Recent labor troubles at Safeway Inc. have been reflected in the forecast 2004 profit projections. Members of the United Food and Commercial Workers union have been on strike since October over health care costs. Stores like Safeway say they need to lower their health-care expenses so they can better compete with non-union rivals like Wal-Mart.
See "Safeway's labor woes hurt profit projection", Chicago Tribune, December 4, 2003