California UFCW strikers head into Christmas voluntarily jobless
Reuters reports: “Labor Talks Off in Calif. Grocery Strike.”
“LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Talks between three major U.S. supermarket chains and a union representing picketing workers in Southern California have broken off and no new talks are scheduled, representatives of both sides said on Monday.
After six days of talks, the latest round of labor negotiations broke off on Sunday evening at the suggestion of a federal mediator.
The strike has been widely watched both as a sign of the wider debate on U.S. employee health care coverage and for its potential to cut operating costs for the grocery chains.”
“The union and the grocery chains said they remained far apart on the key issue of how future health care insurance costs will be paid. Both sides blamed the other for the collapse in negotiations.
‘We’ve reached a point where I believe a recess will help the process. I will ask the parties to return to the table when I determine that it might be fruitful to resume face-to-face discussions,’ federal mediator Peter Hurtgen said in a statement.”
Like, it might be fruitful when the strikers’ kids don’t find much under the tree at Christmas? How sad. (Not that I blame the employers of course, but being short cash at Christmas in America is a big bummer.)
