Giant, Safeway, and Fairfax Connector union members plan to strike

The Safeway on Little River Turnpike in Annandale.

Local 400 of the United Food & Commercial Workers Union is planning a strike against Giant and Safeway over the companies’ failure to meet employees’ wage and benefit needs.

The union is holding a rally and press conference at a Safeway in Washington, D.C., today at 11 a.m. “to announce our plan to take a strike vote at Giant and Safeway if we are unable to reach a fair contract,” UFCW Local 400 states.

A strike would affect more than 25,000 grocery workers at hundreds of stores in the region. The date of the vote will be announced at the press conference.

Update, Feb. 10: Local 400 reached a tentative agreement with Giant and plans to meet on March 5 to vote on a strike with Safeway.

“After five months of negotiations with Giant and Safeway, we are still not close to a deal on a new union contract,” Local 400 states.

According to the union, “both companies are insisting on unacceptable proposals.” Giant and Safety want to:

• freeze new workers in D.C. and Maryland at minimum wage for the next three years;
• keep part-timers hired after Oct. 30, 2013, at a maximum of 24 hours per week, making them ineligible for benefits;
• establish top-of-scale increases far below other parts of the country;
• impose immediate cuts to healthcare funding;
• impose large increases to weekly premiums for healthcare;
• and cut future pension benefits.

In other employment news, Local 1764 of the Amalgamated Transit Union is considering another strike against Transdev, the company that operates the Fairfax Connector bus system for the Fairfax County government. The strike could happen as early as Feb. 20.

“Transdev has once again pushed our members to the brink,” says ATU International President John Costa. “While we remain committed to negotiating with Transdev to reach a fair and just contract, we are disappointed that Fairfax County hasn’t stepped in as promised to ensure Transdev gives our members – who serve their community – the fair contract they deserve.”

“We are once again left with no other option but to strongly consider walking off the job again later this week,” Costa says.

Early last December, more 500 Fairfax Connector workers went on strike for four days. Transdev was able to only operate 15 routes on a Sunday service during the strike, meaning 84 percent of service was shut down, the union says.

The workers agreed to go back to work after Fairfax County officials intervened with a promise to help the parties reach a fair and just contract or hold a vote declaring Transdev in breach of its contract. Neither of those things happened.

Related story: Fairfax Connector workers end their strike, as negotiations continue

Another strike that lasted two-and-half months involving ATU Local 689 members who work at WMATA’s Cinder Bed Road bus garage ended Jan. 14 after WMATA agreed not to renew Transdev’s contract at that facility.

The National Labor Relations Board is still investigating 40 separate unfair labor practice complaints from Local 1764 charging that Transdev violated federal law by failing to bargain in good faith.

“It’s long overdue for Fairfax County to hold Transdev’s feet to the fire or get rid of them, just like WMATA did at Cinder Bed Road,” Costa said. “This union-busting multinational company knows no bounds in their lawlessness and complete disregard for federal labor law.”