Grocery Workers Ratify Contracts

Unionized grocery workers in the Sacramento Valley and other Northern California areas overwhelmingly ratified contracts negotiated last month with five supermarket chains, the union said.

The United Food and Commercial Workers reached accords Dec. 19 with Safeway Inc., Albertsons Inc. and Kroger Co. unit Ralphs and two days earlier with Raley’s Inc., which runs Raley’s and Bel Air markets.

Grocers are holding separate talks with unions in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Members of UFCW Local 588, representing about 30,000 Northern California workers, ratified the contracts by 83.2%, the union said in a statement.