<PAGE>

                                                                    Exhibit 10.5


                             AMENDMENT NO. 1999-I
                                      TO
                     CERTIFIED GROCERS OF CALIFORNIA, LTD.
                      EXECUTIVE SALARY PROTECTION PLAN II


    Certified  Grocers of California,  Ltd., a California  association (the
"Company"),  pursuant to the power granted to it by Section 7.1 of the Certified
Grocers of California  Ltd.  Executive  Salary  Protection Plan II (the "Plan"),
hereby amends the Plan, as follows, effective as of January 1, 1999:

1.  Section 2.12 is hereby restated in its entirety as follows:

    "2.12 "Year of Service" shall have the following alternative meanings:

          (a)  For each Participant who becomes a Participant on or after
               January 1, 1999, a Year of Service shal1 mean each full year in
               which the Participant is or has been an Officer of the Company.
               For purposes of this definition, a full year in which the
               Participant has been an Officer of the Company shall be a 365 day
               period (or 366 day period in the case of a leap year) that, for
               the first year, commences on the date that the Participant became
               an Officer of the Company, regardless whether such date occurs
               on, before or after January 1, 1999, and that, for any subsequent
               year, commences on an anniversary of such date. If the
               Participant incurs a Separation from Service and is subsequently
               rehired by the Company as an Officer, then any employment as an
               Officer prior to such rehire date shall be disregarded for
               purposes of determining the Participant's Years of Service. Any
               partial year in which the Participant has been an Officer of the
               Company shall not be counted as a Year of Service. For purposes
               of this definition, the Participant's Years of Service shall
               terminate upon the earlier to occur of the following: (i) six (6)
               months following the date the Participant becomes disabled; (ii)
               upon commencement of a long-term disability benefit from a
               Company sponsored plan; or (iii) upon Separation from Service.

          (b)  For each Participant who was a Participant under this Plan on or
               before December 31, 1998, a Year of Service shall mean each full
               year in which the Participant was employed by the Company. For
               purposes of this definition, a full year of employment shall be a
               365 day period (or 366 day period in the case of a leap year)
               that, for the first year of employment, commenced on the
               Participant's date of hiring, and that, for any subsequent year,
               commences on an anniversary of that hiring date. If a Participant
               incurs a Separation from Service and is subsequently rehired by

                                      -1-
<PAGE>

               the Company, then any employment prior to such rehire date shall
               be disregarded for purposes of determining the Participant's
               Years of Service. Any partial year of employment shall not be
               counted. For purposes of this definition, the Participant's Years
               of Service shall terminate upon the earlier to occur of the
               following: (i) six (6) months following the date the Participant
               becomes disabled; (ii) upon commencement of a long-term
               disability benefit from a Company sponsored plan; or (iii) upon
               Separation from Service."

2.  The final two (2) sentences of Section 4.1 are hereby deleted in their
    entirety.

3.  Section 4.3 is hereby restated in its entirety as follows:

    "4.3  Alternative Forms of Benefit Payments.
          -------------------------------------

          (a)  At any time prior to one (1) year prior to Separation from
               Service, a Participant may elect that the actuarial equivalent of
               his benefit under Section 4.1 or 2.1, as applicable, shall be
               payable in one of the following forms:

               (i)   In the form of a period certain for five (5) years;

               (ii)  In the form of a period certain for ten (10)
                     years; or

               (iii) In the form of an annuity for the life of
                     the Participant.

          (b)  For purposes of determining the actuarial equivalent of a
               Participant's benefit under paragraph (a)(i) or paragraph (a)(ii)
               above, the rate used, in the actuarial calculation shall equal
               the interest rate for immediate annuities used by the Pension
               Benefit Guaranty Corporation in determining the present value of
               the lump sum equivalent on Plan termination that is in effect on
               the first day of the month preceding the month in which the
               Participant's distribution commences.

          (c)  A Participant's benefit under paragraph (a)(iii) above shall be
               calculated using the same mortality tables as used in the
               Retirement Plan.

          (d)  Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (a) above, if a
               Participant elects prior to (but within one (1) year of)
               Separation from Service to receive benefits in a form as provided
               in paragraph (a)(i), (a)(ii) or (a)(iii) above, the Participant's
               benefit shall be paid in the form elected, but shall be reduced
               by ten percent (10%).

                                      -2-
<PAGE>

          (e)  The election in paragraph (a)(iii) above must be consented to in
               writing by the electing Participant's spouse before the election
               is valid. Such an election shall be made in accordance with the
               Administrator's rules and procedures as may be in effect from
               time to time."

     The Company has caused this Amendment to be signed by its duly authorized
officer as of the date written below.


                              UNIFIED WESTERN GROCERS, 1NC.
                              FORMERLY KNOWN AS CERTIFIED GROCERS OF
                              CALIFORNIA, LTD.

                              By:   /s/ Robert M. Ling, Jr.
                                   ---------------------------

                              Its:  Executive Vice President
                                    General Counsel
                                   ---------------------------

                              Date: April 20, 2000
                                   ---------------------------

                                      -3-