Posted on 09/16/2011 8:39:18 PM PDT by matt04
Charging that management is “stonewalling,” union grocery workers in Southern California have issued a 72-hour notice cancelling their contract extension, paving the way for a strike.
Eight months of negotiations between seven United Food and Commercial Workers locals representing 62,000 workers and management of supermarket chains owned by Kroger, Safeway and Supervalu have been hampered by disagreements over health care contributions. The union has charged that management’s proposal would “bankrupt health plans and eliminate entirely health care access” for employees.
...
“We returned to the bargaining table ready to compromise and make a deal that keeps our employers profitable but protects the jobs of our members,” the leaders of the seven locals said in a press release. “Instead, we got more of the same stonewalling from management. They are unwilling to compromise and are more concerned about hoarding their billions in profits than reaching a fair deal for their employees. We don’t want to strike, but if they won’t negotiate, we have no choice.”
An overwhelming majority of UFCW members, working without a contract since March, voted last month to authorize a strike. Some supermarkets have been accepting applications for fill-in workers in the event of a strike.
(Excerpt) Read more at progressivegrocer.com ...
Many more non union grocery options today then in 2002.
Super Targets, Super Walmarts etc etc.
During the last strike, I made a point to cross the picket lines almost every day. The pickets usually didn't hassle shoppers, but once when the store in my area was targeted by demonstrators, a group of pickets shouted at me, "Shame! Shame! Shame!--so I waved my sales slip in their faces. They went ballistic, yelling and screaming, but they couldn't do anything violent, since the cops were there.
Yeah...we are paying about $1000 a month for two...
Excellent. It will allow them to bring in non-union workers who want to work.
Good for you. I never let them intimidate me for the same reason, cops and I would ‘own’ them if they touched me. They could be real jerks though. I just looked them in the eyes and smiled.
>Let them strike. There are lot’s of unemployed people that would love a job. And tell the union they can screw themselves—don’t let the union workers come back.<
True story just told me 3 days back. My bud who has a warehouse in Vernon, CA had a part-time opening. Posted on Craigslist for a PART TIME data entry position...350 applications came in within 2 days.
On the interview, some of the applicants even BEGGED him to pick them, even a single mother. But he had to explain he had to be fair to everyone. The single mother close to tears was the one that almost got to him but he had to choose someone a week ago who was qualified and experienced.
Let’s see... 3-year recession, 9.2% unemployment, yep, time to strike.
They do their job, and I would rather talk to them than a union goon.
I'll spend my money at Brookshires.
/johnny
“yunz” What a blast from the past that is!
I used to go see my granny in S. Illinois as a kid. I thought the term was exclusive to the area.
I have two non-union grocery stores in my area. I drive across town in two different directions to go to them to avoid the local union run one. The union store never feels clean. The store’s meat section always smells like something rotted and nobody bothered to remove it. And the clerks are gossiping to the baggers half the time ignoring the customers. They act as if the customers don’t exist until it’s time to pay their bill. The manager is the one exception to the otherwise dismal non customer service.
Maybe they can take this opportunity to clean house and hire people that know something about cleanliness and customer service.
That's nationally. In kookie CA it's at 12%+ and rising. Unions harm the workers they claim to support.
Me too. My coworkers and I would take long lunches just to cross the picket line. Too much fun.
Winco accepts only cash, debit cards, or checks....no credit cards.....
In my area of the two major chains one is Union the other is not. The Union stores always seem to be dirtier and in some state of disrepair. You can tell which employees are trying by running around trying to clean up after their lazy co-workers.
At the non-Union store it is always clean or being cleaned, and all the employees are always busy doing something useful.
Let me see if I understand this:
The unions give big bucks to a socialist who ends up being elected president.
The president foists a lousy health care bill on the American people that he claims will make health insurance cheaper.
To nobody’s surprise (except, apparently, the administration), health insurance premiums shoot up.
Business owners who provide health insurance to their unionized employees pass some of the costs on to the unionized employees.
Unionized employees go on strike because they now have to pay a pittance for their now-more-expensive health insurance.
Sounds like just desserts.
Gosh darn.
The highly paid person waving my groceries in front of the scanner is going on strike.
It’s almost like, I’ll have to do it myself at the self-serve checkout.
Oh wait. I already do...
WinCo prices are a lot lower than Wal-Mart.
Walmart = retail marketing department, for the Peoples Republic of China.
Nothing more.
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