Crisis Averted: There Will Be No Strike, Say the Big 3 Grocery Stores

A tentative agreement has been reached between the union and the three major SoCal grocery store chains, bringing to an end a tense and protracted period of negotiations hinging largely on health insurance fees and other wage-related issues.

Representatives from Vons, Albertsons, and Ralphs issued a joint statement regarding the resolution of the issue:

We are pleased to have reached a tentative settlement agreement with the union that continues to preserve good wages, secure pensions and access to quality, affordable health care - while allowing us to be competitive in the marketplace. We appreciate the hard work, support and patience that many different people have shown during the past eight months, and particularly the past few weeks.

Details of the deal have not been made public yet.

Some customers and employees were nervously anticipating the looming strike all weekend. One chain, Ralphs, said they would simply close their stores should a strike be implemented, in order to avoid the fallout and struggle experienced during previous strikes.