Thousands of grocery workers in Southern California voted to reject a health care proposal and authorized a strike. 90 percent of the workers voted to reject the proposal. The grocery stores said that they were continuing to bargain, and had hopes of reaching a settlement with the union. The United Food and Commercial Workers, which represents the 62,000 employees, said that the vote showed that the workers were tired of the lack of progress in negotiations. A strike in 2003 cost the grocery stores around $2 billion.
See "More than 90 percent of So. Calif. grocery workers vote to reject contract, authorize strike", The Washington Post, August 21, 2011