Nearly 80 members of UFCW Local 5 who work as delivery drivers for Imperfect Foods depots throughout Northern California ratified a new contract on August 26. Imperfect Foods is a tech-driven grocery startup that delivers surplus or “imperfect” produce and other food products directly to consumers across the country. The delivery drivers, who are based in the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento, joined our union in April of 2021.
The two-year contract, which will be in effect until January 2026, provides for retroactive wage structure improvements, additional paid holidays, and a guarantee on minimum hours, along with other changes sought by the UFCW Local 5 bargaining team.
The hard-won settlement comes after a long and difficult process that included a successful vote to recertify the union after a company-backed effort to end UFCW Local 5 representation at the company when the previous contract expired.
“That situation made us stronger as a union,” said Max Shaver, who is one of the workplace union leaders at Imperfect Foods. “Our members now communicate about workplace issues across the depots and everyone, including the small group who tried to bust the union, is happy with the result and we all understand that clearly, we are much better off thanks to Local 5.”