Will the stores stay open and keep regular hours?

Kroger officials will not speculate on what could happen in this area in case of a strike. But they acknowledge that stores in its Ralphs subsidiary reduced hours during a strike and lockout that ended last winter in Southern California. All the stores there remained open but under limited hours, most commonly 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., company officials say.

Customers may have to pass some sort of picket line, whether it be near the store or on the public road entering the parking lot.

Will the stores keep the same level of merchandise?

Company officials say yes, that they intend to keep stores fully stocked. But as in the Ralphs lockout, some items may not reach shelves, especially if union truck drivers refuse to cross the picket lines for deliveries. (The picket lines in the Ralph's strikes were removed after three to four weeks, with union workers concentrating on other chains such as Safeway and Albertson's involved in that dispute.)

Staffing levels at individual stores also could affect what's on the shelves. Kroger says it is hiring temporary help and bringing in managers and workers from elsewhere throughout the company.

My prescriptions are with the local Kroger pharmacy. Will Kroger pharmacies remain open?

If the store is able to stay open, Kroger officials say the pharmacies will remain open.

Pharmacies in Ralphs stores remained open. But hours may be limited, depending on the store and manpower available.

What about liquor stores in both Ohio and Kentucky?

In Ohio, the stores are inside the Kroger itself. Those also are expected to remain open, and there are no issues with the company's licenses regarding strikes, Kroger officials say. In Kentucky, Kroger liquor stores are operated as separate businesses by law, but those also are expected to remain open, although hours could be limited depending on manpower.

I do my banking at the Fifth Third at my area Kroger. Will those "Bank-Marts" remain open as well?

Officials with both Kroger and Fifth Third say they are committed to keeping those open as well. In the Ralphs lockout, banks in those stores remained open. There are 44 such banks inside Krogers throughout Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. "If the Kroger is open, then we will be open as well," says Fifth Third spokeswoman Stacie Haas.

What about public transportation to and from Krogers? Will that be impacted?

Officials with Metro, which serves Hamilton County and a few outlying suburbs, say that there are only two stops for Park and Rides at or near a Kroger. But the actual stops will not require unionized bus drivers to cross any picket lines. As for the agency's service for the disabled, Access, the contract with its drivers and the Americans with Disabilities Act ensure that anyone seeking service to the front door of a Kroger is not refused.

In Northern Kentucky, however, the impact is unclear. The Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK) operates two Park and Rides in Kroger parking lots on the property, and agency officials have not yet discussed what unionized drivers might do when confronted by a picket line, or on any impact on service there.

TANK's service for the disabled, RAMP, will continue, however, because of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

My local police substation is in a Kroger. Will the Cincinnati police still staff it?

Cincinnati Police Department officials did not return calls seeking comment on the several police substations located inside a neighborhood Kroger (an exact number was not available).

But Sgt. Harry Roberts, president of the Cincinnati Fraternal Order of Police, says it is not mandatory that substations be manned, so it will not affect public safety if they are closed because officers refuse to cross a picket line.

"The Fraternal Order of Police, of course, supports the actions of any labor union," he says. "The substations would be closed if Kroger goes on strike, but officers would have to perform their duties as police officers, and part of those duties is to make sure both sides respect the law."

James Pilcher and Jennifer Edwards