AFL-CIO to Intervene, Ratchet Up Market Strike (CA supermarkets)

[robcon]

"...United Food and Commercial Workers union officials said they welcomed the AFL-CIO's heightened participation on the tactical side, characterizing the federation's plan as an expansion of a strategy the UFCW had already set in motion.

In fact, Trumka, Judd and other top federation officials had agitated for months to become more involved in strike planning but were rebuffed until recently by national UFCW leaders, according to a national labor strategist familiar with the situation.

The AFL-CIO's intercession comes after two failed attempts by the UFCW to get contract talks back on track. With the Central and Southern California labor dispute in its fourth month and no resolution in sight, tensions among leaders of the seven UFCW locals involved have become increasingly apparent.

Observers weren't convinced that the AFL-CIO's aggressive tactics would bring about a labor-friendly conclusion.

"They've tried a lot of things and there's no progress, so this seems like a completely appropriate thing to try," said Ruth Milkman, director of the UC Institute of Labor and Employment. "I just don't know if it will work." "

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-super20jan20,1,4784056.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[ugarte]

1. This strike is hopeless unless...

they can somehow get greater Teamster support and shut down the stores. Right now, the stores are just coasting along, happy at the prospect of breaking the union.

I feel so bad for all these workers, up to their eyeballs in debt. Lives and marriages are being torn apart, and if they lose--which it appears they're going to--it will have ramifications nationwide.

The only thing worse than not striking over a bad deal is striking and losing, because when one union goes down, all unions take a hit.

I don't know what the AFL-CIO can do, but they've got to get some leverage from somewhere.

[Freddie Stubbs]

2. What is the situation over there?

Are there supermarkets where people can shop without having to cross picket lines? Are people crossing the lines?

[ugarte]

3. People are crossing the lines

In front of most stores a picket line consists of a handful of pickets, if that, and they are mandated to stay off store property, so they're out on the sidewalk. Cars just drive into the parking lot, people get out and do their shopping and drive back out without ever really having to talk to a picketer.

Believe me, as it stands now, this strike is lost and was a very bad idea. Having been in a long strike myself, I know the kind of pressures these people are under, and without a winning strategy it only makes it worse.

If nothing happens soon, the union will have to cave. People have
to eat even if it means getting punked.

[Ctuser]

4. People have to eat

And in the end they will get what they deserve. Then when their jobs are gone they can join all the rest of the american workers with no brains or balls and say "I didn't know.". When workers strike in other countrys everybody goes most americans only care about themselves till its to late. Its called karma everybodys job is up for the lowest bidder. God help the people who try to take a stand for workers rights because americans sure won't

[ugarte]

6. I agree

I wonder what the hard-headed union activists on the 1930s would say if they saw how soft the union movement has become. In the old days a few heads would probably have been busted by now on both sides.

Having said that, it's easy to get on a soapbox when you're not the one on the line. You go home to your kids and have to tell them there's no money because Mom or Dad is on strike.

[BenFranklinUSA]

5. Effort Is Suspect

A few picketers at each locale???

Call me naive, but wouldn't it make more sense to 'load-up' a hundred or so at a single locations and encircle the entire store?
Do the same at different stores every three days or so.

Sounds like the unions don't want it to end yet.

Shoot. Now I'm hungry...

[BearFlagDemocrat]

8. Stores are losing money...

It's estimated that they've lost over a billion dollars so far, but there's no real sign of this ending any time soon. In my area there are Stater Bros., Henry's, Trader Joes, and Jimbo's Natural Foods that we can shop at, not to mention Costco, so there are plenty of people who choose to recognize the pickets. The stores aren't budging, though...

[Mr.Green93]

7. 90 days

Can the stores hire new workers after 90 days? I thought I read that at the beginning of the strike.

[wryter2000]

9. Informational pickets in NoCal

There have been informational picketers at Safeways in Oakland. The dh and I have decided to stay out of there until the mess is settled in SoCal. I have a friend who works at Safeway. I want to be able to look him and his wife in the eye.

BTW, my company -- Kaiser Permanente -- has decided to allow union members to defer payments for their medical care until March. The rest of the health insurance plans (they're not HMO's -- health maintenance organizations -- they're insurance companies!) are telling the union members "tough, you're not covered. Pay now or no service."

[TheStateChief]

10. Spoke To A Man Locked Out In Calabasas

and was taken by his candor and frustration...said there is a fairly high level of dissatisfaction over how everything has been handled - especially on the PR front...was really upset that more attention was not being paid to what is going on and said most people were still shopping at the stores because they didn't even know what the strikes were for...it is a sad situation and judging from everything that I'm seeing it appears that the strike will collapse soon unless efforts are stepped up as referenced above...