"Ralphs, Vons and Albertsons remain committed to reaching a contract that is good for our employees and keeps these union jobs sustainable for the future," Kendra Doyel — vice president of marketing at Ralphs — said in a written statement. Doyel also downplayed the UFCW vote, saying that strike authorization is "a common tactic in negotiations" rather than a precursor to an actual strike. Back in 2003, the local UFCW declared a strike on Vons due to another labor contract dispute over health care and pension cuts. Albertsons and Ralphs proceeded to lock out their Southern California employees, leading to a 20-week strike that cost the three supermarket chains an estimated $2 billion.