North Texas union truck drivers threaten strike over fair wages and autonomous semi concerns
A strike is looming between Albertsons' truck drivers and the company. On Monday, the Teamsters Local Union 745, representing the majority of Albertsons truck drivers in the metroplex, voted to strike.
The union represents over 90 drivers across Dallas and Fort Worth, which is about 90% of the company's local drivers' fleet.
Michael Perez, an organizer, and assistant business representative with Local 745, said their drivers have been working without a contract since Saturday.
Tom Thumb, Randall's, Albertsons union truck drivers preparing for strike
The union is preparing for a potential strike against Albertsons and its banner companies, including Tom Thumb and Randall's, saying they've been trying to negotiate a fair contract with them since February.
"Our drivers are very frustrated," Perez said. "Basically, they're not listening to their voice. These are hard-working men and women, and they just want to come to work and do their job and get a fair wage with fair benefits for their jobs going forward."
Along with pushing for better benefits, Perez said union members want job security amid the rise of driverless semis. Union leadership said Albertsons management is pushing to include contract language that would allow the use of autonomous trucks.
"When you take the driver out of it, and you take the professional out of it, and you just leave it in the hands of a computer or something we're not fans of that, and I honestly don't feel that anyone who drives a vehicle or has a family shouldn't want that," he said. "That is a big concern for the community, but I don't know about y'all, but I don't want my family, my wife, and my kids, and my grandkids, on the same road as a truck, an 80,000-pound vehicle, without a driver involved."
CBS News Texas contacted Alberton's corporate office to ask about its use of autonomous drivers; they declined to comment. We also asked what their plan is to get groceries to stores if a strike happens; the company did not reply.
"There could definitely be a delay in food getting to the grocery store and to your table," Perez said. "They would probably hire subcontractors, which are inexperienced drivers."
In a statement, a spokesperson for the company said, "At Albertsons companies, we are committed to productive discussions with Teamsters Local 745. We respect the rights of workers to engage in collective bargaining and are negotiating in good faith to reach an agreement that is fair to our employees, good for our customers and allows our company to remain competitive."
But these truck drivers aren't standing down.
"We're not going to stop until we get what we're after, and what these men and women that drive for them deserve," said Perez.
Union leadership said much of what they're asking for are job protections that other unions at Albertsons locations across the country already have. With the union authorizing a strike, it could come at any time.
