US supermarket chain Ralphs, a division of Kroger, has announced that it has been notified by the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union that a new labour contract covering 70,000 supermarket associates in Southern California has been ratified by union members, ending a 141-day work stoppage.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


The labour dispute between members of the UFCW and Albertsons, Safeway’s Vons and Kroger’s Ralphs centred on plans by the retailers to make workers contribute more to health care costs.


Ralphs said that the new three-year agreement covers more than 19,000 Ralphs workers in 300 stores in Southern California and that it plans to recall its workers this week.


“Under the new agreement, Ralphs associates will continue to receive very competitive wages and benefits. The agreement also allows Ralphs to manage its overall costs by addressing soaring health care costs and competitive issues the company faces,” Ralphs said.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact