Talks Resume in Supermarket Strike

Talks between the union representing 70,000 Southern and Central California grocery workers and three major supermarket chains resumed, with discussions expected to continue today.

Federal mediator Peter J. Hurtgen has asked both sides to refrain from public comments on the talks. Negotiations broke off Nov. 23, when the United Food and Commercial Workers union announced that 8,000 Teamsters union members would honor UFCW picket lines.

The UFCW struck Safeway Inc.’s Vons and Pavilions stores Oct. 11 after contract talks broke down.

Kroger Co.’s Ralphs and Albertsons Inc., which bargain jointly with Safeway, locked out their workers the next day.

Ronald D. White

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On February 12, 2004 the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, which had stated repeatedly that 70,000 workers were involved in the supermarket labor dispute in Central and Southern California, said that the number of people on strike or locked out was actually 59,000. A union spokeswoman, Barbara Maynard, said that 70,000 UFCW members were, in fact, covered by the labor contract with supermarkets that expired last year. But 11,000 of them worked for Stater Bros. Holdings Inc., Arden Group Inc.’s Gelson’s and other regional grocery companies and were still on the job. (See: “UFCW Revises Number of Workers in Labor Dispute,” Los Angeles Times, February 13, 2004, Business C-11)

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