Teamsters Demand Fair Contract from Ralphs as Negotiations Reach Critical Stage

Southern California Teamsters are calling on Ralphs Grocery Company—owned by Kroger, the nation's largest supermarket chain—to negotiate a fair contract that reflects the value of the workers who keep shelves stocked, families fed, and communities moving. After more than two months of bargaining, negotiations are at a critical point with the contract set to expire on Sunday, September 21, 2025.

Our members are the backbone of Ralphs' supply chain, said Lou Villalvazo, grocery chairman of Teamsters Joint Council 42. They deserve wages that keep up with the high cost of living, strong health and retirement benefits, and above all, job security in the face of corporate automation threats. Kroger is making billions—there's no excuse for shortchanging the workers who make those profits possible.

Key issues at stake include protecting jobs from automation, with Teamsters opposing the use of autonomous semi-trucks without a qualified commercial driver, citing serious safety risks to the public and the communities they serve. Other demands include fair pay that reflects the soaring cost of living in Southern California, maintaining and improving healthcare benefits for members and their families, and strengthening pensions to ensure dignity after decades of service.

The Teamsters emphasized that this fight is not only about protecting good union jobs but also about safeguarding community safety and the future of working families across Southern California. Kroger cannot balance its profits on the backs of workers and put the public at risk with unsafe automation, said Chris Griswold, president of Teamsters Joint Council 42. Ralphs runs because of Teamster drivers, warehouse, and distribution workers. Unless the company reaches a fair deal by September 21, our members are ready to act.

Teamsters Joint Council 42, representing 22 local unions and nearly 250,000 active and retired members across Southern California, Southern Nevada, Hawaii, and Guam, is at the forefront of this critical labor dispute. The outcome could set a precedent for labor relations in the grocery and retail sectors, impacting thousands of workers and highlighting the ongoing tension between corporate profitability and worker rights in an era of increasing automation.