Following a meeting of labor leaders, members of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) held a large march and demonstration in support of an ongoing grocery store strike. The protest was the largest since the walkout/lockout began on October 11. The union leaders believe the strike is a pivotal moment for the American Labor Movement. They warn that if the UFCW loses, corporations across the country will try to remove or reduce health benefits from union contracts. They also announced a nationwide boycott of Safeway. Federal mediators will resume talks again on Friday, as they try to reach an agreement on health benefits and lower pay scale for new hires.
See "Union Bosses Call on Nation to Boycott Safeway Stores", Nancy Cleeland, Los Angeles Times, December 16, 2003