Grocery strike ahead? Union workers authorize walkout if contract negotiations fail

[Omaha Steve]

Source: OC register

By HANNAH MADANS AND NANCY LUNA

Roughly 50,000 Southern California grocery workers have authorized a strike if negotiations over wage and health care benefits fail with Ralphs, Albertsons and Safeway-owned Vons and Vons Pavilions.

The final vote was tallied Wednesday by seven Southern California supermarket unions, including Local 324 in Buena Park. It impacts roughly 10,000 grocery workers in Orange County, union officials said.

The supermarkets are offering union workers a 10-cent per hour wage increase through 2018 and bonuses of 10 cents an hour and 15 cents an hour during that time. The stores will not fund health care beyond current levels, meaning that employees will have to contribute more or sacrifice coverage. The supermarkets also are not funding pensions at levels the unions are seeking and want to change the retirement age to 65 from 60.

Greg Conger, president of Local 324, said the supermarkets want to “gut pensions, gut our health and welfare plans.”

FULL story at link.


Nicole Taylor and Elvia Bunch were among Ralphs grocery store employees who picketed outside a Riverside store during the 2004 grocery strike.
PETER PHUN, REGISTER FILE PHOTO

Read more: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/union-720254-strike-grocery.html

[yourpaljoey]

1. Doan do it: I need mah beans!

[SwankyXomb]

2. Labor disputes always end poorly for the big chains

Any prolonged strike or lockout helps Stater Brothers and other local markets, just like last time. And the time before that. And before that.

[forest444]

3. As a Whole Foods shopper (and stockholder), I remember the 2004 Ralph's strike fondly.

There was one Raplh's that remained open though: the Laguna Beach store, because it was a few block from the home of the CEO at the time.

Corporate America in a nutshell.

[Bradical79]

4. Something I don't understand...

is why more buisinesses don't support single payer socialized health care. Seems like it would eliminate a big headache.