{Will They Strike?}

Two of the big grocery store chains in the valley are Fry's and Safeway. They were

locked in contract negotiations for many months with The United Food and Commercial

Workers Local 99. Things were getting heated as they came down to the final deadline --

just a week or two before Thanksgiving.

Some of the workers wanted to strike (which the Union was in support of). Others didn't,

saying they wanted to work and take the fair deal their employers were offering.

I covered the developing story and a protest against the strike in downtown Phoenix.

As far as what the experience was like for me:

* This was a day turn, which was great practice for me! I shot, wrote and edited it on a

Monday. I also cut a VO-SOT (video and a sound bit read by the anchor) for the AZ-TV

Cut In -- another segment we produce.

* The story aired on Tuesday (because we don't do a show on Monday). I was able to do a

look live tag (which we prerecorded because I had class during the newscast on the day it

aired).

* It was breaking news and a developing local story. So, all the other stations were there

covering it. I showed up just in time for the union to do a press conference inside. We all

crammed into a small entry area upstairs at union headquarters to get their comments.

I didn't end up including that in the story but vying for a good spot in the presser and
hearing the questions asked after is always good experience.



The two sides came to an 11th hour agreement and the strike was avoided.