Posted on 09/18/2011 6:14:11 PM PDT by newzjunkey
No breakthroughs were reported as round-the-clock negotiations approached a 7:10 p.m. strike deadline set by the union representing 62,000 grocery store clerks in Southern California.
Albertsons, Ralphs and Vons officials continued to meet with the workers' representatives at an undisclosed location, while union stewards spent the day passing out picket signs.
No grocery chain official would comment, but a union spokesman said no progress had been made today.
Clerks at a pair of Ralphs and Vons supermarkets in Santa Monica today said both chains had not reduced their deliveries of fresh baked goods, produce, milk and meat to the stores. The clerks, who did not want their names publicized, said the fresh deliveries of perishables may indicate that management at the Kroger's and Safeway chains, which own the grocery brands, are not anticipating closing their stores.
"We've heard that, and I think that does mean something," said union spokesman Mike Shimpock. "And if they start to move in the negotiations, we intend to stay at the table" and not call a strike, he said.
Union locals from Santa Maria to the Mexican border served notice at 7:10 p.m. Thursday that workers would walk off their jobs in exactly 72 hours -- tonight at 7:10 -- if they do not see movement from the national chains.
Health insurance benefits are a major point of contention, with the company offering an insurance package that union officials say would run out of money in 16 months. Under the most recent offer, workers would pay about $36 per month for individual health insurance, or $92 per month for family coverage, but the company contribution to that share has not been disclosed.
Negotiators are also reportedly far apart on pay rates.
"They're sitting on their piles of cash, and they're throwing us quarters," Shimpock told City News Service today. The union claims the three chains made $1.5 billion in profits last year, and distributed $500 million to their shareholders.
All three chains continued to solicit replacement workers today. Ralphs has said it would close its stores if a strike is closed, but Vons has not made it clear if it would try to keep stores open with replacement workers and management.
A spokeswoman from Albertsons today clarified an earlier statement that the Minnesota-based chain might close up to 100 stores in the event of a strike. Christie Ly told CNS that the fate of the chain's 124 remaining stores "cannot be discussed," and said she could not answer if the chain would try to keep the 124 remaining stores open during a possible strike.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa told a KNX reporter today that he is "absolutely against" a strike, but also said "I certainly understand the needs of the workers."
Unions scheduled a 7:30 p.m. candlelight vigil tonight outside a Vons Pavilion's store in Beverly Hills.
During a 141-day lockout in 2003-04, the stores hired temporary workers, and some of the chains were fined for rehiring regular employees under aliases. The replacement workers all lost their jobs when a new contract was signed, and the lockout cost the stores an estimated $1.5 billion.
Comments on San Diego media sites, radio & tv, are overwhelmingly opposed. Folks can't believe they're striking over $92/mo health care.
Proud to say I’ve scabbed at Safeway twice during strikes. good money if you ask me...
Push is coming to shove, they want Californians to pay MORE for their groceries. Let’s see how the cookie crumbles, I wouldn’t want to be on strike with so many people unemployed and the winter coming on. Might be good for them to walk out and give jobs to people who want to work.
Grocery stores should break the unions. Mr. Von Dere (sp?) was a good friend of our family, years ago. He did not like dealing with the unions.
Let them walk, get the scabs and make them permanent employees. Tell the union to go pound sand, de-certify and evict.
Wegmans refuses to allow the unions in. Best grocery store on the planet.
I’ll throw a couple of dollar bills at their feet to help with their health care payment as I cross that picket line...
I met him once. Think it is Von Der Ack or something like that.
I can’t imagine anything that would be easier to break than a union of grocery clerks.
We are in an F’ing Depression. 20% + out of work in CA. Cost of insurance under Obama has gone way up. The cost of goods are up. Margins are thinner and the unions want to pay it like all is going well.
Go to hell IMO.
These stores still have that many clerks? Our stores in the SE have 1-3 clerks with numerous self check outs and management backup.
Couldn’t agree more as I grew up in an anti-union household.
Californians sure know how to preen for the cameras, don't they?
Anyway, the clerk went on this blather about now having to pay $96 a month for health care for her family, the customer laughed. Then the clerk just went on and on and on, till woman finally slammed her hand down on the counter and said "if I could get a job for $20 an hour and only pay $96 a month for health care I would be grateful, CA has 12.9% unemployment if you don't want you GD job I'll take it you b#ich. She grabbed her stuff and walked out the door.
The unions are not gaining any public support, people are pissed they are complaining.
You are correct; there is no union in the stores, but the warehouses and drivers are Teamsters all the way. They had a strike some years ago and Bob Wegman had a heart attack during that strike. I was told that he was quite literally "heartbroken."
The Wegman family has done so much for the community and their employees.
I wish they would start so I can start crossing the picket line.
Go ahead. Strike. Make my day. Lots of replacement workers available who are happy to earn a paycheck.
And I will be happy to cross picket lines to shop at these stores.
Latte in one hand, candle in the other.
Pittsburgh hasn’t had a grocery strike for almost 20 years.
Its all seems rather pointless, I don’t know what the UFCW could be thinking.
Perhaps at one time, it took some skill to operate a cash register when the price of each item had to be entered individually. But now its just scanning and bagging, most of the time the cashiers don’t have to even make change and most customers pay with cards.
The great fallacy here is that the supermarket employees think they have a “trade”, when new people can be trained off the street and be at full speed within a very short time.
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