Taking a Cue from Janus

Do you know how the month of January got its name? It comes from a curious-looking Roman god named Janus.

Janus, you see, had two faces. One of those faces had a beard and looked backward, while the other face, which was more youthful in appearance, looked forward. Thus, Janus represented the human inclination at the turn of the new year to reflect on the past 12 months while at the same time looking forward to the year ahead.

Let’s take a cue from Janus and look back on what our Union has done in 2025 and what we hope to accomplish in 2026.

Supermarket contracts: Among our greatest achievements of the past year were the agreements we negotiated for UFCW 8 members at the major supermarket chains, including Safeway/ Albertsons/Vons, Save Mart/ Food Maxx/ Lucky/Maxx Value, Raley’s/Bel Air/Nob Hill, Cost Less, Stater Bros. and most of the independent markets as well. These contracts featured meaningful wage increases and protection of our members’ health and pension benefits.

Those features alone are reasons to celebrate, but the contracts also include important language concerning safety and health at the workplace, as well as protections against potential job losses due to artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.

Reaching these agreements wasn’t easy. In some cases, we had to come to the members for permission to call a strike if the employers continued failing to negotiate in good faith. In every such case, the members of UFCW 8-Golden State responded with a courageous commitment to Union solidarity. Their “yes” votes provided the push we needed to get the employers to respect our demands for fair wages and dignity on the job. And when we submitted the tentative agreements to the members for ratification, they voted “yes” again.

Winery, Distillery and Food Processing: UFCW 8 members at E&J Gallo, Mission Bell Winery and Harris Ranch Beef voted to ratify outstanding new contracts with their employers, and our members at Foster Farms’ Lamona plant ratified their first agreement after several years of struggle. Meanwhile, UFCW 8 and the UFCW International Union are fighting to improve waivers from the United States Department of Agriculture allowing employers to increase line speeds at poultry and pork plants.

Organizing:  Employees at Purgatory, a popular bar in Tracy, voted unanimously to join UFCW 8-Golden State, which is engaged in negotiating their first contract. At the top of the new members’ list of priorities are protections against wage theft, wrongful termination, safety violations and a hostile work environment. UFCW 8 is also reaching out to non-Union workers at Foster Farms, and a rally at a Cost Less store in Turlock protested the company’s unfair treatment of an employee who was fired for pro-Union activity.

Rite Aid: This company’s bankruptcy, announced shortly following its agreement on a new contract with UFCW 8-Golden State, is a blow to the Union members who were employed by Rite Aid in our jurisdiction. Our Union is working tirelessly to ensure these workers’ rights under their contract and California law.

Steward Meetings: We conducted regional workshops for our Shop Stewards across the Golden State, providing valuable information to help these volunteers fulfill their duties as the eyes, ears and voices of their Union at the workplace.

Health Care and Pensions: UFCW 8 continues its nationally-recognized work to protect and enhance health care services and retirement security for the membership. Our network of Solidaritus health centers is growing across the state, with a third center opening in San Jose and more planned down the line. These facilities provide state-of-the-art care at little or no cost to Union members. Meanwhile, UFCW 8 continues to take a prominent role in CORPaTH, an international organization dedicated to preserving, protecting and promoting secure pensions.

Looking ahead: There is still more to be done in 2026 and we must all do our part. We will work hard to ensure candidates who share the values of working families will represent us in Congress. And when the winners take their seats in Washington, D.C. and Sacramento, we will keep a close eye on all of them to make certain they keep their promises. We’ll also monitor any potential legislation and policy initiatives which may have any effect, good or bad, on working people.

In addition, we will have important new contracts to negotiate in 2026.

In the spirit of Janus, let’s keep an eye on the lessons and accomplishments of the past even as we focus on our prospects in the future. As a Union, our priorities involve protecting and enhancing the wages, benefits and working conditions of our members. As we pursue those priorities, we expect to face new challenges, but we will grow, adapt and become stronger in the process.

Happy New Year from all of us at UFCW 8-Golden State!