Pandemic supply chain in your area

PhotonWrangler

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I was waiting in the checkout line at one of the big chain retailers yesterday when I overheard the cashier telling the customer in front of me that they couldn't keep coffee creamer in stock. I haven't noticed this myself because I don't use the stuff but that surprised me a little bit. I've personally only noticed shortages of a particular flavor or variety of something. Nothing major.
 

xxo

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I was waiting in the checkout line at one of the big chain retailers yesterday when I overheard the cashier telling the customer in front of me that they couldn't keep coffee creamer in stock. I haven't noticed this myself because I don't use the stuff but that surprised me a little bit. I've personally only noticed shortages of a particular flavor or variety of something. Nothing major.
maybe people can't afford milk for their coffee?
 

PhotonWrangler

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We don't use coffee creamer. Nevertheless, I'm pretty sure it's more expensive than milk. ...... just sayin.
I'm sure the fancy flavored ones are more expensive. I don't use creamer either, mostly because it's basically cornstarch with some other stuff mixed in. It does strange things to my stomach after drinking it.
 

orbital

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Personally quit drinking coffee a few months back after drinking coffee regularly for about 35 years.

Factoring in everything;
to buy the beans, grind it, brew it, the milk, cleaning up stuff, all the extra electricity use ect, ect.
= factoring in everything. approx $3/day

That's $10,000 in ten years that I can use for.... actual food.
 

bykfixer

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We don't use coffee creamer. Nevertheless, I'm pretty sure it's more expensive than milk. ...... just sayin.
The liquid stuff has been hit and miss at my local grocery store for a while now. We don't use it either but I see it beside the quart size milk containers where we shop. And yes it is quite a bit more expensive than milk. It must be popular because shelf space for the stuff is vast.

Powdered type? Can't say that's very popular where I shop judging by the shelf space.

I can take or leave coffee but Mrs Fixer requires the stuff. Health concerns has caused me to avoid cafinated beverages so I switched to de-caf coffee at one point. Mrs Fixer nearly crashed her car each day in the morning commute at first but she's gotten used to the greatly reduced amount of caffiene. She's a keeper, that one.

There was a time during the pandemic that decaf coffee was non existent at my local grocer. I don't think Mrs Fixer was very bothered by that. I'd just drink trop 50 reduced calorie orange juice instead of coffee.
 

Hooked on Fenix

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There could be a strike at Costco soon with the Costco Teamsters. They are working under an expired contract and are preparing to strike if they don't reach a deal soon. Here's the information directly from their website: https://teamster.org/2022/08/teamsters-edge-closer-to-a-national-work-stoppage-at-costco/

I hope this gets resolved before a strike. I did not spend $60 extra a year to pay to go to a store where I have to cross picket lines to get overpriced groceries. Looks like they might only makeup 20% of the workforce countrywide, but probably a high percentage of those are truck drivers bringing the goods to the store. This could get bad quick. Let's pray it doesn't happen.
 
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I wouldn't cross the picket line.

We are a pro union family.

I'm proud to a union man
I make those meetings when I can, yeah
I pay my dues ahead of time
When the benefits come I'm last in line, yeah.

I'm proud to be a union man.

Every fourth Friday at 10 am
There's a local meeting of the A F of M, yeah!

This meeting will now come to order
Is there any new business?

Yeah, I think 'Live music are better'
Bumper stickers should be issued.

What was that?

'Live music is better' bumper stickers
Should be issued

The gentleman says
'Live music is better' bumper stickers
Should be issued
All in favor of what he said
Signify by sayin' "ay"

Ay!

If, however, you are opposed
Signify by saying "no".

I'm proud to be a union man.

- Neil Young
 

knucklegary

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Jimmy Hoffa was a proud union man. He took bribes from the wrong people..
I was a Teamster for 13yrs. Getting an honorable withdrawal was not an easy task. Union leaders don't like their brothers leaving..
I never looked back.
 

idleprocess

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I was a Teamster for 13yrs. Getting an honorable withdrawal was not an easy task. Union leaders don't like their brothers leaving..
I never looked back.
Back when I was paid by the hour I joined the union (TX is a right to work state). The seniority is everything metric baked into the contract was demoralizing and bad for organizational efficacy but I persisted ... until the union negotiated down the generous tuition assistance benefit to the same as management had and didn't tell anyone about it - then I sought an exit. Didn't bother consulting with the union outside of reading up on the procedures in the contract since I knew they'd be unhelpful at best - there was a ~30 day window and the request to withdraw had to be sent to both the union local and some HR droid (who was also unhelpful); sent certified mail that arrived within the first 4 days of the window and was pleasantly surprised when at the end of the window dues obligingly ceased to be deducted. I was also out of room within the contract - but one position with a better pay grade utterly inaccessible to my role - so it was an extremely easy response when offered a management job doing the 'special project' I'd started a ~year prior.

