Puget Sound grocery workers reject latest offer by employers; strike authorized

Central Puget Sound-area members of the UFCW have rejected a recent proposal by employers and have voted by a wide majority to authorize a strike.

The union, which represents workers at large grocery chains in the Pacific Northwest, agreed by 94-percent majority to authorize leadership to call a strike.

No strike has been announced.

“Difficult negotiations between workers and these big chains have been dragging on since they began nine months ago,” the union said in a release today. The release named Safeway, Albertsons, QFC and Fred Meyer as targets of the member’s disapproval.

“Now that the workers have spoken and rejected the current offer, clearly the employers will have to improve the contract proposal when negotiations resume,” the release said.

A resumption of negotiations was not announced.