On Wednesday, May 7, 2025, UFCW 99 President Jim McLaughlin hosted a live telephone town hall to discuss upcoming contract negotiations, our campaign to organize Albertsons, and much more. For those who were unable to attend, below is the full recording of the call as well as an abbreviated call summary.
UFCW Local 99 Telephone Town Hall Summary
Upcoming Industry Contract Negotiations
I want to remind you all that in little more than 300 days, the union contract with your employers will expire. For those of you who are new to the Union, here’s a quick summary of why your contract is expiring and what we can expect over the next few months:
- As you know, your contract covers important aspects of your work life: wages, benefits, health and welfare, pension, working conditions, scheduling, holidays, vacations, and more.
- Your current contract — overwhelmingly ratified by the membership almost three years ago — expires in March 2026.
- It’s industry standard to set a fixed contract expiration date because regular negotiations help ensure fairness as the industry evolves.
Before we begin contract discussions, we need to hear from you. We’ve sent out our first questionnaire regarding contract negotiations and look forward to your feedback. Our ability to negotiate a strong tentative agreement depends entirely on our membership’s strength. The more union members we have at Fry’s, Safeway, Smith’s, and Albertsons, the more power we’ll have at the bargaining table.
Albertsons Organizing Campaign
Albertsons and Safeway are the same company operating different locations across the state. Just under 30 stores are branded Albertsons, and 28 of them don’t have union representation. We believe it’s unfair that Safeway workers enjoy better wages, job security, and benefits, while Albertsons workers do not. That’s why this year we’re dedicated to bringing a strong voice to Albertsons workers across Arizona.
Over the last few months, we’ve heard loud and clear that Albertsons workers deserve a seat at the table. To organize Albertsons and boost our union’s negotiating power by thousands of voices, there’s still a lot of work to do. If you work at Albertsons and want to get involved in our fight for dignity, respect, and better wages and working conditions, please reach out to the Local 99 Organizing Department at (602) 251-0454. We’ll put you in touch with an organizer.
Health & Welfare Update: New Biometric Screening Process
Last year, we transitioned to Optum, which unfortunately didn’t deliver on promises to provide immediate access to our Health & Welfare Trust Fund services. This year, we’ve moved to Southwest Service Administrators, our Health & Welfare Trust Fund administrator, who will take over on June 1. We’ve asked them to build a better, easier-to-use program, and we hope you’ll find it an improvement.
Upcoming Retiree Seminars
For those approaching retirement age, we’re hosting three seminars in August to discuss pensions, navigating Medicare, and more. They’re tentatively scheduled as follows:
- Tuesday, August 12 in Flagstaff
- Wednesday, August 13 in Phoenix
- Thursday, August 14 in Tucson
Invitations will go out soon—stay tuned for details.
Upcoming Steward Seminars
We’ll hold two stewards conferences—one in Phoenix and one in Tucson—in September for our stewards and activists. Dates are still being finalized. With contract negotiations right around the corner, we need all our leaders informed and ready to hit the bargaining table strong.
Retirement of UFCW International President Marc Perrone
I recently learned that President Marc Perrone, who has led and supported our international union through unprecedented times, plans to retire. He’s been a friend to this local for many years. Please join me in wishing him all the best in retirement.
