Labor council backs Food 4 Less strike

Labor unions throughout San Diego and Imperial counties on Tuesday threw their support behind a possible strike by Food 4 Less employees.

While the United Food & Commercial Workers Union over the last two months has ratified contracts with Vons, Ralphs, Albertsons and Stater Bros, warehouse discounter Food 4 Less is the only remaining grocery chain in Southern California that has not yet reached a new agreement on a contract that expired June 8.

At issue, UFCW Local 135 President Mickey Kasparian says, are what he calls "offensive proposals" by Food 4 Less to cut the number of full-time employees, to cut the minimum number of hours guaranteed to part-time workers, and to stop paying into the employee health benefits fund. The workers are especially disgruntled that parent company Kroger is not giving them the same pay and benefits that it granted Ralphs employees in May.

Food 4 Less said in a statement that it is committed to reaching an agreement with the union "that is good for the associates and allows the company to continue to operate in a competitive market." Kroger reported more than $500 million in net earnings for the first quarter of 2014.

An estimated 6,5000 Food 4 Less workers at more than 50 stores throughout Southern California voted overwhelmingly in June, with 98 percent approval, to authorize a strike should negotiations reach an impasse. About 1,000 of those workers are located in the San Diego-Imperial area, and San Diego County is home to eight Food 4 Less stores, according to the company's online store locator.

The San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, representing more than 200,000 workers in every field from electrical work to cab driving, held a news conference in Mission Valley on Tuesday to publicly announce its support for a strike should one become necessary.

"Our question for Kroger is, what is it about Food 4 Less workers that makes you feel like you can extract more from people who are doing the same work as the workers at other supermarket chains where you settled on a contract?" asked council CEO Richard Barrera. "If our Food 4 Less workers need to go out on strike to fight for their rights and for a decent contract, the entire labor movement in the community of San Diego, we’re going to be right there with you."

City Councilwoman Marti Emerald also attended, promising to stand on the picket line if employees go on strike.

"The only place to reach an agreement is at the bargaining table," Food 4 Less said in its statement. "We remain hopeful that the union will have the same commitment to keep our associates working as we go through this process."

UFCW has not called in a federal mediator to resolve the contract stalemate, Kasparian said, because the union is not willing to concede on any of the major points.

A strike could be avoided, he said, if the contract talks begin to show more promise when they resume Wednesday. But if UFCW negotiators don't see enough positive signs, the union will give the go-ahead for its strike captains to begin meeting with members and the police.