April 27

April 27, 2007

Across Montana Albertsons employees vote for strike authorization

UFCW Members of Locals 4 and 8 from across Montana gave strike authorization to its union leadership and negotiating committees in a show of solidarity.

For the last three weeks both UFCW Locals 4 and 8 have held strike authorization meetings for Albertsons employees, in a rare move for statewide unity. An overwhelming majority of those voting in various cities and towns gave the bargaining committee and the Union Leadership support to call a strike if necessary.

The vote, like the one in Southern California last month, doesn't mean the members will go on strike immediately. "It does sent a clear message to the employer that the issues that have been discussed by the bargaining committee during the last six months of statewide negotiations are the major concerns of the membership, also," says Sara Thody, President of UFCW Local 8.

UFCW Local 4 and Local 8 members work at Albertsons, owned by parent company Supervalu, at 34 grocery stores in 24 cities across Montana.

"Once the company realized that the voting had started and that we were getting good turnouts and support, the employers set more negotiation dates. I believe they got the message," says Nicolai Cocergine, President of UFCW Local 4 headquartered in Butte, Montana.

The membership of these locals took their cue from similar votes in the Northeast in February by UFCW members who work for Stop & Shop in New England, and from the Albertsons vote held by the UFCW Local unions in Southern California this March.

The next negotiations for Montana are set to take place April 30 and May 1 in Billings, Montana.