Fortifying the front lines

Just when I thought the resolve of the picketers in the supermarket strike might start to crumble, something amazing happens :

Striking grocery clerks said Monday their picketing against three major supermarket chains would be extended to stores in northern California and to Washington, D.C.

The move came as the Teamsters union said its members would stop making deliveries to the Vons, Ralphs and Albertsons chains in Southern California in an effort to shut off supplies to their stores during the critical Thanksgiving shopping week.
. . .
The clerks expanded picket lines Monday to supermarkets in Sacramento, Fresno and the San Francisco Bay Area, said Greg Denier, national spokesman for the United Food and Commercial Workers Union.

The union also said it would begin picketing Safeway stores in the District of Columbia and Maryland this weekend.

The Teamsters’ decision to halt deliveries was called a “silver bullet” by Jim Santangelo, president of Teamsters Joint Council 42 in El Monte.

“If this doesn’t end it nothing will,” Santangelo said of the labor dispute.

I wonder if this is how France and England felt when the U.S. finally decided to jump into WW2?


posted by greg on November 24, 2003 @ 3:42 pm

18 comments

  1. Here’s a question: once the strike ends, what do those of us who supported the strike do? Obviously, the easy answer is to resume shopping.

    On the other hand, the behavior of the grocers has so appalled me that I wonder if I could ever feel good about shopping at Ralph’s, Vons, and Albertson’s ever again.

    The lockout was sleazy enough, but the commercials the 3 stores ran, portraying themselves as trod upon local grocers just trying to make a livin’, were beyond sickening.

    Now it looks as though the State of California will be investigating the 3 stores for violations of anti trust laws due to their collusion in the lockout, in sales promotions, and other sleazy behaviors. So what I’m asking is, what will you be doing once this ends?

    Anyone have a reason why my decision not to shop at those stores is not the right decision? Anyone agree?

    Comment by The Eligible Ross Lincoln — November 24, 2003 @ 5:59 pm

  2. I have to admit that this strike really confuses me. I just don’t really see how it could possibly be a success. Have people been shopping at these stores? Can truckers really stop delivering to certain stores? That seems like the sort of thing that should be illegal.

    Comment by Earnest — November 24, 2003 @ 6:35 pm

  3. It’s been (Mostly) a semi-success because people HAVE been shopping at other stores. Trader Joe’s, Gelson’s, and Jon’s have all reported increased business. The problem is that the strike hasn’t resulted in a total customer boycott - As a result, the strike has become a war of attrition.

    It is perfectly legal for the Truck drivers to sympathy strike. This principle is similar to the legal parameters that make mass organized boycotts legal.

    This is kind of what happened in the MTA strike here in LA: The mechanics went on strike and the drivers struck in solidarity.

    But let’s not forget, the initial strike was only against Vons. Ralph’s and Albertson’s locked out their union employees in their own show of solidarity. So before you feel too much sympathy, remember that the corporations went nuclear first.

    Oddly enough, what isn’t legal is for the strikers in the grocers’ union to picket the distributors. So basically, the Stores have much more legal leeway to fuck their wrokers over than otherwise.

    Comment by The Eligible Ross Lincoln — November 24, 2003 @ 6:48 pm

  4. Oh yeah, I forgot you don’t live in L.A. anymore. The strike has been much more successful than I ever expected. There’s still a small group in from of the stores 24/7 and parking lots that were once filled to capacity are still mostly empty. Support for the strike has been waning, but overall I think it’s been a success.

    As far as the Teamster thing, it’s a fine line, but I think it’s legal. Check out this page that has a rather complicated explanation of the legality of secondary strikes. I think the part that applies to this situation is here :

    Primary picketing is legal even if it has a secondary effect. If for example, a truck driver delivering parts from Sigma refuses to cross the Extrusion Workers picket line, the union has achieved the secondary effect of stopping the supply of parts (Diagram 2, Situation 1).

    If, however, the union establishes its picket line at the gates of Sigma, it is engaged in secondary picketing (Diagram 2, Situation 2). The same effect of stopping deliveries from Sigma to Megalomania may be achieved, but the picketing is presumably illegal because it is directed at a secondary employer.

