Local unions representing 45,000 grocery store workers in Southern California voted on June 11 to authorize a strike against Ralphs, Albertsons, Vons, and Pavilion, alleging unfair labor practices.

The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) alleged in a press release that the grocery companies broke labor laws by engaging in unlawful surveillance, interrogation of members at union events, threats, and retaliation for union activity.

“This vote is a powerful message to Kroger and Albertsons: We are fed up with their union-busting tactics and unlawful behavior that disrespects workers, silences our voices, and stalls progress at the bargaining table,” the union said in the release.

Kroger, the parent company of Ralphs, did not immediately return a request for comment.

The union and grocery companies have three more bargaining dates set for June as they try to negotiate a new contract, according to UFCW Local 324. The old contract expired on March 2.

Issues that remain on the bargaining table are related to staffing and pay, the union said.

“For months, we’ve pushed for real solutions to short staffing, unsafe conditions, and unfair wages, and while we had some good discussions on staffing in this session, we still don’t have satisfactory results from Kroger and Albertsons,” UFCW stated.

The two sides remained “far apart” on providing support for families and other issues such as clerk’s helpers and increased health care premiums for department heads, according to union representatives.

A spokesperson for Albertsons, Vons, and Pavilions—all owned by Albertsons Companies—said the company is committed to continuing negotiations.

“We respect the rights of workers to engage in collective bargaining and remain committed to negotiating in good faith to reach an agreement that is fair to our employees, good for our customers, and allows our company to remain competitive,” Courtney Carranza, spokeswoman for Albertsons Companies, told The Epoch Times in an email on June 13.

Albertsons did not address the union’s allegations of labor law violations.

A worker at Ralphs returns a shopping cart to the store in Irvine, Calif., on Feb. 5, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

The union met with store officials in a bargaining session in Santa Ana on June 11.

The union has scheduled a rally for noon to 2 p.m. on June 20 outside multiple grocery stores along East Pacific Coast Highway in Long Beach “to show our employers that we’re ready to fight for the contract we deserve,” organizers posted on X on June 13.