SALINAS, Calif. -- After nine days and 15 long months of negotiations, strikers are off the picket lines at Nob Hill.
The company reached a tentative agreement on a new contract with their union workers.
"We feel good about what happened today and I'm just glad I'm able to get my job back and benefits that they wanted to take away from us," said employee Rudy Sarmiento. "It's a good feeling."
A good feeling because Sarmiento, along with thousands of other workers, got what they wanted after long days and nights protesting.
The tentative agreement means workers can maintain their positions, seniority and health benefit plan, all things Al Garza was concerned about after being on the job for 30 years.
"We're so relieved, absolutely," he said. "We're just kind of flabbergasted and we're happy and hopefully there will be good days ahead of us now."
Mike Teel, persident of Raley's of Family Fine Stores released this statement: "This is very exciting because this contract provides us with the cost savings we need to fund our vision and the initiatives to make us more competitive in the 21st Century. I greatly appreciate the incredible effort put forth by our employees and company during this time as well as thank the many customers who continued to support us. As one of the last large family-owned grocery chains, it will be great to have everyone back working again."
Workers said the strike was worth it.
"We stood strong and this is what the union is all about, us brothers and sisters coming together," Sarmiento said.
This ends 15 months of negotiations and the first strike ever in the history of the 77-year-old company.
