[12.19.07] -- Fish, beef and other meat was running low on the shelves of some Times Supermarkets yesterday as 116 meat department workers at the 12-store O'ahu chain spent a second day on strike over medical benefits.

Times said it would begin advertising for replacement workers today, and some striking employees feared that the company intends to import workers from the Mainland.

Times is owned by Stockton, Calif.-based PAQ Inc., which owns 15 supermarket stores in Northern California under Food 4 Less and Rancho San Miguel names.

Floyd Mikasa, Times district manager, said through a spokesman that the company would not comment on importing replacement workers.

But Mikasa added: "We will do what it takes to make sure that customers are taken care of. We owe it to Times shoppers to make sure they have the service this holiday season that they have been accustomed to from Times."

10 PERCENT OF WORKERS

Meat department employees represent about 10 percent of the Times workforce, and are the company's only employees represented by a union, the Hawai'i Teamsters & Allied Workers Union Local 996.

Both Times and the union said the strike issue is not about wages, but rather a company proposal to limit medical coverage to one year if workers aren't working because of illness or temporary disability. There was no cap under the old contract.

Mikasa said the proposed one-year cap is four times longer than what's required by the Hawai'i Prepaid Health Care Act and necessary for competitive reasons, but union representatives said such a change could leave seriously injured or sick employees and their families without medical coverage.

Mikasa added that a proposed wage increase over three years would be the largest in more than two decades, but workers said the company isn't interested in reducing the wage increase and eliminating the medical coverage cutback.

The two sides had begun negotiating in late September and were working under a contract extension since the contract expired Oct. 23. But despite working with a federal mediator, employees went on strike Monday morning, convinced that talks were at an impasse.

Times said it had made four written offers rejected by the union, which it said did not make written counteroffers.

Ron Kozuma, Local 996 president, said the union made two proposals rejected by the company, including one offering a two-year medical coverage cap for employees unable to work.

No new negotiations are scheduled.

SEEING STRIKE'S IMPACT

Though stores remain open while striking employees picket entrances, meat products were running low yesterday. At the Beretania Street store, meat cases were near empty of everything but chicken. At the King Street store in McCully, meat cases were modestly stocked, although some customers said inventory was lower than normal.

John Mohr, a Makiki resident and a Times customer for nearly 60 years, said the impact of the strike was clear yesterday at the Beretania store. "There was hardly anybody in the store," he said. "I wanted to buy some fish. Nothing."

Times said it would seek to bring in some prepackaged meat products, but also will seek replacement workers.

The strategy is not uncommon. During a meat department worker strike at Times in 1999, employees said the company advertised for replacement workers but the labor dispute ended after five days — before replacements could start.

Derek Maeda, a Times employee since 1983, said the previous strike was more understandable to him because it was rooted in the company's financial struggles in a weak state economy.

This time, Maeda said the management-labor disagreement is more troubling to him because of new Mainland owners and the company's improved operations.

"It's really sad," he said. "It's not about making more money. This ain't one union being greedy. We gave them five fantastic years."

PAQ bought Times in 2002 from the kama'aina Teruya family, which established Times in 1949. PAQ has renovated some stores, bought a wine store and expanded the number of employees from 875 to 1,160 under Roger Godfrey, a former Foodland Supermarket distribution director and Hawai'i division president of grocery supplier Fleming Cos. who PAQ hired as Times president.

Earlier this year, Godfrey left the company, and was replaced by John Quinn, PAQ's president and chief executive officer.

Both sides said they hope the strike can be resolved soon.

"It's tough on the family," said Janai Sevelo, who started as a Times grocery clerk four years ago and has been a meat cutter for one year.

"This strike is difficult for everyone during the holiday season, and our hope is that we can resolve it soon," Mikasa said.