    As long as the supermarket workers aren’t the ones picketing the suppliers then I think this is legal.

    Comment by greg — November 24, 2003 @ 6:48 pm

  5. Dammit, you beat me to making the same point!

    Comment by greg — November 24, 2003 @ 6:51 pm

  6. Zing!

    But seriously, what will you do once the strike is over?

    Comment by The Eligible Ross Lincoln — November 24, 2003 @ 7:08 pm

  7. Isn’t Wild Oats a subsidiary of Ralph’s or Von’s? I can’t remember. We’ve got one here, and I’d hate to have to quit shopping there, but based on what I’ve heard here, I damn well may. I’m a little bummed that I’ll have to find somewhere other than the Albertson’s two blocks from my house to shop, but after hearing about all this, I find it hard not to boycott them.

    Comment by Megalodon — November 24, 2003 @ 7:27 pm

  8. Wild Oats is still independent, it’s Whole Foods, as far as I know, that’s an evil corporate shill masquerading as an independent chain.

    Comment by The Eligible Ross Lincoln — November 24, 2003 @ 7:33 pm

  9. Whole Foods is just as independent as Wild Oats. They both own hundreds of stores nation wide, so if you equate evil simply with being large then they are both evil. However, I don’t think either of them are evil. They generally care about their customers and will make changes to satisfy even a small complaint. They also treat their employees very well. Albeit, I don’t know as much about Wild Oats as I do Whole Foods, but I can’t imagine it’s much different. Whole Foods is always in the top places to work in Forbe’s list.

    If you had to make the case that they truly were evil, I guess a valid argument would be that they sweep into town and put the other natural food stores out of business. Of course as often as not they either buy the other food store (which the owner is probably thankful for) or they bring natural and gourmet food to somewhere where it just didn’t exist before.

    Comment by andrew — November 25, 2003 @ 7:18 am

  10. i’ve heard, but cannot confirm (just too lazy to google this morning) that whole foods is good at busting potential unions a la wal-mart.

    anyway, as has been pointed out on this very blog, this strike and it seems every other strike in recent memory is all about healthcare. i just heard on national corporate radio some bigwig over at ford talking about how he sees it inevitable we as a nation move to universal healthcare as corporate america is getting tired of absorbing skyrocketing healthcare costs.

    so, not to turn this on too thin a dime, i would submit the best thing we could do to support not just the grocery workers strike, but all future strikes as well would be to support the presidential candidacy of dennis j kucinich, the only candidate pushing for single payer universal healthcare.

    Comment by josh — November 25, 2003 @ 8:28 am

  11. Like you guys, I don’t know much about the labor situation at Whole Foods, but this site doesn’t many nice things to say.

    Also, for the record, Carol Moseley Braun also supports a single-payer universal health care plan.

    Comment by greg — November 25, 2003 @ 9:07 am

  12. Whole Foods may not support unions, but that varies state to state. They’re headquatered in Texas, which is a right to work state without unions. In Seattle everyone is in a union, so they accept them here. No major coropration is ever going to want unions. They’re bad for profits period. However, there is a difference between what places like wal-mart and mcdonalds do and what places like whole foods does. Whole Foods gives full-time postions, they do provide benifits, and they pay a good wage. Place like wal-mart and mcdonald’s don’t pay fair wages, will not pay overtime, very rarely give full-time positions, and try to escape paying benifits. There is a difference between being evil and not liking unions. I myself think than many of today’s unions are outdated and the problems they are trying to address would be better served by new labor laws. Of course the chance of the unions disbanding isn’t any higher than the chances of those labor laws being passed so we’re stuck with them.

    However, I don’t think you need to unionize just to unionize. If you are the highest paid workers with the best benifits in your industry why do you need to unionize? Unions are around to keep management from screwing over their employee’s, but as long as they don’t they aren’t needed.

