On the heels of an overwhelming strike vote at Raley’s/Nob Hill, Northern California grocery workers are continuing to mobilize for a new contract. UFCW members at Lucky/SaveMart, Raley’s/Nob Hill and Safeway, as well as their retired sisters and brothers, are joining forces with community allies and elected officials. They are bringing the fight for a settlement that preserves affordable healthcare and good jobs directly to store management.

At 7am on the morning of May 17, delegations will board buses in Novato, Salinas and Vacaville for an important mission. On their way to a late afternoon rally in San Jose, riders will stop at stores along their route and present letters to store management, addressed to the companies' CEOs, calling for a settlement that is equitable and just and soon in coming. Delegations will make it clear to management that support for grocery workers amongst fellow union members and community members is high.

When the buses carrying the delegations reach UFCW Local 5 headquarters in San Jose, they will be greeted by more members from the stores. At 4pm they will walk across the street to Cesar Chavez Park where they will join CWA members from AT&T, UNITE HERE members from the Hilton and SEIU-USWW members from some of California’s biggest janitorial contractors, all of whom have ongoing contract disputes. After a few words from the union leaders and elected officials, workers will become marchers and proceed to the AT&T building on Almaden for further action.

For more information on UFCW Local 5’s efforts to get a good contract for members in Northern California’s grocery industry, visit www.ufcw5.org and www.supportgroceryworkers.com, where you can sign a pledge card to support the effort, adopt a store, and sign up for texts and emails. To sign up to get on a bus, click here. We also invite you to follow us on Twitter, visit our Facebook page and download the UFCW 5 smartphone app.