PHOENIX -- As thousands of local grocery store workers prepare to walk off the job Friday, several employees are protesting the planned strike.

Grocery store employees protesting outside the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 99 said they don't want to be out of work during the holiday season.

"Nobody can afford to be out of work (right now)," Fry's employee John O'Connor said.

Workers at Fry's and Safeway will strike Friday at 6 p.m. if negotiations between the stores and the union do not agree on a contract. The sides remain at odds over salary and benefit issues.

The main obstacle, however, deals with health insurance -- the grocery chains want workers, who typically make $7-12 per hour, to start paying for a bigger chunk of the healthcare costs.

The premiums would equal about $5-15 per week, depending on the employee's coverage.

The union said 7,000 out of the 25,000 members voted in September to strike.