Grocery workers to vote on tentative contract agreement Tues., Wed.

SEATTLE -- Grocery workers in the Puget Sound region will vote Tuesday and Wednesday on their tentative contract agreement reached with four major food chains just two hours short of a strike deadline on Monday night, a union spokesman announced Thursday.

The results of the rank-and-file vote will be available Thursday, Oct. 31, said Tom Geiger, communications director of  Local 21 of the United Food and Commercial Workers union.

The tentative agreement with representatives of the Safeway, Albertsons, QFC and Fred Meyer food stores in the region was reached at 5 p.m. Monday.  A strike had been set to occur at 7 p.m. if an agreement had not been reached. The union negotiating team unanimously recommended the tentative agreement, but it must still be approved by the 21,000 workers.

"These meetings (next Tuesday and Wednesday) are for union grocery store members in King, Snohomish, Kitsap, Pierce, Mason and Thurston counties working at the big chain and independent stores," Geiger said. "Members can come by at any time during the scheduled times to review the contract offer and get questions answered before casting their vote."

All meetings are from: 8 AM – Noon & 4 PM – 8 PM unless otherwise noted.

Tuesday, October 29

Wednesday, October 30