Labor negotiations will resume on Tuesday between the United Food and Commercial Workers union, which is representing striking Southern California grocery workers, and three big U.S. supermarket chains. About 70,000 workers have been on strike since Oct. 11. The main issue of the labor dispute is employee health-care benefits, which Safeway Inc., Kroger Co. and Albertsons Inc. say they must cut in order to compete with nonunion rivals such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
See "Supermarkets, Union to Resume Contract Talks", Times Wire Services, Los Angeles Times, November 30, 2003