Puget grocers, union reach deal

SEATTLE – Puget Sound-area grocers and unions representing about 14,000 workers have reached tentative agreement on a contract.

The agreement reached Saturday with Safeway, Albertsons and Kroger-owned QFC and Fred Meyer stores comes after nearly four months of negotiations and four days of intensive talks. The previous contract expired three months ago.

“The tentative agreement preserves affordable health care, protects livable wages, healthy pension plans and prevented the introduction of a two-tier system,” Dan Kully said in a statement released by the United Food and Commercial Workers.

Since talks began April 15, the two sides had been arguing over proposed reductions in health benefits and a two-tier wage structure that would place new employees on a lower pay scale.

The two sides would not discuss details of the proposed pact, pending notification of union members. No date had been set for a ratification vote.

The agreement covers UFCW Locals 44, 81, 381 and 1105, as well as Teamsters Local 38. An additional 11,000 Western Washington grocery workers are covered by contracts that will expire later this year.

“This agreement is likely to be a model for the remaining contracts,” said Melinda Merrill, a spokeswoman for the grocery chains.

Pierce and Thurston County grocery employees represented by UFCW Local 367 pulled out of the talks Tuesday and will negotiate their own contract, Merrill said.

A federal mediator was called in when talks stalled in late June.

Earlier this year, Southern California grocery workers struck for 4 1/2 months. A 1989 Seattle-area strike and lockout lasted almost three months.

During this year’s talks, the grocery chains said increased medical costs would force them to reduce benefits in the new contract. The stores currently pay 100 percent of employees’ health insurance.

The union proposed that workers pay $3 a week for individual coverage and $10 a week for a family.