Deal may be announced

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Thursday, Feb. 26, 2004 | 9:22 a.m.

LOS ANGELES -- The five-month impasse between three leading grocery chains and nearly 60,000 striking workers appeared to be near an end Wednesday night with both sides saying only formalities need to be resolved.

Sources close to the negotiations for the supermarkets and the strikers told the Los Angeles Daily News that a deal could be announced as early as today.

Talks in the labor dispute lasted through a 15th straight day Wednesday.

The primary disagreements between the United Food and Commercial Workers union and Vons, Ralphs and Albertsons are cuts in medical benefits and a proposed two-tier wage system that would reduce compensation for new employees.