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Calif. Labor Negotiations Extended

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Negotiations covering 52,000 grocery clerks and butchers in Northern California have been extended to Dec. 15 to avoid a "showdown" during the Thanksgiving holiday, the union said.

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Negotiations covering 52,000 grocery clerks and butchers in Northern California have been extended to Dec. 15 to avoid a "showdown" during the Thanksgiving holiday, the union said.

Representatives of United Food and Commercial Workers Locals 5, 8 and 648 have been in talks with Raley's, Safeway and Save Mart for more than two months.

"The issues facing the unionized grocery industry in Northern California are varied and serious," said Ron Lind, president of UFCW Local 5, citing high medical costs and the encroachment of nonunion competitors. "It would be a disservice to the members and the public to take action without first looking at every conceivable angle to reach a deal that meets the needs of our members, ensures the viability of our employers and does not unnecessarily inconvenience the shopping public."