Two bits of great news in a row! I like this week :-)
Grocery workers in Southern California (members of UFCW) have reached a tentative contract agreement with three major grocery chains:
Grocery workers in Southern California and three major supermarket chains reached a tentative agreement on a new contract, both parties said on Tuesday, ending fears that had loomed for months of a possible strike or lockout.
Nearly 65,000 supermarket workers from Bakersfield to the Mexican border have been negotiating since March with Ralphs, Albertsons and Vons and Pavilions, owned by Kroger Co., Supervalu Inc. and Safeway Inc., respectively, through their local unions and a federal mediator.
The agreement is important because it ends the possibility of a strike or a lockout, and gives the workers significant improvements in their benefits, such as reducing the amount of time required to qualify for health insurance from as long as eighteen months down to six. The agreement won't be official until the workers vote to approve it; a vote is expected soon.
Here's another good story on the agreement from the L.A. Times.
UPDATE (Thursday, July 19th) : President of Local 324 in Orange County and lead negotiator for the union Greg Conger is interviewed on All Things Considered
