New Mexico union workers, Smith’s reach tentative contract agreement

The union representing thousands of New Mexico grocery store workers announced it reached a tentative agreement on a new contract with Smith’s and that it plans to talk with Albertsons officials later this week in an attempt to reach a similar deal.

The contract, which United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1564 President Greg Frazier said will span four years, still requires a vote by union members. That vote will take place sometime in the next week, Frazier said. UFCW Local 1564 represents roughly 2,500 Smith’s workers across New Mexico and 1,200 Albertsons employees.

The tentative agreement follows a strike authorization by the union’s members late Friday — about 97% voted in favor — and also unfair labor practice charges against the Smith’s and Albertsons grocery chains earlier this month.

Frazier said the contract includes pay increases for workers and “addresses a couple of areas that were very important to them,” but he declined to comment further because the union has not yet informed its other members of the terms.

“They were very happy to see the company working well with them, and everything ended very well,” Frazier said, who added that a 16-member committee made up of Smith’s workers helped broker the deal with company officials starting late Monday and into the early morning of Tuesday.

Following the new contract with Smith’s, Frazier said the union would withdraw its unfair labor practice charges against the company but keep them in place against Albertsons.

A Smith’s spokesperson confirmed a deal had been reached with UFCW Local 1564.

“The agreements recognize our associates for their hard work by delivering significant wage increases in addition to affordable health care and pension benefits,” Smith’s spokesperson Tina Murray said. “Union members will be voting on the agreements during upcoming bargaining-unit meetings. Once the agreements are ratified, details on the new contracts will be shared.”

UFCW Local 1564 will meet with Albertsons officials starting Thursday in hopes of striking a similar agreement, Frazier said. Albertsons declined to comment on the new development between the New Mexico union and Smith’s.

If the union can strike a deal with Albertsons later this week, it will be a big win for UFCW Local 1564. In its charges against Albertsons and Smith’s, the union accused the companies of colluding during contract talks despite a failed merger between their parent companies late last year.

The charges also accused Albertsons and Smith’s — owned by Albertsons Cos. and Kroger Co., respectively — of failing to provide information the union requested to negotiate new contracts and of refusing to arbitrate grievances that have arisen under the current agreements set to expire on Saturday.

Frazier said the existing contracts date back to 2022.

Elsewhere in the region, United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 members in Colorado have entered their second week on strike against Safeway and parent company Albertsons, impacting stores in Denver, Colorado Springs and Grand Junction, the Denver Post reported. There, striking workers accuse Albertsons of refusing to negotiate on their contract demands.