Following months of complex negotiations, Raley's stores operating under the Raley’s, Bel Air and Nob Hill banners in Northern and Central California have come to a tentative agreement with the union representing 4,400 of its associates.

“The three-year agreement includes improved funding of pension benefits, enhanced health care benefits with no employee premiums, and significant wage increases,” noted Jacques Loveall, president of Roseville, Calif.-based United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) 8-Golden State, adding that he saw the contract as “one of our best ever, a big ‘win’ for Union members.”

Loveall also said that the agreement provided workers at the three banners meaningful compensation for their work during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as featuring a Crisis Response addendum affirming health and safety procedures to best ensure the well-being of associates and shoppers alike.

Further details won’t be made public until the UFCW 8-Golden State members who would be covered by the contract have the opportunity to review and ratify it.

On March 21, Raley’s revealed its intention to give what it called “a one-time reward” for all of its hourly employees, in recognition of “the dedication team members have shown across store operations and other support services throughout the past two weeks.”

Tied to individual hours worked, the amount, which will be given out April 3, will vary but is expected to be around $500 per associate.

At the same time, the grocer “reaffirmed [its] commitment to team member safety” through such measures as ongoing sanitation, an emphasis on social distancing, and supplementing pay and benefits for team members who have contracted COVID-19.

Raley’s has also hired 700 employees across the company footprint to handle the increased workload.

UFCW 8-Golden State represents around 35,000 members who work in grocery and drug stores, food-processing plants, distilleries, medical facilities and offices.

Privately owned and family-operated Raley’s operates 129 stores under five banners: Raley’s, Bel Air Markets, Nob Hill Foods, Food Source, and Market 5-ONE-5. The West Sacramento, Calif.-based company is No. 27 on Progressive Grocer’s 2019 Super 50 list of the top grocers in the United States.