Eighty local Falun Gong practitioners go on a 268-hour vigil representing the 268 practitioners who have died from persecution in China. Three Arcadia women began a 7-day hunger strike in front of the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles.
A large demonstration was held at the Vons division headquarters on Michillinda Avenue in an effort by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union to get the corporation to settle the labor dispute that has lasted for more than three months.
Last winter's 4 1/2 month strike had a devastating impact on Safeway Inc., parent company of Vons/Pavilion headquartered in Arcadia. First quarter profits fell 73.5 % to $43.1 million from $162.6 million during the same quarter for the prior year.
Safeway Inc.'s profit slid 4% in the second quarter as the nation's number 3 supermarket chain continued to battle lingering effects from last winter's polarizing labor strikes.
Steve Burd, Safeway chairman and CEO, told analysts that parent company of Arcadia-based Vons/Pavilions expects to continue rebounding from the 5-month labor strike that ended March 2004. Safeway reversed losses with a $202.7 million fourth-quarter profit in 2004.