Kroger employees set strike deadline

COLUMBUS - A union representing thousands of Kroger employees set a strike deadline of midnight yesterday after members overwhelmingly rejected the company's latest contract offer.

The contract between Local 1059 of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union and the Cincinnati-based Kroger Co. expired Saturday. Union officials said they have been negotiating a new contract since July.

The local represents 12,000 workers in 77 Kroger stores and one warehouse in central and southeast Ohio.

Ninety-eight percent of the estimated 3,800 employees who voted Wednesday rejected the latest offer and agreed to go on strike if an agreement was not reached by midnight yesterday, said Paul Smithberger, spokesman for Local 1059.

Negotiations were to resume yesterday morning.

Kroger spokesman Nick Rees said the company wants to avoid a strike.

"We care a lot about our employees," Rees said. "We're meeting with the union today and will work very hard to resolve any differences."

Rees said Kroger's compensation package is the best in the grocery industry but declined to say what the company has offered.

Rees would not comment on any contingency plans to keep Kroger stores open, should the employees walk out.

"We're going to do everything we can to continue the same service that our customers expect from us," he said.

Local 1059 President Becky Berroyer said the company and the union disagree on wages, prescription drug coverage and pension issues, among other items. She said picket signs were printed and members were ready to walk.

"People aren't angry, but they're frustrated and disappointed and they're ready to strike," Berroyer said Wednesday as workers voted at the state fairgrounds.

Kevin Reynolds, of Mansfield, is head of the frozen foods department at the Worthington Mall Kroger in suburban Columbus, said he will walk a picket line if there is a strike, mainly because of the company's refusal to provide a prescription drug plan.

"My wife had two surgeries in February and none of the antibiotics or drugs were covered," Reynolds said. "In the months of January, February and March, we paid about $500 a month for prescriptions."

Berroyer agreed that some Kroger employees - the 1,600 who have been with the company since before 1988 - have one of the industry's top compensation packages.

"But that's 1,600 out of 12,000," she said.

Harveena Fenton, one of those longtime employees, said she drove two hours from Portsmouth on her day off to vote in favor of a strike.

"I've been at the same store for 27 years, and I have insurance and prescriptions. But we need to look out for the young workers because someone looked out for us," she said.