UFCW says no deal reached on health care

SAN DIEGO, Ca. The United Food and Commercial Workers Union said Saturday that reports they had reached a tentative agreement with Albertsons, Ralphs and Vons over health benefits were false.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the three chains and the UFCW agreed on a plan to improve health insurance for the 33,000 "second-tier" workers who were hired after the 2004 contract. 

The Times reported that according to a spokeswoman for the chains, negotiators from both sides have agreed to reduce the amount of time newly hired workers have to wait to receive health insurance from 12 to 18 months--as under the agreement reached in 2004--to six months.

However, according to Mickey Kasparian, who heads Local 135 of the UFCW, which includes San Diego and Imperial counties, the two sides still have major differences over funding levels for the health care plan.

"Until we fund it properly, nothing is agreed upon," Kasparian said. "It's like remodeling a house and having all these wonderful plans but not having the money to pay for it."

The contract covers more than 65,000 workers, and the three chains account for more than 50% of the grocery business in Southern California.