Raley's Employees Strike Over Proposed Changes to Overtime Pay, Benefits

Raley’s employees walked off the job Sunday morning after failed negotiations over health and overtime benefits over the past year.

The strike was announced on the UFCW 8-Golden State website Saturday night and includes some 7,000 employees at Raley’s and Nob Hill stores in Northern and Central California, including in Petaluma.

Raley’s management has recently proposed a series of changes to contracts including a permanent elimination of wage premiums for working nights, Sundays and holidays, and creating two distinct classes of workers — those hired after the next contract is ratified and those hired before.

“For 15 months Raley’s has tried to dictate a laundry list of takeaways including devastating members’ and retirees’ health and welfare plan and nothing has changed,” wrote union president Jacques Loveall.