Supermarket Strike May Hit LA; Ralphs Will Close For Duration

The United Food and Commercial Workers union - which represents workers at Ralphs, Vons and Albertsons stores - have given a required 72 hour notice to cancel an existing contract and could walk off the job Sunday night.

The supermarkets and union officials continue to negotiate with the hope of averting a strike.  A spokesperson for Ralphs told Sign On San Diego that should the workers strike, the chain will close all stores for business for an undefined period.

The Los Angeles Times notes that the last major supermarket job action lasted 141 days, back in 2003. At that time the now defunct HOWS boutique supermarket chain, which was not part of the strike, claims it made significant profits from sales driven by customers not willing to cross picket lines.