Grocery Clerks in California Go on Strike

AP News | Paul Chavez

[BurbankKarl]

(the picketed Vons, then got locked out of Ralphs and Albertsons!)

Grocery Clerks in California Go on Strike By PAUL CHAVEZ Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP)--More than 70,000 grocery clerks at three supermarket chains in Southern California went on strike late Saturday after negotiations between union representatives and grocery store officials broke off.

Both sides failed to reach a compromise over several key issues, including proposed changes by the companies to the scope and cost of employees' health care coverage.

Clerks at Kroger Co.'s Ralphs, Safeway Inc.'s Vons and Albertsons grocery stores voted to reject the last contract offer and authorized a Saturday walkout, if an accord could not be reached.

Grocery workers began picketing outside Vons stores Saturday night, said Greg Denier, a spokesman for United Food and Commercial Workers. The union has previously said they would target one of the three supermarket chains and asked the companies not to lock out workers from the other two.

``Workers at Albertsons and Ralphs should stay on the job and continue to work,'' Denier said. ``Union representatives will come to Vons and workers should join with their brothers and sisters and strike. It's a noble cause we're engaged in to save health care for these workers.''

However, the companies agreed to treat a strike against one as a strike against all three and Albertsons and Ralphs will lock out their employees for the duration of the labor dispute, said Sandra Calderon, a spokeswoman for Vons.

``Throughout the negotiations, the unions have misrepresented our offer and all along they have been on a strike path that has no upside for anyone,'' Calderon said.

She said Vons would keep its stores open and staff them with temporary workers.

About a dozen strikers picketed outside a Vons store in Hollywood late Saturday, and said they would stay until they are replaced by others. The store was closed because there were no replacement workers.

``I definitely would rather be working but will strike for as long as it takes,'' said Mohammed Manjra, 42, a supervisor at the store.

Union negotiators have been trying to gain a new contract with the chains, which operate about 900 stores and make up 60 percent of the Southern California market. The talks ended between the union and the chains on Oct. 5, and the contract covering the grocery clerks has since expired.

[FairOpinion]

Great! Just what we needed.

Another reason to make sure you have a week's worth of groceries at home.

[dts32041]

How about getting so good honest illegals in there, after all they are a great boon to the economy, just as unions are.

Now that they have drivers licenses, shouldn't have any problem getting back and forth to work.

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[BurbankKarl]

I guess the Union People didnt read this mornings LA TIMES saying the layoff picture in LA is getting worse, as the rest of the country enters the recovery. They have been hiring replacement workers for three week...perhaps the stores will close at night, reopen in the morning....plus 40% of the So Cal Market is non union smaller chains, such as Gelsons, Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Jons, and a few others...

[Lancey Howard]

Another debacle taking place on Gray Davis's watch.

[bd476]

Our local Von's store had 4 clerks standing outside with picket signs, although the store had closed at 10:00 p.m.

A store manager came out and said that the store would re-open "well, we're supposed to open at 9:00 a.m., but well... we'll see. I've already gotten into an argument with one of the drivers... can you believe that?! The truck drivers won't cross the picket lines so they will park the truck on the street, then I have to go out and back the truck up to the back load-in door, then we (other management employees) have to off-load the truck. We won't run out of food here, but it's going to be interesting."

[Keith]

Exactly what happened here in MO....idiots...Sams, walmart, etc. gonna eat them for breakfast.

[FairOpinion]

I have an Albertson's and Ralph's near me -- they seem to dominate the LA grocery store market, at least in my area -- I actually have two Ralphs and two Albertson's fairly close, in fact those are the 4 closest stores. One used to be Lucky's, the other Hughes Market, but they were bought by Ralph's and Albertson's.

[onyx]

They're paying the temporary workers $17.00 per hour.

[BurbankKarl]

that HOWS chain does pretty good in Santa Clarita....they are the people that owned Hughes.

[FairOpinion]

"HOWS "

We don't have any, in fact I haven't even heard of it.

I hope they resolve the strike and afterwards I will make double sure to have enough for two weeks, just in case.

[GeronL]

3 chains at once?? we FReepers are split between several unions..

United Freepers and Lurkers International (3,000 members)

Amalgamated Freepers and Posters Organization (2,700 members)

International Freepers for Better Posting Conditions (1,100 members)

and the Federated Union Against Cutting and Pasting (7 members, Fred Mertz founder)

and then there is our fifth union of Freepers called the Find Life Interesting, POST!

[BurbankKarl]

HOWS was founded by the Hughes people...after they were allowed to re-enter the business.

http://www.howsmarkets.com/HOWS/

[Lurker]

Oh my God. Please tell me that Food For Thought isn't affected. My in-laws just got home from Europe and the fridge is empty!

L

[FairOpinion]

Looks nice -- maybe they also had some agreements to not open up new stores near where their old ones were.

I used to like Hughes markets, they had stuff that the other chains didn't.

I just looked at their locations, they don't have new stores in LA.

[petuniasevan]

These clowns make $18/hour for working at unskilled labor. They are getting $5/hour while on strike!

They're making more than I do, and I have a skilled labor job. Must be nice.

But when they get that supermarket goose slaughtered and cut open, there won't be ANY golden wage/benefit eggs anymore.

[CyberAnt]

DO WE HAVE A BIG SIGN ON OUR BACK WHICH SAYS - KICK ME HERE WHILE I'M DOWN ..??

[jigsaw]

LOL!

[Susannah]

another thread, same subject:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/999701/posts

[kellynla]

"Ralphs" have self-service checkouts and they're the best thing since ATM's! But the "Super Saver" stores have the best prices on produce and the "99 cent" stores have the best prices on everything else!

