Omaha Steve's Labor Group

LiberalElite

(14,691 posts) Sat Oct 3, 2015, 04:14 PM Oct 2015

Hello - this is my first post in this group-

I'm not a union member but was brought up in a strongly union supporting family and several decades years later I'm still strongly pro-union. Now to get to the actual post:

The large apartment complex I live in also owns and manages a small strip mall. The longtime supermarket there had become unkempt and deteriorating and consequently had few customers. When they were negotiating a new lease, management stipulated that the store operator make improvements. This was a long drawn out saga. Weeks, months, years - no change.

OK - fast forward to Sept. 2015. A memo was circulated to residents: Management found a new operator! New operator owns several other supermarkets! New operator will make even more improvements than required! New operator will even have a senior citizen discount day! Everything's fine now! No. Not for me. The memo was silent on what is for me a very important detail.

I went to that store a couple days ago and - something wasn't right. I didn't recognize anyone. I decided to speak up. I asked- a a cluster of guys looking at documents near the exit "What happened to the people who used to work here." "They went somewhere else." "Is this still a union shop?" "No." "THAT SUCKS!" "Yeah" (I couldn't tell if this was snark or not.)

Today bad weather, so I softened up a little and went back. "NEW OWNERSHIP" signs in windows; several customers, maybe a few more than usual. I walked around for a few minutes and left. I suddenly felt so sad in there.

I had a good feeling shopping where I knew the employees had a somewhat decent salary, benefits, vacation, sick days and recourse if the boss doesn't treat them right. Now more of those jobs are gone.

I hope people in this group understand my reaction. I've mentioned this situation to a couple of neighbors and one just looked at me blankly and the other said, "As long as it's clean I don't care." (!!!!!!!)

There will be times that I'll have to buy something there. I don't have a car and if there's snow on the ground, etc. ..if there's a desperate reason to spend money there if there's no altertative I will. Until that day comes THEY CAN KISS MY ASS.

Thanks for reading.