocery worker says.
