Risking strike, Raley's to give union final offer

Following months of negotiations, the struggling West Sacramento grocer suspended talks and declared it will submit its "last, best and final contract offer" to the United Food and Commercial Workers.

The offer would leave thousands of UFCW members across Northern California with two unpleasant choices: Accept the offer, with cutbacks in health care and other compensation. Or reject it, and risk the first walkout in Raley's 77-year history.

The UFCW, following a late-night negotiating session in the East Bay, issued a statement accusing Raley's of playing a "reckless game of chicken." Saying Raley's hasn't proved its case for savings, the union said it would schedule membership meetings to authorize a strike.

The brinkmanship reflects the huge challenges facing long-established, unionized supermarket chains like Raley's – and their workers – as non-union grocers such as Wal-Mart devour market share. Safeway and Save Mart are demanding savings, too, but haven't pushed the union as aggressively as Raley's.

"Raley's is saying, ...

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/05/02/4458424/risking-strike-raleys-to-give.html