Just a day after agreeing to extend contract talks for three weeks, the union that represents 65,000 Southern California grocery workers targeted Albertsons for a strike vote Sunday, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Union officials say that despite the extension, negotiations are moving at a “glacial pace” and they need leverage to reach an agreement with Albertsons, Vons and Ralphs, the region’s largest supermarket chains.

“Our Albertsons members are strong and committed and this will give us the traction we need to finally get these talks moving,” said Greg Conger, president of United Food and Commercial Workers union Local 324 in Buena Park.

The Albertsons workers will be asked to vote on whether to authorize a strike at some future date. Albertsons has 22,000 UFCW workers at 249 stores in the region.

The union may ask for similar votes against Ralphs and Vons at a later date.

Last year, union officials said Albertsons was the most likely first target of any separate action because the level of debt at Supervalu Inc., its corporate parent, made it less able to withstand a strike.

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