Washington, DC – The following is a statement from the UFCW regarding the resolution of the Raley’s and Nob Hill strike: 

“Today, grocery workers around the country are acknowledging the tremendous resolve and solidarity of Raley’s and Nob Hill workers who took tremendous risk to protect middle class grocery jobs. Nearly a million union grocery workers and their families count on grocery jobs that provide meaningful benefits and a middle-class paycheck. The fight in California was truly a fight against lowering the bar in this industry, and worker solidarity with loyal customers and allies from around the labor movement secured a real victory for grocery workers.”

“Workers at Raley’s and Nob Hill stores in Northern and Central California ended their nine-day strike against the company today when a tentative agreement was reached between Raley’s/Nob Hill management and members of UFCW Local 5 and UFCW Local 8.”

“More than 7,000 UFCW members went on strike against the grocery chain on Sunday, Nov. 4 after 15 months of highly contentious bargaining.”

“Ordinarily, the terms of a tentative agreement are not released prior to the members having an opportunity to vote. However, UFCW Locals 5 and 8 confirmed that Raley’s agreed to retain and fund the union’s health benefit plan, the same plan agreed to by Save Mart and Safeway.”

“The settlement will be submitted to members of UFCW Locals 5 and 8 for review and ratification. The proposed agreement also will be submitted to workers at Raley’s Bel Air chain.”

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The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) represents more than 1.3 million workers, primarily in the retail and meatpacking, food processing and poultry industries. The UFCW protects the rights of workers and strengthens America’s middle class by fighting for health care reform, living wages, retirement security, safe working conditions and the right to unionize so that working men and women and their families can realize the American Dream. For more information about the UFCW’s effort to protect workers’ rights and strengthen America’s middle class join our online community at http://www.facebook.com/ufcwinternational and https://twitter.com/UFCW.

Our social networks have been overflowing this week with messages of support from workers and allies across the U.S. and around the world. You can add your voice by joining our online community on Facebook and Twitter.

Here’s some of what people had to say:

“I’ve been with Walmart for six years, and in that time, my co-workers and I have given our heart and soul to this company. Yet we have not gotten the respect we deserve. This past year I joined with thousands of other Associates to build OUR Walmart, an organization created to speak out against unfair working conditions such as poverty paychecks, disrespect, and erratic schedules,” explained Walmart Associate Venanzi Luna. “Instead of listening, Walmart has responded by trying to silence and retaliate against those who speak out. I went on strike at the Pico Rivera store to tell Walmart that their attempts to silence my coworkers won’t be tolerated. Now others are going on strike too. We’re not going to be intimidated.”

For close observers of Walmart news, this strike comes as no surprise. Discontent has been growing amongst workers for quite some time and has recently come to a head throughout the supply chain. The initial bold action of a store strike in Los Angeles has inspired workers in Dallas and around the nation. The workers, like their counterparts before them, are on strike to protest Walmart’s unlawful retaliation against workers who were speaking out for change.

You can show your support for these workers by signing our solidarity letter. You can also get breaking news on the work stoppages on Twitter at @ChangeWalmart and @UFCW using #walmartstrikers.

Over the last year, Walmart workers have been organizing through the Associate-led Organization United for Respect at Walmart. Rather than meeting with these workers to discuss their concerns about staffing levels, benefits, wages, above-all-else respect in the workplace, their calls for change have fallen on deaf ears. Instead of being responsive, Walmart has met these calls with attempts to silence Walmart workers from speaking out. The company has unlawfully retaliated against workers who have spoken out through the organization through such unlawful acts as unfair disciplinary action, cutting back hours and even termination.

But workers have had enough. You can stand with these brave workers by signing a letter to show your support for their efforts to stand up to the world’s largest retailer. Sign below, or by clicking here.

Check out their rally right here:

Forget Joe the Plumber. One of America’s real working class heroes is Jeff the truck driver.

Jeff Wallace, 43, has been on the picket lines for six weeks. He’s fighting for good healthcare for his kids and to make sure he has something to walk away with when he retires from his grueling job for Oak Harbor Freight Lines in Seattle, where he’s worked for about 14 years.

This week Jeff was hit on the picket line by a replacement worker in a pick-up truck who then drove away. Jeff went to the hospital but said he’s still not giving up. He’ll stay out on the line as long as it takes.

Huffington Post

Oak Harbor workers, members of the Teamsters, have been on strike now for over 8 weeks. This holiday season, send a message of support. Tell Oak Harbor to do the right thing, stop violating worker’s rights.