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A strike appears imminent for unionized grocery workers of Safeway as they head into a weekend that could bring the first industry stoppage in about 13 years, officials said Thursday.
The odds increased after the latest round of negotiations ended after a few hours of talks earlier this week with no reported progress on a new contract. That led the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 7 to disclose it plans to soon strike.
About the only thing that appears to be keeping Safeway unionized workers from striking is the go-ahead from the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union. The Washington, D.C.-based group must sign off on the strike.
As of Thursday afternoon the international union had not issued approval, although it would appear to be a formality. Once the authorization is granted the local union can set a strike in motion, said spokeswoman Laura Chapin.
Affected workers would likely be advised of a strike either by e-mail, the union Web site or by an in-store or plant visit from a local representative. Safeway workers voted earlier this month and last month to reauthorize a strike.
A strike authorization requires a two-thirds vote for the proposal.
She also said a strike could be averted should “the company” come back with a beefed up proposal. Chapin suggested a good start would be putting more money into the employee pension plan.
“They could come back with a new and improved offer,” Chapin said “(Or) the Safeway workers could also go out and strike.”
A strike could also trigger a lockout of union workers at City Market and King Soopers, who are owned by the Kroger Co. of Cincinnati, Ohio. Those workers previously turned down long-term contract offers.
“There is a handshake agreement with the companies,” Chapin said. “If one group votes to strike then they will lockout the others. They will physically prevent them from going to work.”
Safeway and Kroger have been tightlipped about the negotiations. Safeway, a Pleasanton, Calif.-based company, issued a statement after talks ended earlier this week.
The statement said, in part, the union presented Safeway with a new offer “which showed little change from the union's last proposal made in September. In response, the company expressed an unwillingness to change its position further based on the union's lack of meaningful movement.”
The company also said there are no further negotiations scheduled.
Should a strike occur it would mark the first one since the 42-day strike and lockout in 1996 of workers at Safeway and King Soopers, the union said. Workers at Albertsons have not scheduled a vote.
The union says grocery workers turned down contract offers mainly because the proposals fall short on a number of levels, such as pay and pension benefits. That includes slashing future benefit accruals to zero.
Reach Wyatt Haupt Jr. at whaupt@gjfreepress.com.
The odds increased after the latest round of negotiations ended after a few hours of talks earlier this week with no reported progress on a new contract. That led the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 7 to disclose it plans to soon strike.
About the only thing that appears to be keeping Safeway unionized workers from striking is the go-ahead from the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union. The Washington, D.C.-based group must sign off on the strike.
As of Thursday afternoon the international union had not issued approval, although it would appear to be a formality. Once the authorization is granted the local union can set a strike in motion, said spokeswoman Laura Chapin.
Affected workers would likely be advised of a strike either by e-mail, the union Web site or by an in-store or plant visit from a local representative. Safeway workers voted earlier this month and last month to reauthorize a strike.
A strike authorization requires a two-thirds vote for the proposal.
She also said a strike could be averted should “the company” come back with a beefed up proposal. Chapin suggested a good start would be putting more money into the employee pension plan.
“They could come back with a new and improved offer,” Chapin said “(Or) the Safeway workers could also go out and strike.”
A strike could also trigger a lockout of union workers at City Market and King Soopers, who are owned by the Kroger Co. of Cincinnati, Ohio. Those workers previously turned down long-term contract offers.
“There is a handshake agreement with the companies,” Chapin said. “If one group votes to strike then they will lockout the others. They will physically prevent them from going to work.”
Safeway and Kroger have been tightlipped about the negotiations. Safeway, a Pleasanton, Calif.-based company, issued a statement after talks ended earlier this week.
The statement said, in part, the union presented Safeway with a new offer “which showed little change from the union's last proposal made in September. In response, the company expressed an unwillingness to change its position further based on the union's lack of meaningful movement.”
The company also said there are no further negotiations scheduled.
Should a strike occur it would mark the first one since the 42-day strike and lockout in 1996 of workers at Safeway and King Soopers, the union said. Workers at Albertsons have not scheduled a vote.
The union says grocery workers turned down contract offers mainly because the proposals fall short on a number of levels, such as pay and pension benefits. That includes slashing future benefit accruals to zero.
Reach Wyatt Haupt Jr. at whaupt@gjfreepress.com.
