Albertsons Rejects 'Me Too' Contract in Calif.

ELLIOT ZWIEBACH

FULLERTON, Calif. — Albertsons here was offered the opportunity to sign a "me too" contract with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union in Southern California but declined, a chain spokesman told SN.

"We do not enter into 'me too' agreements anywhere in our company," the spokesman said. "The issues at stake are too important to us, and we did not feel it was in our company's best interests to enter into a contract agreement that we would have no input on.

"Instead, we are at the bargaining table working hard to reach a fair agreement that will be good for employees, our customers and our business."

Albertsons is owned by Supervalu, Minneapolis.

Stater Bros. and Gelson's, two locally based chains, have historically signed "me too" agreements that require them to accept whatever terms are negotiated between the UFCW and the three major chains — Albertsons, Kroger-owned Ralphs and Safeway-owned Vons.