All for One, One for All

Looks like San Diego’s three supermarket giants are determined to alienate more customers. After two years of peaceful grocery shopping, the chains’ parking lots may soon be filled with picketing union workers because the two sides can’t negotiate a new contract agreement. Union leaders received authorization from Albertsons’ workers for a strike, and hoped that doing so would prevent the chains from joining forces. But they lost that bet yesterday when Vons, Albertsons and Ralphs officials agreed to lockout all union employees if the employees of one strike.

The last strike over the same issues — wages, benefits and healthcare — lasted four and a half months and cost the chains an estimated $2 billion.

We stopped shopping at supermarkets during the last strike and pretty much never looked back. Now, we rarely use them. And why would we? You can get better food, better service and much better prices at Henry’s and Trader Joes.

— CATHERINE HOCKMUTH