Three major grocers in Northern California have reached a new labor agreement with 19,000 supermarket workers, represented by United Food and Commercial Workers Union 588. The two sides have been in negotiations for ten months and this agreement comes shortly before a union deadline for a strike vote. A union leader said that the new contract avoided a two-tier wage system and ensured that the workers will not have to pay insurance premiums for medical benefits.
See "California Grocers Reach Pact With Employees", The New York Times, December 20, 2004