Supermarket picket lines are spreading beyond southern California, where United Commercial & Food Workers (UCFW) are 103 days into a strike to keep healthcare benefits.
The AFL-CIO, UCFW leaders and union leaders from 50 cities met on Tuesday and announced plans to mobilize the AFL-CIO’s 13 million members to support striking California workers and educate Safeway shoppers about the chain’s contract offer that eliminates healthcare benefits and introduces a two-tiered pay scale.
Secret negotiations between UCFW, Safeway Stores, Albertsons and Kroger Co.’s Ralphs and broke off Jan. 11, reports The Los Angeles Times. Formal talks broke off in December; the union and supermarket chains were trying to reach common ground before resuming talks via federal mediators, The Los Angeles Times reports.
AFL-CIO members will picket and distribute leaflets to shoppers to support the 70,000 striking California workers; there are no plans for additional strikes.
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