Union members of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) in Southern California and the Pacific Northwest have voted this week to authorize a worker strike against Kroger and Albertsons stores, Supermarket News reported. 

This collective action involved approximately 60,000 workers across multiple regions and represents the largest coordinated strike authorization in UFCW history, as reported by Labor Notes.

The workers' demands include staffing increases and improvements to wages and benefits. Additionally, union members have raised concerns about unfair labor practices such as surveillance, intimidation, and retaliation during the bargaining process.

In Colorado, UFCW Local 7 members working at Safeway and Albertsons stores authorized an unfair labor practices strike last week. The union issued a 72-hour strike notice and canceled a current contract extension, effective at 11:59 p.m. on Saturday. Workers at Kroger-owned King Soopers and City Market stores in Colorado may also be preparing to strike, following a two-week strike earlier this year over similar issues.

In Indiana, Kroger workers rejected the company's latest contract proposal but have not yet authorized a strike. Nationwide, over 150,000 UFCW and Teamsters grocery workers are involved in negotiations for new agreements. Worker support for strikes remains high, with a reported 99% approval in the Denver metropolitan area, according to UFCW Local 7.

“Albertsons is proposing major cuts to workers’ healthcare benefits and threatening the financial security of pension beneficiaries, while refusing to address ongoing understaffing issues,” Kim Cordova, president of UFCW Local 7, was quoted as saying.

In San Diego, more than 90% of UFCW Local 135 members voted to authorize a strike, with negotiations scheduled to continue later this month.

Both Kroger and Albertsons representatives have stated that they are committed to good-faith bargaining. A Kroger spokesperson emphasized the company's commitment to achieving favorable outcomes through negotiation, citing its recent offer of market-leading wages, healthcare, and pension benefits. 

Similarly, Albertsons expressed respect for workers’ rights to collective bargaining and commitment to reaching a fair agreement that balances employee interests and company competitiveness.