Negotiations between Raleys, Safeway and Save Mart and UFCW Locals 5, 8 and 648 have been set through November 18, the Friday before Thanksgiving. Members from the stores will be begin participating talks on the 17th.

The objective of the unions is to negotiate an agreement that provides for the continuation of affordable family medical benefits, assures a living wage, improves hours and access to full time jobs, increases respect on the job and creates an environment where the employers will work as hard as the unions to stem the non-union threat.

The reason talks have not been moving as quickly as in the past is because of many factors. The worst economy since the great depression has brought up problems that are unprecedented and must be addressed cautiously. Healthcare is under siege due to sky rocketing costs and implementation of national coverage. And the management reps for the talks were not set until last week.

Real progress will begin when the companies back away from their plans to insist medical coverage be agreed upon before non-economic items like full time positions. This arrangement in negotiating, non-economic followed by the money items has served the parties well for over seven decades. And it will this time.