On Friday at noon, Teamsters stepped out of the Union hall proud and excited for their victory.

With an overwhelming majority of votes, close to 500 Teamsters warehouse workers  at a Safeway distribution center in Auburn ratified a 5-year contract in a historic victory. The proposal was fully recommended by Local 117’s  bargaining committee.

After 27 grueling hours of negotiations on Friday, Jose Madrigal, a committee member with 15 years of experience working at Safeway, walked out of the Teamsters Hall beaming with pride. “Thanks to the effective team that we have, we have just achieved the best contract for us and our families. We work very hard to keep the grocery stores full and this contract reflects our labor,” he said.

The negotiations was a grueling affair with one stretch lasting 27 hours continuously.

This historic deal includes the best wage increase package yet for Safeway workers as well as full maintenance of benefits including the top-tier Teamsters medical plan, which means not a penny out of pocket for the workers on premiums over the next 5 years. With the previous contract expiring last week and the bargaining committee’s militant approach in their fight to protect their benefits, the company was placed under pressure to come to a swift agreement after several rounds of intense negotiations.

“In a coordinated effort between Locals 117 and 174, we were able to ensure long-security for the workers in an uncertain time when a behemoth like Kroger is trying to acquire them. Now it is locked in for 5 years to make sure their benefits are intact,” said Teamsters 117 Secretary-Treasurer Paul Dascher as the deal was reached. “We were able to make over 75 improvements to the language, all of which elevate quality of life for workers at Auburn Safeway.”

"It’s hands down the best contract we’ve ever had. With this new contract, our jobs are secure for five years regardless of the threat of the upcoming merger, and the maintenance of benefits for us is huge!"

The negotiations process was intensified as it was announced on Tuesday, July 9, that the distribution center in Auburn is on a divestiture list to be sold to C&S Wholesale Grocers as part of a planned merger between Kroger and Albertsons. C&S is a grocery conglomerate originating from the east coast with a shady record of union busting and outsourcing union jobs. This mega-merger has been challenged by the Federal Trade Commission, the State of Washington, and the State of Colorado. However, if it does go through, it has the potential to harm the workers who make this operation successful and the consumers who shop at the stores in our region. During the bargaining process, it was imperative that the new Safeway contract included strong language protecting the workers and maintaining their hard-earned benefits.

This is the fifth contract that forklift driver Mike Holden is taking part in: “It’s hands down the best contract we’ve ever had. In the middle of our bargaining, the news dropped that our warehouse could be sold to C&S, which is not a great employer. With this new contract, our jobs are secure for five years regardless of the threat of the upcoming merger, and the maintenance of benefits for us is huge,” he commented.

Achieving equity among the different classifications at the warehouse was also a top priority. As a result, this deal has elevated groups which have been falling behind previously such as the liquor workers who move product that is heavy and fragile, but the company has been paying less than the rest of the crew. Now they are brought to parity in pension and wages and are no longer treated like second-class workers.

Crystel Mulipola is a mom of two kids who has worked in inventory control for almost 5 years. She used to be in one of the residual, non-unionized units at Safeway, but last August her group organized and joined Teamsters. This contract negotiation matched the wages and benefits of inventory control workers with the rest of the group. “It was eye-opening to me to be part of the negotiations because I can see how the company tries to downplay the critical role that we play in the warehouse. Joining the union has absolutely changed my life for the better,” said Mulipola.

Crystel Mulipola (r) and Mike Holden (l) agree that this is the best contract Teamsters have achieved at Safeway in decades.

Safeway is one of the largest private sector bargaining units at Teamsters Local 117, a union that represents around 17,000 workers across Washington state.