    Comment by andrew — November 25, 2003 @ 9:59 am

  13. the way i see it, in an ideal world there would be no need for unions because every employer would treat their employees very well. small independent chains like whole foods and trader joes don’t want unions at all- but the way they combat that is to treat their employees well- with good wages and good benefits.

    and to answer ross’s original question- i don’t know how i could ever shop at one of those stores again. i rarely used them before (i’m a big fan of trader joes) except for a few odd things like lightbullbs and toothbrushes. now, i don’t think i ever want to enter those stores again.

    however, that if we don’t return to the stores after the strikes, then what were those strikers striking for? i don’t think they intend to permanently damage their employers. and if everyone (yeah right like most of the world even gives a shit) stopped shopping there, then the grocery stores would end up laying off most of the workers due to lack of business. so, i’m torn on the issue.

    i think it we’ll have to wait and see how this resolves. if the grocery stores win- and the employees have to pay for their health insurance, then i’ll never shop there again. but if the strikers win and they get their benefits and their jobs back- then i’ll consider shopping there again- but only for lightbulbs and toothpaste.

    Comment by tom — November 25, 2003 @ 10:37 am

  14. on a side note- those of you who are in So Cal have noticed how much the temperature has dropped lately. it’s getting down to the 40s at night. and the strikers are out there in this weather. tonight i plan to go buy coffee for everyone on the line outside my nearest Vons. it’s a small gesture to show my support, and i urge you all to do the same.

    it won’t ammount to much, but it will hopefully show them that they still have some supporters. because it’s become apparent to me that there aren’t many people supporting them lately. the parking lots are always full of lazy, ignorant shoppers.

    anyway, if you pass by a grocery store on your way home from work tonight, stop and buy them all coffee or something. it’s cold out there.

    Comment by tom — November 25, 2003 @ 10:39 am

  15. I’ve donated to their sustinance funds as well. These guys are forced to get by on a pittance.

    Comment by The Eligible Ross Lincoln — November 25, 2003 @ 11:53 am

  16. do one better. this weekend, take an hour or two and get on the pickett line.

    Comment by josh — November 25, 2003 @ 12:59 pm

  17. Does anyone have the latest news? The strike affects a lot of people. I’m with the strikers. I had a nice conversation with a couple of strikers a while back to understand better what was going on. I feel for them, but also for my children, because their “father” works for Albertsons, and they take child support out of his check (only way he’d ever pay), so it’s affecting us as well.

    Comment by Shannon — December 19, 2003 @ 10:48 am

  18. My 35 y.o. wife is from Belarus, yes, she came here to marry and make a life with me here (I’m a 19th generation American and V.N. vet).

    Anyway, she has her Masters and Teacher of Physics and Accounting degrees but she had to start somewhere, so she started on the line, bagging, pushing carts and doing the minial-manual work; I was proud of her, but frankly I think Vons is shit and for $7.50 hr., I personally would prefer her to say home.

    A few weeks after she had proven a good worker that everyone liked, employee and customer alike, she asked about a job in book keeping. They immediately grabbed her and after 3 days of training she was basically on her own, opening, doing the tallies and counts, set up there change banks etc. (I’m a banker so I am not clear on their termonology). Anyway, a few weeks later she is basically their main book keeper and evewn training other book keepers for other stores.

    They are still paying her $7.50 and hr. and have long since proved they were lying when they told her she would have health benefits after 400hrs..now they are saying after one year.

    Personally, I never had any respect for Safeway and wrapping them in the Vons name appears to have given them little class and certainly little employer scrupples. I guess they think my wiofe is some dumb immigrant they can F-over but they haven’t dealt with me yet and I am growing angerier by the day.

    No damn wonder the employees went on strike and if you think it was bad before, I am telling you they are paying for their losses immediately on the backs of their current employees. I am going to help her find another job but if Vons thinks that is the end of it they are wrong. I am waiting, quietly (except for my obscure postings like this). If I can find anything to have legal grounds for a suit against Vons, ou can beleive I am going to drag them into the light of day.

    Anyone have any insights or comments they would like to share? Pro or con, I would like to hear them. But if you think $7.50 an hour is fair pay for the work she is doing, know this, my company pays $2,400.00 a month just for a receptionist. Even a mexican on the street wants $8hr for doing yard work! This is wrong and Vons is Shit…cripes, even their pricing is out of wack compared to other stores in the area.

    No wonder Vons has problems, their management are stealing whenever and however they can, from employees and customers alike.

    Comment by JP — August 26, 2004 @ 5:38 am

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