[Beck_isright]

LOL, so what are they striking for? To get Greyout to sign a bonus pension program for them too before he departs?

[dogbyte12]

The management are taking away health care benefits basically. The excuse is that Wal-Mart is doing the same thing.

Yes, $17 an hour is alot, but if you were making $17 an hour plus health care, and then you were told, no more health care, you would fight it too.

[Beck_isright]

Guess what. In non-union Florida, the grocery clerks average around $8.00 an hour. Publix, the largest chain down here pays great benefits on top of that. I guess this is just another one of those cases where the evil corporations are holding the man down.

[Eala]

and the Federated Union Against Cutting and Pasting (7 members, Fred Mertz founder)

Now I know for a certainty that unions are evil!

[Husker24]

They're paying the temporary workers $17.00 per hour

Holy sh!t, what do the regular full time clerks get paid. Thats incredible.

[ErnBatavia]

ping...

[ErnBatavia]

that HOWS chain does pretty good in Santa Clarita....they are the people that owned Hughes.

HOWS was a great store...one of the very few things we miss about the SCV.

[Semper911]

management are taking away health care benefits basically.

Do you know that for sure? Do you have any specific details of the management's offers compared to the current benefit plan?

I am always amazed that when a job action is looming, the press can't or won't publish the specific details of the negotiations.

These clerks make about $10 more per hour than non-union retail clerks. It may be that the stores are just trying to bring them back down to reality.

[Newfy]

$17.00/hr? Here on the Central Coast they were advertising for temporary workers (in the event of a strike) at $19.18/hr.

[Bogey78O]

That's incredible because the regulars are actually getting about the same if not more. They just get it in the form of sick leave, FMLA coverage, holidays, health insurance, and bonuses. Something the company doesn't pay temps.

Liberals are clueless how wages are tallied.

[Bogey78O]

Who needs health care provided by the employers when you're maing 200% more than the market supports?

[InvisibleChurch]

i remember when food baggers in The Simpsons went on strike and the entire town nearly starved... my prayers to los angeles

[petuniasevan]

I AM in a union. PACE (part of the AFL-CIO).

Paper industry.

[kingu]

I went down to the local Vons, the Union wags were out front picketing, and went in just to buy something non-essential just to annoy them.

They were handing out flyers saying that corporate America was greadily taking everyone's money... Horrible people, wanting to make a profit and even keep it for themselves.

[kingu]

The management are taking away health care benefits basically.

The contract offer I saw read that that the unions would have to pay the difference for the increase in health care, not for what was already paid for.

[norton]

Try this one: sell your company but don't bother to sell the retirement medical coverage with it....self paid premiums just about equal to average pension.

[concentric circles]

This paid ad ran in Friday's L.A.Times.

[BooBoo1000]

I don't think the company is taking away anything, what they are asking is that the employee contribute some to the rising cost of health insurance, but not trying to eleminate health insurance in any manner.

[Bogey78O]

As am I. Communication Workers of America

[Bogey78O]

What do you have against the FUACuP union?

(just pronounce it with a hard "c")

[ShadowDancer]

These clowns make $18/hour for working at unskilled labor.

Is that right? Is that strictly a California figure because I can guarantee you in Michigan they don't make anywhere near that.

[Khurkris]

Just got in from Sunday morning grocery shopping. I usually go the Ralphs. Got there, saw 4-5 picketers out front. Funny thing, their signs were in Espanol (Spanish). I have seen one of the picketers for the last 4-5- yrs working in her check-out line. I asked her WTF she was carrying a sign in spanish for? She atarted laighing and said it was all they dropped off for them this morning. I thouht that was funny.

Trader Joes, Stater Bros, Vien Hung and a few other stores have no pickets. And of course, 99 Market is picket free also.

I don't begrudge anyone for trying to make every cent they can. If someone can get a job for $18-$19-$20 that doesn't take a damn cent from my pockets. Bless 'em in their efforts. But I am no union fan. Just organized crime IMHO.

[Scenic Sounds]

Both sides failed to reach a compromise over several key issues, including proposed changes by the companies to the scope and cost of employees' health care coverage.

Health care is an issue that will just keep getting more potent. I'd like to see the GOP become more involved in finding some workable solutions.

[oceanview]

you can live in some parts of the country on $8-10 an hour. A $17/hour wage is $35360 per year, in the NY metro area, you need public assistance along with that job to live anyplace other then a housing project.

sometime I wonder whether anyone on this board wants someone to be able to earn a middle class wage.

[Joe Hadenuf]

These clerks make about $10 more per hour than non-union retail clerks. It may be that the stores are just trying to bring them back down to reality.

I too am anti union, but don't by this shiit.

I know, my kid has works at Vons as a Courtesy Clerk for 2 years and makes about 7.50 an hour. I could post his pay stub if necessary.....

This is not even a livable wage, but he isn't bitching about that.

From everything I understand, they are only striking to keep what benefits the already have.....

[Joe Hadenuf]

These clowns make $18/hour for working at unskilled labor. They are getting $5/hour while on strike!

Wrong, read #48......Some maybe making that wage if they have worked there a long time, however, my son works as a Courtesy Clerk for the past *two* years and makes about 7.50 and hour. Not a livable wage, and he's not bitching about the pay. They are not striking to get more, but to only keep the benefits they have......

[oceanview]

we are losing all the manufacturing jobs, now the tech jobs are going to, so now many freepers want to drive down salaries and benefits in the service sector jobs also!

and then they scream when the only people who can make a living wage are lawyers, government workers, wall street sharks, etc. basically, all the democrat constituencies will have good wages. yeah, let's do that.