
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, November 16, 1995                   TAG: 9511160040
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JEFF STURGEON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

UNION, KROGER TALKING

Kroger officials were still negotiating Wednesday night with the union representing employees at its Roanoke County warehouse to try to head off a strike that could be called at any time.

Archie Fralin, spokesman for The Kroger Co.'s mid-Atlantic regional operations based in Roanoke, said he was optimistic differences could be settled. Officials of Roanoke-based Teamsters Local 171, who have refused to discuss the matter for more than a week, could not be reached for comment.

Some 300 warehousemen, drivers and mechanics have been working under a contract that expired in February 1994. The union has formally rejected two contract proposals in recent months and warned Kroger after the lastest contract vote on Sept. 4 that it was reserving the right to strike at any time after midnight Tuesday.

The deadline passed, and workers stayed on the job.

All Kroger stores will stay open if there is a strike, and arrangements will be made to keep stores as fully stocked as possible, Fralin said. He declined to disclose details of any contingency plans being made.

"Our plan is to serve our customers, and we will take all necessary measures to do that," Fralin said.

"We have plenty of turkeys in our stores," he said. Thanksgiving is a week from today.

The warehouse supplies 60 stores in Virginia and nearby states with almost all items found in a Kroger, including meat, produce and dry and frozen goods.

by CNB