Food 4 Less, Union Reach Tentative Deal

Kroger Co.’s Food 4 Less said Friday that it had reached a tentative labor agreement with the union representing 5,700 workers at 101 Southern and Central California stores.

The agreement would affect employees represented by United Food and Commercial Workers Locals 135, 324, 770, 1036, 1167, 1428 and 1442 who work in stores serving Los Angeles, Kern, Imperial, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, the company said.

Food 4 Less said the seven UFCW locals agreed to recommend that their members ratify the accord. The vote could come as early as Oct. 4.

Terry O’Neil, a spokesman for Kroger, declined to comment. Rick Icaza, president of UFCW Local 770 in Los Angeles, did not return a message.

Compton-based Food 4 Less operates 137 stores in Southern California, Nevada, Illinois and Indiana and Foods Co. in Northern California.

Kroger is continuing to negotiate with UFCW workers in the Bay Area, as are Safeway Inc. and Albertsons Inc. The contract there, which expired Sept. 11, covers about 30,000 workers.

*

Bloomberg News was used in compiling this report.