Tougher talk from grocery union

"This is the final stretch, brothers and sisters," is the message from Greg Conger, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers' OC local, a day after union officials walked out of contract talks with the three major grocery chains. Well, contract talks might be stretching things - both sides have dug in on the all-important health care issue. The union wants to get back some of the benefits lost in their last, disastrous contract talks, and they're claiming that the supermarkets want to cut benefits even further (no comment from them). Conger says in a Webcast that "your employers are playing games with the process" and that "apathy is your employer's secret weapon." His pleas to "step up the pressure" speak volumes about the frustration of union leaders, who aren't hearing much enthusiasm from the rank-and-file about walking off their jobs. And of course officials from the chains - Vons, Ralphs and Albertsons - can sense that. He's urging union members to take their case to the customers, but what good is that going to do? Shoppers might not want to cross picket lines, but for now there are no picket lines. Union officials are expected to meet tonight and tomorrow morning to figure out what to do.