Grocery Strike Averted With Tentative Agreement

Union leaders said Monday they reached a tentative deal with Southern California's grocery chains that would head off a strike by more than 60,000 workers.

The deal, which must still be approved by the union's membership, protects workers' health policies, according to Fred Conger, president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 324.

"Thanks to the unity of our members and the hard work of our negotiating team, we were successful in bargaining an agreement that grocery workers can be proud of," Conger said in a released statement.

Some 62,000 grocery employees – including those employed by Vons, Ralphs, and Albertsons -- have been working without a contract since March.

The three companies released a joint statement expressing satisfaction with the deal, which they said "continues to preserve good wages, secure pensions and access to quality, affordable health care — while allowing us to be competitive in the marketplace."

The tentative agreement was announced a day after a Sunday evening deadline passed that would have permitted union leaders to begin a strike at any time.

after both sides failed to reach agreement over payments to the union's health care trust fund.

Lake Elsinore and Wildomar each have an Albertsons location, and a Vons store is also located in Lake Elsinore.