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  April 17, 2006 Grocery contract negotiations resume By Jerry Hirsch, LA Times Staff Writer Southern California's three largest supermarket chains and the grocery workers union resumed talks Monday with both sides urging harmony. Negotiations broke down April 4 amid escalating tensions over the threat of a strike by the union and an employee lockout by the companies. Albertsons, Ralphs and Vons are negotiating with the union to craft a new agreement for its 65,000 workers. It will replace a contract that originally was set to expire March 5, but has been extended twice. "This is a test week; we'll see what happens. Our top priority is reaching an agreement at the table," said Michael Shimpock of SG&A Campaigns, a Pasadena media and political consulting firm hired by the United Food and Commercial Workers union to speak about the negotiations. Both sides are trying to avoid a repeat of the bitter labor dispute over salary and health benefits, which paralyzed the industry for nearly five months beginning in October 2003. Members of the United Food and Commercial Workers union voted last month to strike Albertsons. Labor leaders have not set a date for any job action, saying they want to give negotiations more time. The grocery chains responded by signing a mutual-aid pact in which they agreed to lockout union employees within 48 hours of a strike against any one of the companies. It also calls for the chains to provide financial assistance to any of the companies struck by the union. "Negotiations are underway and the companies remain committed to achieving a mutually beneficial contract agreement," said Adena Tessler of the Rogers Group, a Century City public relations firm hired by the grocers. Meanwhile, UFCW members were speaking in eight U.S. cities Monday to show support for the contract talks. The UFCW said workers were speaking outside of stores and handing out fliers at supermarkets in Oregon, Seattle, Minneapolis, Chicago and Philadelphia. The UFCW, which represents nearly 1 million industry workers, said more than 400,000 UFCW members were negotiating new contracts this year. A contract between 30,000 workers in Seattle and the three major grocers expires May 5.
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