In a bid to avert a work stoppage at the Big Three supermarket chains in Southern California, federal mediators on Monday set an Aug. 29 meeting to begin "intensive" talks to try to resolve differences between management and the union representing 62,000 food workers.
The food workers voted overwhelmingly over the weekend to authorize their leadership to call for a strike at the chains —- including The Vons Cos. Inc.; Ralphs Grocery Co., a subsidiary of The Kroger Co.; and Albertsons, owned by Supervalu Inc.
"They are furious," said Greg Conger, president of Local 324 of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, which represents 24,000 workers in the Orange County area.
Conger is one of seven UFCW local presidents who spoke for the union on Monday, after the announcement that its total membership had voted by more than 90 percent to reject the latest proposals from Vons, Ralphs and Albertsons.
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