Grocery workers at Fred Meyer and Quality Food Centers have voted “overwhelmingly” to authorize their union to strike against the Kroger Co. subsidiaries, as grocers enter into one of the busiest seasons of the year. Representing over 29,000 essential workers in Oregon and Southwest Washington, members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555 (UFCW 555) “have voted overwhelmingly to authorize their Union Leadership to call for an unfair labor practice strike against Fred Meyer and Quality Food Centers (QFC),” according to a statement on Dec. 11. A strike authorization vote means that leadership has the power to call a strike if negotiations don’t bear fruit; it doesn’t mean a strike will definitely be called. Miles Eshaia, a spokesperson for the union, accused the companies of not providing the right hourly wages to workers in certain departments that they’re supposed to be receiving as part of their contracts. “Our …