Contract for employees at both grocery stores expires March 30
The lead negotiator for Giant Food and Safeway Inc. said he is expecting talks with union officials on a new contract for about 30,000 employees to go down to the wire.
"I think we'll need all the time that we have available to us," said Harry Burton, the negotiator.The contract for employees at both stores expires March 30. Management and union officials are negotiating over wages, pensions and health benefits at the two companies with stores in the Washington and Baltimore areas.
Rising competition from nonunion stores is forcing the companies to search for ways to save money, Burton said.
Nonunion grocery stores in the area pay less wages, often don't provide pensions and provide substantially less in health benefits, Burton said.
"We're trying to maintain as much as we can for our current employees -- both their jobs and the quality of their compensation -- while trying to adapt as much as possible to the competitive environment through change -- work rules and also through new hires," Burton said.
Jim Lowthers, a negotiator with United Food and Commercial Workers Local 400, did not return phone calls by the Associated Press seeking comment. Negotiators for UFCM Local 27, which also is involved in the talks, also did not immediately return calls seeking comment.
Both stores are preparing for a strike and have run advertisements in newspapers for temporary workers.
"All I can say is both sides are working as hard they can to avoid that, but the issues are tricky enough that neither side can give you an answer," Burton said.
Both sides began discussing a new contract last month, and intense negotiations have been going on in the last two weeks, Burton said.
In recent days, negotiators have been meeting into the evening.