L.A. grocery deal reached

LOS ANGELES — Grocery clerks and three supermarket chains reached a tentative contract agreement Thursday that could bring an end to the longest grocery strike in U.S. history and send 70,000 cash-strapped employees back to work.

Greg Denier, a spokesman for the United Food and Commercial Workers union, as well as a source close to the supermarket chains who spoke on condition of anonymity, said an agreement had been reached. The source later characterized it as a handshake agreement; no terms were disclosed.

"There's an agreement and there'll be a statement issued shortly," Denier said. "I'm not going to characterize it in deference to our members. . . . It's subject to ratification."

John Arnold, a spokesman for the federal mediator handling the talks, would not confirm an agreement, saying any deal would have to be signed by both sides.

Union locals in Los Angeles and Orange counties posted notices on their Web sites advising members of meetings Saturday to begin voting on the agreement. Local 770 in Los Angeles said picketing would continue Friday but would be suspended Saturday and Sunday.

Sandra Calderon, a spokeswoman for Safeway, said the companies would have no statement until the tentative pact has been signed.

The 4 1/2-month strike has inconvenienced millions of shoppers in California and led to hundreds of millions of dollars in losses for the three grocery chains, which had taken a stand against rising employee health costs. The strike cost the chains an estimated $2.5 billion in lost revenue.

Officials with the union must submit the proposed contract to members for approval. It was not immediately known when they might end pickets and return to work. Voting could begin as early as Friday.

Sunny Kim, a service manager at Ralphs in Los Angeles, said she was pleased to hear the tentative deal was struck, but remained apprehensive.

"I'm hoping they'll let us get back to work," the single mother said. "We still have to vote on it."

The strike targeted Albertsons, Kroger Co. and Safeway, affecting 859 stores throughout southern and central California. Sympathetic shoppers flocked to smaller chains and specialty stores to avoid picket lines.

Negotiations had been deadlocked over the cost and scope of health benefits and a proposed two-tier wage system for future employees.