Arizona grocery strike averted

PHOENIX — A possible strike by workers at Safeway and Fry’s in Arizona has been averted.

The United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 99, Safeway Stores and Kroger Company, the owner of Fry’s and Smith’s, reached a tentative settlement on a new collective bargaining agreement late Thursday evening, according to a news release.

The union will submit the tentative agreement to its Safeway, Fry’s and Smiths members with the union’s recommendation that it be approved. The union and the companies have agreed to extend the existing contract pending the outcome of the membership vote.

Union spokeswoman Ellen Anreder said no details of the tentative agreement would be released until the union and members have a chance to review it.

The union said in a news release early Friday there will be no work stoppage and all stores will continue to operate as normal.

The previous five-year contract between the union and the companies expired in October 2008, and employees have worked under a series of extensions, the last of which expired Oct. 31 of this year.