A union representing Stater Bros. Market employees could launch a strike against the popular Southern California-based grocery store chain.
Some 12,000 store employees on Friday voted to strike unless a deal is settled during a two-day bargaining session slated to begin on July 30, according to United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1428.
If the strike proceeds, nearly 170 Stater Bros. markets could be affected, including High Desert stores in Adelanto, Apple Valley, Barstow, Hesperia, Phelan and Victorville.
The workers “overwhelmingly voted YES to authorize an Unfair Labor Practice strike “against Stater Bros. for “breaking the law by surveilling, interrogating, and discriminating against union members,” the union stated.
“This vote sends a strong message to Stater Bros.: We’ve had enough of their union-busting tactics that undermine workers and silence our voices,” union officials stated. “And if they thought Stater Bros.’ members could be scared away from standing up for our rights, they found out tonight that they are very, very wrong.”
The union said the yes vote prepares employees to take action if Stater Bros. continues to commit alleged unfair labor practices that undermine their rights.
“It does not mean we are on an Unfair Labor Practice strike right now,” the union stated. “If you walk off the job before the union declares a strike, you can be disciplined and/or fired. Remember, you will always be the first to know when we take action.”
Union representatives said a strike is always a last resort, and they will continue to push Stater Bros. to do the right thing.
The union said employees are “fed up with being overworked, disrespected, and undervalued.”
“An Unfair Labor Practice strike is always a last resort, and we will continue to push Stater Bros to do the right thing,” union officials said. “We’ve had enough of their union-busting tactics that undermine workers and silence our voices.”
In February, Stater Bros. laid off a total of 63 clerks at four stores in Southern California, the first time in the company’s 89-year history, and blamed inflation and tariffs for the decision, the Daily Press reported.
During that time, Stater Bros. Chief Executive Pete Van Helden, in a video released by the Los Angeles Times, stated that it’s not a secret that in the last four years, “significant inflation” has affected the industry.
In the video, Van Helden said the layoffs were to “hold the line on prices” and not affect Stater Bros. customers.
He also shared ideas to reduce costs at the 171-store chain, including slashing labor and electricity costs.
Van Helden explained that retail prices at Stater Bros. increased about 30% in the last four years.
He added that with the tariffs, and “more to come, it’s likely that inflation is going to take off even above the 4.5% we’re seeing now.”
After paying labor costs, rent, utilities and fuel, the gross profit margin for Stater Bros. is 3 cents per dollar, not counting taxes, he said.
As inflation impacts customers, they are purchasing less at Stater Bros. and some have chosen to shop at “lower priced” competitors like Walmart, Aldi, Target and dollar stores, Van Helden added.
“The other common thing is that they’re all non-union, and frankly, that’s how they sell their products at a lower price,” Van Helden said. “They pay their teammates less, they pay less benefits and they take that savings and they plow it into pricing.”
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Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on X @DP_ReneDeLaCruz
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Stater Bros. Market employee strike could affect High Desert stores on heels of layoffs
Reporting by Rene Ray De La Cruz, Victorville Daily Press / Victorville Daily Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
