Despite ongoing talks, labor negotiations between the United Food and Commercial Workers union and Stop & Shop Supermarkets continued at a crawl Friday, union leaders said.

"Major issues regarding health insurance, pension and wages have not been resolved," Brian Petronella, president of union local 371, said Friday.

There were no immediate plans for a strike, Petronella said, but union members will be asked to vote on the company's proposals sometime next week. (week of March 5…)

"All five of the New England locals are currently in the process of securing meeting locations so that we can give each member a chance to vote to either ratify or reject the company's contract proposals," Petronella said.

Talks have been extended several times since Feb. 18, when the previous three-year contract, covering 43,000 Stop & Shop workers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, expired. In Connecticut, 15,000 union members are employed by Stop & Shop, which is based in Quincy, Mass.

Talks have been extended several times since Feb. 18, when the previous three-year contract, covering 43,000 Stop & Shop workers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, expired. In Connecticut, 15,000 union members are employed by Stop & Shop, which is based in Quincy, Mass.

All five New England locals voted last month to authorize a strike if negotiations broke off.

Discussions over health care benefits -- how long employees must wait before they are eligible, among other questions -- have dominated contract negotiations.