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Teamsters Join Calif. Supermarket Strike

Posted on: Monday, 24 November 2003, 06:00 CST

Striking grocery clerks said Monday their picketing against three major supermarket chains would be extended to stores in northern California and to Washington, D.C.

The move came as the Teamsters union said its members would stop making deliveries to the Vons, Ralphs and Albertsons chains in Southern California in an effort to shut off supplies to their stores during the critical Thanksgiving shopping week.

The supermarket chains, however, said contingency plans were in place to keep stores stocked and open as scheduled during the holiday.

Clerks went on strike against Vons stores Oct. 11 and were immediately locked out of their jobs at Albertsons and Ralphs locations as well. About 70,000 workers are either on strike or locked out, affecting nearly 860 stores from San Luis Obispo to San Diego.

Health care coverage is a main issue in the conflict with Kroger Co., owner of the Ralphs chain, Vons owner Safeway Inc. and Albertsons Inc.

The clerks expanded picket lines Monday to supermarkets in Sacramento, Fresno and the San Francisco Bay Area, said Greg Denier, national spokesman for the United Food and Commercial Workers Union.

The union also said it would begin picketing Safeway stores in the District of Columbia and Maryland this weekend.

The Teamsters' decision to halt deliveries was called a "silver bullet" by Jim Santangelo, president of Teamsters Joint Council 42 in El Monte.

"If this doesn't end it nothing will," Santangelo said of the labor dispute.

But the grocery chains said in a joint statement that they could make it through the crucial Thanksgiving shopping rush regardless. Vons, for instance, already had placed temporary workers at its five distribution centers.

"We've been stocked, we've been staffed, and we've been prepared," said company spokeswoman Sandra Calderon.

Representatives for Albertsons and Ralphs did not immediately return calls seeking comment.

A federal mediator brought both sides together two weeks ago for the first time since the dispute began but there have been no indications a compromise is near.

Union and supermarket officials were barred from commenting about the negotiations, said John Arnold, spokesman for the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.

Talks were in recess Monday to give the two sides time away from the table, said Arnold, who has characterized the talks as "useful." He said progress was made on wages and pensions but would not elaborate.

There was no timetable for resuming negotiations, he said.

Pickets had previously been set up at just three distribution centers, but on Sunday the union announced it would target the distribution centers of all the chains.

The change in strategy followed reports that the companies had agreed to share revenue during the labor action, said union spokeswoman Barbara Maynard.

Calderon, the Vons spokeswoman, said the talks stalled after Sunday's announcement.

"We would still be at the table if the unions would demonstrate they are as committed to addressing and resolving these issues as we are," she said.

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On the Net:

Food and Commercial Workers: http://www.ufcw.org/

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