FARMINGTON — Attempting to head off a strike, about 300 workers employed by Safeway grocery stores in Farmington and Aztec agreed to extend a labor contract through mid-November after last-minute negotiations with corporate officials Saturday failed to reach an agreement.

Employees represented by the Albuquerque-based United Food and Commercial Workers Union claim Safeway officials since 2001 have demanded continued cuts to employee pay rates and benefits packages to help reduce costs. Following ongoing requests to reduce operating expenses, local employees opted to attempt to negotiate a new labor contract.

The established labor contract between Safeway and about 350 employees at its four New Mexico stores, located in Farmington, Aztec and Gallup, was set to expire Nov. 1. Union leaders and corporate officials met in Farmington for six days last week, but little consensus was reached despite the last-minute effort, union President Greg Frazier said.

The current labor contract, which ensures work at the grocery stores will continue without a strike, was extended through Nov. 14. Negotiation meetings are scheduled to continue Monday.

"The contract extension signals there needs to be further discussion. There needs to be more," Safeway corporate spokeswoman Kris Staaf said. "I think this is an opportunity to go back and to continue to talk about the key issues and continue to negotiate in good faith on those key issues to put together an agreement."

The workers union, however, has filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board alleging Safeway officials acted in "bad faith bargaining" by withholding information detailing potential agreements with other Farmington grocery stores and plans to provide temporary workers in the event of a Safeway workers strike.

The contract extension was in the best interest of both local Safeway workers and corporate officials, however the lack of agreement after more than 11 days of negotiations throughout October is a concern, Frazier said.

"We find it very, very troubling. Eleven days is a sufficient amount of time, and these were, by no means, short days," Frazier said. "We're very concerned."

Safeway shoppers will find no changes in business while negotiations are pending at the company's three grocery stores in Farmington and Aztec, the corporate spokeswoman said.

"It's business as usual," Staaf said.

According to the Albuquerque-based union, Safeway employees in San Juan County are paid at least $1 less per hour than workers doing the same jobs at other Farmington grocery stores. Prior to employee concessions that began in 2001, workers were paid up to $3 more hourly, and employees qualified for health insurance after three months of full-time work, the union president said.

The local United Food and Commercial Workers Union also represents employees at Smith's and Albertsons grocery stores.