INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Union workers at Kroger's 58 central Indiana stores on Monday rejected what the company had called its ``final'' contract offer, authorizing a strike that could begin early Wednesday.þþNearly 1,900 members of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 700 voted to reject the offer, more than the two-thirds majority required to authorize a strike, said Rian Wathen, the local's organizing director.þþWathen said that unless the company returns to the bargaining table before the current contract expires at 12:01 a.m. EST Wednesday, the union is prepared to strike.þþUnion members on Oct. 24 voted to reject a five-year contract offer that would require higher health care contributions from employees.þþA similar dispute over insurance costs led to a strike by more than 3,000 Kroger workers in Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia that began Oct. 13.þþCincinnati-based Kroger said Friday it had made its final offer to the union, which represents about 4,000 Indiana workers.þþKroger spokesman Jeff Golc said it was ``unfortunate'' union members turned down the company's offer, calling the vote a threat to Kroger's future in an increasingly competitive market. When asked if the company would be willing to resume negotiations with the union, Golc said: ``We're willing to listen, but we've made our last, best and final offer.''þþThe company's four-year contract offer included more than $30 million in wage increases and pension contributions, as well as an offer to pay increased health care costs, the company said.þþUnion members have threatened to strike unless a new labor contract fully covers increased health care costs, continues to grant full pensions to retirees at age 60 and provides new hires bigger raises. þþ
Source: NY Times
