47,000 employees working at Ralphs, Vons, Albertsons and Pavilions stores have authorized a strike if negotiations for salary increases and safer working conditions aren't met.
The seven United Food and Commercial Workers labor unions who represent the region's grocery employees announced on Saturday that workers had voted to authorize a strike "should that become necessary."
The union is negotiating for increased safety standards, "adequate scheduling hours," and a $5-per-hour rate increase over a new three-year contract.
Union officials accuse the grocery chains of offering "small, token bonuses" that make workers feel “intimidated and bribed into accepting a bonus rather than a permanent wage increase.”
Negotiations between the Unions and grocery chain management resume on Wednesday.
An official from Ralphs said that the company has counter-offered to increase wages by $141 million over the next three years, and assured customers that stores will remain open should a strike occur.
That last major grocery worker strike occurred in 2003. It's estimated that the cost to grocery chains was as high as $2 billion dollars and that workers lost $300 million in wages.