The Associated Press

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Now that a strike by union workers has ended, Cincinnati's Kroger Co. is hiring again and inviting employees of closed Big Bear stores to join its ranks.

The supermarket chain placed a classified ad in newspapers seeking part-time employees for all positions at its Charleston-area stores. "Big Bear employees welcome," the ad states.

About 70 people who were on strike did not return when the 2-month-old walkout ended Dec. 11. The company also has seen an increase in business because of the holidays and the closure of the Big Bear stores.

However, some of the jobs being filled might not be permanent.

"Once January rolls around, we'll see where our business stands," Kroger spokesman Archie Fralin said. "If we still need them, we'll keep them. If not, we'll have to lay some off.

"We have a natural spike. We also acknowledge we have not gotten all of our regular business back. We hope to regain it all and more from Big Bear. There's no way to know until we go through a normal couple of weeks, and that won't be until January."

Fralin said an estimated 60 to 70 part-time workers are needed.

Part-time workers are being sought because any full-time jobs would be filled by current part-time employees, he said.

"We would promote the part time before we would hire new full time," he said.

Kroger and union employees pulled off a three-day blitz to restock and reopen 41 stores in West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio that had been closed since Oct. 13, when 3,300 members of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 400 went on strike over health care benefits and other issues. "Business has been extremely busy all week. We worked hard to get stocked through the holiday," Fralin said.

The company decided not to reopen three stores, in Gauley Bridge, W.Va.; Pomeroy, Ohio; and Gallipolis, Ohio.