Butchers, Markets Try to Fashion 11th-Hour Accord to Avert Strike

Representatives for the major supermarket chains and unions representing about 8,000 meat cutters and wrappers throughout Southern California are meeting in a furious round of negotiations in an attempt to reach an agreement before their labor contract expires at midnight tonight.

The unions gave 72 hours’ notice Wednesday to the Food Employers Council of Southern California, an industry consortium representing the major chains, that they would terminate a weeklong contract extension at midnight today. Five United Food and Commercial Workers Union locals, led by Local 551 in Artesia, are negotiating with the employers council.

The unions represent meat cutters and meat department employees from San Luis Obispo to the Mexican border. UFCWU Local 135 in San Diego is also involved in the negotiations and represents about 1,200 employees throughout San Diego County.

Vote Expected Sunday

On Friday, spokesmen for both sides said industry negotiators, meeting in Carson, had yet to put an offer on the table. However, D. (Whitey) Ulrich, president of Local 551, said his group expects an offer by today and a membership vote on the proposal by all locals on Sunday. Tom Vandeveld, president of Local 135, said a strike is possible as early as Monday if the offer is rejected. Union employees had previously voted by 97% to strike if the contract is rejected.

Ulrich said the major stumbling block in the talks centers on an industry proposal to increase the number of wrappers and broaden their duties. Since the last contract was negotiated in 1985, after an eight-week strike, employers have steadily increased the number of lower-paid wrappers to where they now make up 25% of meat department employees, Ulrich said.

In 1985, the unions agreed to an increase in the number of wrappers when employers said they would only be used for “ancillary work,” he added.

‘Totally Unacceptable’

“We have reason to believe that the industry now wants wrappers to do some meat cutting, and that’s totally unacceptable to us. That’s a major strike issue, and we’re not going to allow it,” Ulrich said.

Journeyman meat cutters now earn $13.98 an hour, wrappers $7.90 an hour.

Industry spokesman David Willauer said the talks have also stalled over changes in the health, welfare and pension language demanded by the unions in the current contracts. The meat-cutters union merged with the UFCWU after the last strike and still separate pension funds. Willauer said union negotiators are pushing for a consolidation of the pension funds.

Another sore spot with the employers is a UFCWU proposal for a 21-month contract, while the industry wants a 36-month pact. Willauer said a 21-month contract would expire in July, 1990, at the same time that the retail clerks contract with the employers expires. The industry fears that having both contracts expire at the same time would give the unions too much negotiating leverage.

“Both of these points are a tremendous undertaking. There’s a very serious cost factor involved for the employers in the merging of the pension funds and a 21-month contract,” Willauer said.

Big Bear OKs Pact

Meanwhile in San Diego County, Big Bear markets, which are not represented by the Food Employers Council, reached an agreement with Local 135. Big Bear officials agreed to be bound by whatever pact the unions reach with the council and apply it retroactively to Thursday, when both sides agreed on an interim contract.

Big Bear has 20 stores in the county and employs about 180 meat cutters and wrappers.

The stores represented in the continuing negotiations include Alpha Beta, Albertsons, Lucky, Vons and Ralphs.