And really, my dispute with unions is not one of their existence but typical CBA structure. Unions tend to build contracts as if the status quo at the time of their inking will remain for at least the entire career of someone hired at the same time and this simply hasn't been the case for many decades. Job classifications can come and go in a matter of years and employees in those roles need to adapt to change faster than unions have historically been willing to accept. And in this business environment, hire date seniority should not and cannot be the primary consideration for promotions, schedules, training opportunities, project assignment, etc - making it so destroys morale and saps initiative.
 

Hooked on Fenix

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This seems to be a pattern lately with businesses. With inflation skyrocketing, people want more money for their labor to keep up with their devaluing paycheck. They feel that after the Covid layoffs of all the people that didn't get the shot, companies had plenty of money stored up to pay them a massive wage increase now since they had less workers to pay then. That is not how the world works. Companies look to future profitability for whether or not it's cost effective to increase wages, not back to money already in shareholders' pockets from past earnings. When we are going into a recession, companies will be looking at every possible way to cut costs, and unfortunately that doesn't include increasing pay dramatically. It sucks for everyone, but people aren't going to get big raises to keep up with massive inflation, nor are prices going to come down on necessities for consumers anytime soon. As long as we have too many dollars chasing too few goods, we'll have problems with inflation. As long as we have too few workers making those goods, this will continue. Too few workers chasing after more dollars chasing after too few goods (made by too few workers) is the recipe for an inflationary death spiral. These worker strikes are just the beginning. A lot of businesses have been struggling to survive with inflation, supply chain issues, government regulations, minimum wage increases, etc. You may find that when the dust settles, many businesses will decide to cut their losses and go out of business rather than pay what they don't think they can afford to employees wanting a raise. The Railroad workers may strike in mid September. Many of the truck drivers in California already have gone on strike due to AB5. The port workers in California are still without a contract and almost went on strike already. The President intervened. The pharmacists at Ralph's, Vons, Albertsons, and Pavillions in San Diego have voted to strike but no official date has been set for the strike. A hotel near ComicCon in San Diego decided to strike during the time of the convention. While I get that people want to pick a side (pro union or not), remember that we lose no matter what. They get their raise, our grocery prices go up. The don't get their raise, we can't get our groceries when they strike.
 

bykfixer

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When I was a kid a local grocery store was all union. They went out of business. Back then a bagger made a good wage. Today the bagger job does not exist at many grocery stores.

My step-son drives for a big delivery company and is all about the union. I asked about the job he had in the company prior and he said "oh a robot does that now" like it was nothing.

The thing I find such a dis-service in many union jobs is a person does a role and only that role. Ok that's great until that role is no longer needed. And over the years I have heard "that aint my job" by so many that just didn't want to, it's ridiculous. Then later they get all bitter beer face when that "job" is replaced.
 
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Poppy

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It seems that I am seeing beef prices come down a bit.

A couple of days ago, it was mentioned on a local news station that the more expensive cuts of meat have dropped in price. They suggested that it might be due to supply and demand, and with food cost inflation that people may be buying less costly cuts of meat, or switching to chicken. IE Lower demand... lower price.

During the same time frame, there was a reporter with a NY State farmer, who stated that the drought caused his feed hay crop to be reduced to about 20% of normal. And a cattle farmer stated that they may need to send their beef to slaughter sooner due to the reduced amount of food. And therefore the increased cost of grain or hay.

I wonder, if beef prices will continue to drop, and then skyrocket? When I see it on sale, should I consider picking it up and freezing it?

Your thoughts?
 

orbital

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...

Your thoughts?
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Ask Putin what kind of games he will play w/ natural gas to Europe
& I'll give you a definitive answer.

everything comes down to oil/gas price.
_____________________________
Well, our Federal Reserve is a big factor too.
 

bykfixer

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Yup, if it's on sale. The days of a 10oz new yourk strip for $5 are few and far between any more. London broil makes a great crock pot meal so if that's on sale get a big one and cut it in half or thirds.
Just my 2 cents
 
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