California: Union proposes binding arbitration in grocery dispute

KOGO (San Diego, AM600) News flash | Feb 4, 2004 | Me (from radio news story)

[John Jorsett]

Just heard on the radio that the grocery union has proposed in a letter to the presidents of the supermarket chains that the dispute be resolved in binding arbitration. Part of the proposal is that the striking/locked-out workers go back to work in the stores while the arbitration is ongoing.

[John Jorsett]

More detail at the half-hour news break.

[EggsAckley]

Hmmmm......kinda begs the question.......how is a strike a strike if the workers keep working??

We had pickets up here in Santa Cruz last weekend at the local Safeway. I just ignored them, but the checkers were very amped up on it and weren't allowed to talk about it. I could care less.

[CounterCounterCulture]

Union goons should be in jail where they belong

[heleny]

What if the supermarkets think they can get a long fine with the replacement workers and reject binding arbitration? The union knows it is losing right now, since the strike is hurting the workers who can less afford not to work.

[John Jorsett]

This has the tinge of a "hail Mary" pass by the union. They're losing, their members are fed up (those that haven't crossed the lines already), and they're out of money for the fight. There are indications that at least one chain (Ralphs) is readying itself to change its identity and hire permanent replacements. This is about their only chance to end this thing with a modicum of dignity.

[thinktwice]

This strike is more about union power than anything else, and a lot of people have been hurt in the process, including, most noticably, the innocent public being intimidated at entrances to neighborhood stores.

[BurbankKarl]

how long does it take someone working at a supermarket to save $15,000 in cash?

that is how much you lost, suckas!

[kingu]

The gross stupidity of this strike is what should be the news story. I really feel for all the Stater Bros. employees who have to kick in huge amounts to the union to help finance the strike. A generally untold tale is that if someone from Ralphs, Vons or Albertsons comes to work at Stater Bros, they don't have to kick in the extra amount that the Stater Bros employees do because they're from one of the 'affected' markets.

The union itself is fighting for its existence and is using their workers as pawns in the game. If they lose this fight, they lose the sweet money that flows in for the union medical plan, they lose all the employees the union hires to manage that health program, and all the union accountants that oversee the people hired to manage the health program.

The union itself is bloated beyond reality adding too huge of an overhead to the health plan and sees future hires at reduced wages and reduced health benefits as hitting the headquarters hard. This isn't about the checkers or baggers or the meat cutters, it is about the union.

Even the Teamsters saw through this insanity.

[altura]

It's hurting the workers, but it's killing the union. They are broke and about to go under.

The leadership of unions has long been pathetic and it's getting worse.

I used to work for these people--it's a sad day.

[heleny]

exactly. So, I don't see why the supermarkets would give in to half the union demands when they might concede nothing to the union stranglehold by waiting another few days/weeks.

[heleny]

Union proposes deal to end strike

SIGNONSANDIEGO
11:47 a.m. February 4, 2004

SAN DIEGO -- The union representing Southern California's striking and locked-out grocery clerks is offering to end its 18-week-old strike "immediately" if the grocery chains agree to submit their dispute to binding arbitration.

The United Food and Commercial Workers union submitted their offer to the operators of Vons, Ralphs and Albertsons markets at 10:30 a.m. and were awaiting a response, said Mickey Kasparian, president of San Diego Local 135.

"We want to go back to work immediately," Kasparian said at a news conference.

Union officials announced the offer simultaneously in San Diego, Los Angeles and Bakersfield.

A statement issued by the grocery chains did not directly address the union's offer, but said the companies were willing to return to the bargaining table with the assistance of the federal mediator who has already been involved in the dispute.

The statement also said union and grocery officials had met secretly in Denver, Colo. on Jan. 15 and 16 and accused union leaders of failing to present offers made there by the chains to union members.

Some 21,000 workers at Safeway-owned Vons and Pavilions stores went on strike on Oct. 11 after contract talks broke down. The operators of Ralphs and Albertsons markets -- who are in a bargaining agreement with Safeway -- responded by locking out their 49,000 unionized workers in Southern and Central California.

One condition of today's offer was that the chains also immediately fire the temporary workers now staffing the beleaguered chains.

Questioned about the union's motivation for announcing the offer, Kasparian said the arrangement was a serious offer for ending the impasse and not an attempt to bolster the spirits of weary strikers.

"This is not a dog and pony show. This is not about morale," he said. "This is about ending this labor dispute."

Union members stopped picketing Ralphs stores in October in an attempt to divide the chains. In November it was disclosed that the three firms had a revenue-sharing agreement intended to prevent any one chain from being singled out.

California Attorney General Bill Lockyer said last week that he intended to sue the three chains over their mutual-aid agreement, saying it violated federal antitrust laws and hurt consumers. The chains disputed the claim.

[John123]

There are indications that at least one chain (Ralphs) is readying itself to change its identity and hire permanent replacements.

Can you elaborate on this?

[SortaBichy]

where did you hear this?

[John123]

Even the Teamsters saw through this insanity.

Are you talking about Ron Carey, the former Teamster President that was expelled by the union?

[It's me]

My son worked at Albertson's a few years ago. He stopped when he had to pay the union fees. He was a highschool student and worked part time. The union wanted to take away almost HALF his paycheck! He learned real fast about unions.
If you work at a supermarket you have to belong to a union. I hope that changes!

[kingu]

Are you talking about Ron Carey, the former Teamster President that was expelled by the union?

I was more speaking of the lukewarm support that the local Teamster union has given to the grocery worker strike, including just a few days of withheld deliveries.

But yeah, there's probably some good parallels to Ron Carey in this whole mess.

[Solson]

The strikes in other parts of the country were ended quickly because what you stated. Namely, replacement workers were hired quickly, by large amounts, and did as good a job as the original workers.

There is very little reason to go into arbitration on the part of the grocery companies.

[kingu]

I think the key thought there by the union is to get the replacement workers out of the stores since they have proved to anyone who wanders in that, yes, indeed, anyone can do that job.

At this point, were I the markets, I'd just shrug my shoulders and start putting out employment ads and start picking up perm hires.

[kingu]

My brain cell! Mine! Mine!