Grocery Strike Mean Anything To You?

Flashlightboy

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Mar 28, 2001
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It hasn't changed my daily routine and I'm not swayed by the striking employees to shop elsewhere. I've crossed the picket line and despite their pleas to the contrary, the strikers can't really give me a bona fide reason to make their issue my issue. My beef isn't with them or the stores.

I've been yelled at, surrounded by picketers who didn't want me to cross the the line and I've even had one of them tow their infant in a wagon very slowly in a crosswalk to keep me from entering while another co-worker yelled at me with a bullhorn.

Anyone else affected by the strike?
 

Flashlightboy

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Let me respond to this exquisite and provocative question.

I think the strikers are losing the PR battle and they need to accelerate their presence.

Enough trucks are coming from the warehouses to the stores so that they can remain open. The unions were counting on a "shock and awe" strategy to win public support and cause financial hardship to the companies. It hasn't happened yet and so they are planning to block trucks from leaving the warehouses.

So far, workers are set to lose $6.3 million a day in wages. By the time they get back to work any raises they receive will never make up for the lost income. Brilliant. Just brilliant.
 

IlluminatingBikr

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Affected? Yes.

Last night my father, sister, and I went to our local Vons for some groceries. The store was open, with only newly hired people working. There were between ten and twenty people striking outside. When my dad told me that we were going to Vons, I was surprised. I thought that Vons was striking and that we could help the strikers by not going to Vons. That started a very interesting conversation during the car ride over....

He told me his view on what is going on and also what he thinks about unions. After hearing this, I had a new point of view. One that actually made more sense to me than what I had been hearing from the media and strikers. My dad even gave me an example of when a union took advantage of its powers with a textile company my great-grandfather used to run. After hearing all of this, I understood more, and was no longer afraid to go into Vons.

Well please give me an adrenaline rush next time right before I go in! There were people honking who drove by (supporting the strike) and the strikers were marching around and yelling about the strike. There was my dad, me, and my little sister marching in. It was a feeling I haven't felt before. I feeling of fear, yet doing something you believe in and not being swayed by others.

So we went in and got our groceries. There were a few differences, some good, some bad. The deli and sea-food place were both closed (because they didn't have enough staff). The store was pretty empty and there was lots of stock. Check out was a little bit slower than usual, but we checked out without any problems.

So yes, the strike has affected me. I hope that it doesn't last long though, as it creats a lot of tension between everybody, and creates a not so comfortable environment.
 

Threepio

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Yes, it's affected me. I hate strikes.

I lost sympathy for the strikers when they bullied and intimidated my wife when she tried to go to her bank branch in Ralphs. She felt they were deliberately blocking her, and so she left. I went to Albertsons later that day, was hassled by a picketer at the entrance, and told her that if she wanted customers after the strike, she'd better leave me alone during the strike. Inside the store it was downright peaceful...

I'll also add that since most people are having benefits cut, the deal they were offered doesn't sound that bad. But then, I work at a hospital, and pay $200 a month for insurance for my wife and me. So I'll keep shopping at Vons, and Albertsons. --Bob
 

Tomas

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I've both been on the picket lines and part of the management team keeping things running through strikes. As a manager at one company I was the publisher of the monthly newsletter for the union my wife was in at another.

I've seen unreasonable demands from both sides, and absolute refusals to negotiate reasonably from both sides. Neither side is always the good guys or bad.

I've marched, picketed, and been a nusiance while on strike. I've worked, fidgeted, and called the cops while a manager.

This particular strike is not affecting me because it is not in my area. Were it in my area, and were it against a store I normally shopped at it wouild affect me. I was on that side of the line for long enough to understand how hard it is to strike and to recover from a strike.

I'd have to examine the reason for strike, and if I felt it was valid, I would not cross the lines. (That is assuming that there were alternatives left available to me, and I suspect there would be.)

If I felt that they were unreasonably on strike, I'd cross, but not like it.

Last grocery clerk strike in this area, I did not break the lines as I supported their demands and recognized their needs.
 

smokinbasser

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Hmmmm grocery store strike??? I live in the Krogers headquarters hometown,and haven't even noticed a strike. Is it nationwide or regional ???
 

Tomas

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Regional at this point.

" On Tuesday, 70,000 Southern California grocery clerks from three chains began their third day on the picket lines with no sign of a new contract. Grocery clerks in four other states -- Missouri, West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky -- are also on strike."
 

Charles Bradshaw

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So you live in or near Cincinnati, smokinbasser? I am up in Mansfield, and no strike up here that I am aware of. Oh, I do like Kroger. We have 3 here.

This sort of strike only hurts the strikers and maybe some people you can't go anywhere else.
 

Marty Weiner

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This morning's news showed video of a huge, hulking striker being put in handcuffs for intimidating customers. There were similar stories of intimidation and "followings" by strikers of undercover cops (they were also arrested).

I remember a couple of years ago when Pepsi was struck and they sent out armed guards with each Pepsi truck because of the threats.

Is it any wonder that union membership has dwindled in the last decade. The average citizen won't stand for the bullying and coercion that goes on during these strikes.

Ralphs (owned by Kroeger) has hired 10,000 temps to fill the open positions during the strike and there are thousands more who will gladly cross the picket line to obtain employment. Today is day 5 and union members will never make up what they have lost if this goes on any further.

Will they ever learn ?
 

tkl

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Unions, putting people out of work for years. It's a wonder why companies even deal with them.
 

eluminator

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tkl, the companies have to deal with them. It's the law. How do you think the Democrats get their campaign money? It's called union dues, and if you want to work in certain industries these campaign contributions are deducted from your paycheck and theres nothing you can do about it.

If we'd call them state sponsored terrorist organizations instead of the euphemism "labor unions" things would be easier to understand.
 
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