So Cal Grocery Workers To Vote on Strike Authorization

In Southern California, United Food and Commercial Workers union Local 770, and 6 other locals, have called for a strike authorization vote on Wednesday April 20, 2011. Group contract negotiations with three major grocery companies -- Safeway, Kroger, and SuperValu, the parent companies of Vons, Ralphs, and Albertsons -- have reached an impasse. Union negotiators say after weeks of effort they have not received wage proposals, and workers are being asked to take unreasonable reductions in pension benefits and health care coverage. Local 770 represents 35,000 employees in Southern California, making it the largest UFCW local in the area and possibly in the nation. Meanwhile, the three grocery chains together announced $4,5 billion in annual operating profits recently, paying out more than half a billion dollars to their investors.

On Tuesday April 19, 2011, the day before the strike authorization vote, John Grant, Secretary/Treasurer of UFCW Local 770, and Maribel Garcia, cashier at a Ralph's Market in Van Nuys, UFCW member, spoke with Uprising host Sonali Kolhatkar.

Stay updated on the strike vote at www.ufcw770.org.

Martina Steiner recorded this interview.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• UFCW
• grocery workers
• labor
• John Grant
• Maribel Garcia
• Sonali Kolhatkar
• Uprising
• Martina Steiner
• KPFK

[VanillaIcedLatte]

I will cross the line also...my family and I did it last time and it was fun!

[BrainCreep]

I wish the kept the stores open, I enjoy crossing the picket line. The lame comments and woe is me mentality makes me sick. Grocery store employees are not skilled labor by any means, and should be compensated accordingly. The people that try to make a career out of working at the grocery store are sad. It is supposed to be a stepping stone to greater things, not your support system for the American dream.

[mexmax101]

The Indian accent on this girl is pissing me off & 2 that girl cashier looks like a zombie the union leader speakes for her & 3 go on strike and ur an idiot in this economy really trust there's people that don't have a job that would replace u in a heart beat and won't care what u say in piket lines the stores would run smoothly company would still make huge profit the only way possible to effect there wallets is to stop whith force people that are going to shop there

[Darksnovia]

anyone who voted yes to go on strike is a fucking idiot the people who voted no to go on strike [like me ] are will getting fucked over by the idiot s who let the Unions do the thinking for them, those people do not deserve Support form anyone all of this is for fucking $2 god I hate the Union

[tommynoonan41]

it is time for Vons Store and Ralphs Store and Albertson Store to sign the UFCW Union Contract by let Vons Store Employee and Ralphs Store Employee and Albertsons Store Employee keep their Living Wage With Affordable Health Care right of away and right now please from Tom P Noonan

[WhozYerDaddy5000]

Dude the pay may not be up to par ..but PIC-ing is not like giving birth or anything...geez ....key word: Martyr