A tentative agreement between Safeway and two United Food and Commercial Workers unions has averted what would have been the first regional strike against the grocery chain in nearly 30 years, union officials said on Friday.
The deal covers 16,000 grocery workers across the Bay Area, including employees at seven Safeway locations in Santa Cruz County.
The agreement, reached just hours before workers were set to strike, comes after five months of negotiations between the company and UFCW Locals 5 and 648. It includes wage increases, pension improvements, scheduling protections, and enhanced healthcare contributions, though specific terms won’t be released until after union members vote on ratification.