200 El Super union workers rally for protections from immigration raids

About 200 union food workers with El Super Markets in Southern California rallied Tuesday, Nov. 25 at the Slauson Avenue store in Los Angeles, seeking improved wages and protections from immigration raids.

The labor contract between the United Food and Commercial Workers Locals 324 (Buena Park) and 770 (Los Angeles) — which together represent 700 of 5,000 workers with the Latino supermarket chain — expired April 16, said Bertha Rodriguez, a spokeswoman with UFCW Local 770.

After seven months of negotiation, the union rejected a company offer of wage increases ranging from one penny to 22 cents hourly. The union also is seeking health and safety protections to prevent injuries, sufficient staffing and guaranteed work hours.

An El Super spokesperson was unavailable for comment.

Local 324 covers Orange County’s Anaheim store and Los Angeles County’s Santa Fe Springs supermarket.

Araceli Ortiz, a cashier with El Super, told food workers Tuesday that more protections are needed in communities facing immigration raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“By refusing to put basic immigration protections in our contract, El Super is siding with the cruelty that is devastating our families,” she said.

El Super Markets has 69 stores across California, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona and Texas. The chain is part of Mexican supermarket operator Chedraui USA Inc., which operates more than 380 stores under the El Super Markets, Fiesta Mart and Smart & Final banners. Commerce-based Chedraui is a unit of Grupo Commercial Chedraui, the third-largest retailer in Mexico.

In 2021, Chedraui bought Smart & Final from private equity owner Apollo Global Management for about $620 million, plus debt. In June, Chedraui announced the opening of a new 1.4-million-square-foot distribution facility in Rancho Cucamonga.

In 1997, El Super opened its first store in the U.S. in South Gate.