Reflections on the 2025 Contract Campaign: NorCal
Eric Marcuz is a receiver at Safeway in Redding, Calif. and a rank-and-file member of UFCW Local 8-GS. Eric shares his experience organizing with his coworkers to prepare for contract expiration, featured in Essential Voice.
Members wore yellow arm bands, buttons and accessories to show union strength while remaining within dress code regulations.
We have made it to the other side of the grocery contract season, and it is definitely a tale of two unions. From the rank-and-file perspective, through our new relationships with each other and Essential Workers for Democracy, we were able to connect, collaborate, and coordinate on a level not seen in the UFCW in recent memory. Members across locals, from shop stewards to Bargaining Committee members, were in constant communication while we ramped up toward strike action in each of our locals. This was amazing to see unfolding live, and it spoke to the true potential power that lies waiting to be activated in the UFCW.
But for me and my coworkers in Local 8, it was more of the same. A continuation of lackluster raises, maintaining the status quo, and a performative bluster from local leadership that left members confused and underwhelmed throughout.
For the members of Local 8, we got to see how much more transparent and member-friendly our neighboring locals are. From the open bargaining model in UFCW Local 7 to the coalition of seven locals in Southern California that formed the Grocery Workers Rising campaign, the members of UFCW Local 8 got to witness firsthand the difference between members who are invited to be involved in their locals and those who are not.
In Local 8, the only direction was to do what we were told. This meant being asked to blindly authorize a strike with zero bargaining details, including no proposals that had been made by our union or the company. With courage and conviction for a contract we deserved, we did it. Members were united and ready to strike to win the contract we needed, even when our local leadership refused to share what specific issues we were going to strike for.
This was a far cry from what we saw in other West Coast locals where every proposal and counterproposal was on display for members to see online. When it came time for members to vote, we noticed the differences between locals that had access to electronic voting, those who were able to vote at their stores, and those, like ours, who were asked to travel upwards of an hour to external voting locations. More than ever, members are aware of these barriers placed in our way by our union leadership and bureaucracy.
In Local 8, the rank and file knew that winning a strong contract takes time. We started more than six months before our contract expired, circulating a rank and file member-generated contract survey. We asked open-ended questions and understood what issues our coworkers were really facing. We used the survey and other workplace issues to create a massive communication network over Facebook, Discord, and YouTube called “At What Cost.”
The value of a group like At What Cost became obvious in the final hours of contract bargaining, when members had a million questions with little response from local leadership or representatives. We kept each other informed, united, and ready to walk when the clock struck midnight on our strike deadline — but unfortunately, our leadership settled without input from members.
In the end, the members of the Northern California locals were able to see the potential in national bargaining and coordination between locals. The membership was ready to show solidarity and strike alongside their sisters and brothers in Local 7 during the crucial Fourth of July holiday. As we look back and reflect on the direction we would like to take our union, I look forward to seeing new members and leaders rise and add their voice on the importance of strike-readiness. This is one of the four pillars of Essential Workers for Democracy. We need to have the power and the backing of our union to leverage our ability to withhold our labor. Together with EW4D, our fellow member-powered locals, and the rank and file of UFCW Local 8 getting involved to build a stronger union, I know we have a bright future ahead as we start the work towards our next contract in 2028.
Eric Marcuz
Redding, Calif.
UFCW Local 8, Safeway
Eric and his coworkers brought yellow duct tape to work for coworkers to DIY armbands and participate in the day of action.