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Calif. UFCW Sees Little Progress in Talks

LOS ANGELES — Negotiations for the three major Southern California employers and seven locals of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union have made very little progress this week, a union executive told SN Thursday.

LOS ANGELES — Negotiations for the three major Southern California employers and seven locals of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union have made very little progress this week, a union executive told SN Thursday.

"The talks are not going as well as we thought they would, and it seems like we are getting farther apart rather than closer," he said. "There's momentum, but it's in the wrong direction."

Talks are scheduled to continue through Sunday and on a day-to-day basis after that, the executive said.

"We will continue to talk as long as we believe there's the possibility of a reasonable conclusion," he said.

In voting in mid-August, UFCW members voted by more than 90% to authorize a strike if a contract cannot be negotiated.

The contract in effect — which has been extended since it expired March 6 — covers 62,000 clerks and meat cutters at Supervalu-owned Albertsons, Kroger-owned Ralphs and Safeway-owned Vons.