The reason for the rerun is that members of seven United Food and Commercial Workers locals representing workers at Ralph\'s, Albertsons and Vons were forced to take strike authorization votes. The Albertsons workers voted to authorize UFCW to call a strike.

The authorization vote followed by a strike at one chain and a lockout by the other two is what happened three years ago, for 5-1/2 months.

And, just like three years ago, grocery workers drew strong support from other Southern California unions--including a Teamsters pledge not to have trucks and truckers cross picket lines in front of the stores, just like last time.

The new strike authorization vote this year does not mean a strike has started. Indeed, the two sides planned to return to bargaining on April 16. But on April 8, the chains again agreed to financially aid each other if one is struck and to lock the workers out of the other two chains\' stores. That\'s also what they did three years ago. That lockout produced a pending state antitrust suit against the chains.

The UFCW locals are bargaining for a new contract to replace the one that ended the last lockout. Then, the chains claimed they needed to cut health care costs and institute a two-tier wage system to meet the threat of Wal-Mart. Eliminating that two-tier system --which has left beginning workers toiling for pay just above the minimum wage--is the top UFCW demand in this round of bargaining.

To counter the chains nationwide, UFCW has, for months, had its own "Grocery Workers United" campaign going. And in Southern California, the locals recently took out broadcast ads to alert consumers about the chains\' refusal to reach a new pact.

"In the middle of negotiations and with no notice whatsoever" to the unions, "the corporate supermarket chains announced their intention to punish their workers and customers by locking out all Ralphs, Vons, and Albertsons members if a limited strike is called against any of the markets," the locals said on April 8. The old contract expired weeks before but was extended while bargaining continued. Albertson\'s is part of the national SuperValu chain, while Von\'s is part of Safeway and Ralph\'s is part of Kroger.

"Despite this needless provocation and attempt to intimidate us, we are still committed to working out our differences and getting an agreement at the bargaining table. That is why we will resume negotiations with the employer after a cooling-off period suggested by the federal mediator in response to the employers\' latest move," the locals added.

Since the prior lockout, voters in several California cities banned Wal-Marts. The chains used Wal-Mart as their excuse for two tiers. And the chains made money, UFCW said: An average of $3 billion last year for each of their three parent companies.

This article was written by Press Associates, Inc., news service. Used by permission.