Contracts extended for Nob Hill workers as talks continue

Labor contracts covering thousands of Nob Hill, Raley’s and Bel Air workers have been extended again, as supercharged negotiations on a new pact continue into their fifth month.
The United Food and Commercial Workers said its contracts with Raley’s and its Bay Area subsidiary, Nob Hill, have been extended until Feb. 29. The contract with Raley’s Bel Air subsidiary will expire April 29.
The contracts were due to run out Tuesday.
Earlier, the UFCW’s contracts with Safeway and Save Mart were extended to Feb. 24.
Labor and management have been talking since September in what have become the toughest contract negotiations seen in years in Northern California. The talks cover 60,000 workers.
With their market share dwindling, the grocery chains say they need broad concessions on health care and other issues to compete with nonunion rivals like Wal-Mart.