(The Associated Press distributed the following article on November 10.)
LOS ANGELES — Union representatives and three supermarket chains held their first negotiations in nearly a month in an attempt to break a stalemate that has idled 70,000 grocery clerks in Southern California.
A federal mediator joined in Monday’s talks, said John Arnold, spokesman for the Washington-based Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
Rick Icaza of the United Food and Commercial Workers said talks were progressing but he declined to provide specifics.
The discussions were scheduled to resume Tuesday.
The two sides last met for last-ditch negotiations on the eve of the Oct. 11 strike, but talks failed and UFCW leaders ordered a walkout against Vons stores. Management at Ralphs and Albertsons stores then locked clerks out.
At issue is health coverage for employees, pensions and other benefits.
The union has pulled back picket lines from Ralphs stores to spur that chain to negotiate separately. But in all, nearly 850 stores from San Luis Obispo to San Diego have been affected.
Other states with labor disputes involving various grocery chains include West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, and Missouri.
In California’s other major labor dispute, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority met for 2 1/2-hours Monday to discuss options after Friday’s vote by striking mechanics to reject the agency’s final contract offer. No details emerged following the meeting.
With its contract offer rejected, the MTA is free to impose a one-year contract on mechanics or legally hire replacement workers. The board was expected to meet by Wednesday.
Some 2,000 mechanics walked off their jobs Oct. 14, and about 5,000 bus drivers and train operators refused to cross picket lines, halting service to an estimated 500,000 commuters.
The Amalgamated Transit Union, which represents the mechanics, offered last week to end the strike if the agency agreed to binding arbitration. The MTA rejected the idea.