Grocery worker union sets strike vote date for June 24

Grocery worker union sets strike vote date for June 24 The union representing employees at three major supermarkets chains in Southern California said Friday it will take a strike authorization vote of its 65,000 members if negotiation do not progress by June 21.
   The United Food and Commercial Workers said that while more than five months of negotiations with the chains ' Supervalu Inc.’s Albertsons, Kroger Co.’s Ralphs, and Safeway Inc.’s Vons and Pavilions — have resulted in progress, both sides remain far apart on several issues.
   Main disagreements still exist on health care benefits and wage, the union said.
   The contracts cover more than 65,000 employees in 785 stores throughout Southern California.
   The union plans to call a membership vote on June 24, either to approve a negotiated contract, or barring progress, on a strike authorization against Vons, Pavillions and Ralphs. Albertsons employees previously authorized the union to call a strike in a March vote.
   Three-year contracts covering the union's membership expired in March and have been automatically renewing on a daily basis since. The extension will continue to renew until one side of the other decides to end the automatic extensions.
   In late 2003 and early 2004, a five month-long strike put nearly 70,000 UFCW members in southern and central California on the picket lines. The acrimonious strike by the union and lockout of employees by some chains centered on cuts in union member benefits and eventually cost supermarkets $2.5 billion in profits.
   The 8,000 members of the California Teamster's union honored the UFCW picket lines during the 2004 strike.