Food Clerks in 9 Bay Area Counties Authorize Strike

Grocery clerks in nine Bay Area counties voted overwhelmingly Monday to authorize a strike against major food stores unless a contract agreement is reached, union officials said.

Seven locals of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, which represents 24,000 clerks, voted by 97% margin to authorize a strike against Safeway, Lucky, Cala, Alpha Beta, Albertson’s, Raley’s, Frys, Pak ‘n Save, Park ‘n Shop, PW Markets and several other major stores, union officials said.

The vote set the stage for the first major grocery strike in the Bay Area since a six-week walkout in 1960, union officials said.

“The membership gave us an overwhelming mandate to achieve their goals at the bargaining table,” union spokesman Carl Bunch said. “We plan to carry this message back with us (today) when we meet in negotiations with the Food Employers Council.”

Talks began in mid-February. Management has sought cutbacks in health and welfare benefits and pensions. The two sides have yet to get into serious talks about wages, the union said.