Union solidarity leads to victory at Safeway Dairy: 1969

Members of Teamsters Local 246 of the Milk Drivers and Dairy Employees Union picket in front of the Safeway Dairy on the first day of a strike at 6830 Columbia Park Road, Landover, Md. June 9, 1969.

 

Five other dairies—Embassy, Thompson, Alexandria, Harvey and Sealtest—all settled before a strike deadline.

 

The union was relatively small in number and affected only Safeway’s Lucerne brand, but on June 17th, the clerks and meat cutters’ unions threw their support behind the drivers and urged their members not to cross picket lines.

 

Teamsters Local 639 also supported the strike, which limited deliveries of other food items to the stores.

 

This began limiting or shutting down many of the 160 Safeway stores across the region.

 

The settlement on July 25th provided for an increase in commission for drivers and wage increases for plant employees. The vote was 48-13 in favor of the proposed contract.

 

For more information and related images, see flic.kr/s/aHsjtNiomc

 

The photographer is unknown. The image is courtesy of the D.C. Public Library Washington Star Collection © Washington Post.

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