Service Union Pledges to Support Grocery Strike

The Service Employees International Union, which represents janitors and other service workers, plans to show support for unionized grocery workers outside a Ralphs in Inglewood on Monday afternoon, City News Service reported.

According to the union, its members and family won't cross picket lines at Albertsons, Ralphs and Vons if members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 770 decide to strike or if the chains lock workers out.

Albertsons and Vons each have three locations in Redondo Beach, while there is only one Ralphs grocery store in the city.

Workers at the three grocery chains have not had a contract for more than three months, and in April, grocery union members voted to authorize a strike.

Recently, a representative of the companies announced the two sides had reached an "important" and "noteworthy" ; however, the , calling the agreement "small progress."

Neither side wants a repeat of the 2003 lockout and strike, which lasted for 141 days, wiped out the savings of most workers and cost the three chains an estimated $1.5 billion.

City News Service contributed to this report.