Union tells Acme workers to stay on the job

Union officials yesterday accused Acme Markets of refusing to compromise as a midnight contract deadline approached, but they urged 4,500 area supermarket employees to report to work today and stay on the job until a membership meeting Wednesday at the Spectrum.

The announcement by the United Food and Commercial Workers, made yesterday afternoon in front of an Acme store in King of Prussia, temporarily averted a threatened work stoppage today at 41 stores across Southeastern Pennsylvania.

But though UFCW Local 1776 president Wendell Young IV said that he hoped to hash out a settlement with Acme at the bargaining table, he added that a work stoppage was still on the table, depending on what happened before Wednesday.

He called Acme's take-it-or-leave-it contract offer "unacceptable" and said it would be "devastating" to members, though he did not elaborate on what, if any, progress had been made in negotiations with Acme this week under supervision of a federal mediator.

The union's current contract expires today.

"We're going to show up and serve our customers," Young said, as a crowd of supporters cheered and chanted that they wanted to work. "What happens after that might be a different story."

The company would not say whether it would unilaterally implement the new contract terms today, though Acme officials have said they have the right to do so. About 95 percent of UFCW workers rejected the offer at a vote at the Spectrum in late June.

"We believe the union should ratify this fair final offer so we can secure the future of our associates and Acme Markets," the company said in a prepared statement issued after Young's 4:30 p.m. news conference.

Previously, Young had said union members would stay home from work if Acme implemented the new terms. His message yesterday was that the union would let the situation unfold for a few more days.

While saying he was willing to bargain, Young accused Acme, based in Malvern, and its corporate parent, Supervalu Inc. of Minnesota, of trying to rectify bad business decisions by slashing the benefits of workers.

Acme's proposed four-year contract would eliminate health-care benefits for up to 2,000 workers, he said, even though the company has cast the offer in more charitable terms.

"Lack of reinvestment, poor management have added up to this company trying to make our workers the scapegoat," Young said. Since May, Supervalu has replaced its chief executive officer, said it would replace its chief operating officer, and announced a corporate realignment.

Young said there would be no strike vote Wednesday. Acme could consider a walkout tantamount to a strike and attempt to make that case legally to the National Labor Relations Board.

Union lawyer Stuart Davidson said Acme was guilty of acting in bad faith by walking away from negotiations. He said it seemed like a planned tactic, which would strengthen the union's legal case.

The company has said that after more than 18 months of talks, it had the right to issue its last, best offer.