In Mott’s Strike, More Than Pay at Stake

[Sherman A1]

From the NY Times...

Those of you who buy Dr. Pepper, Snapple or Mott's products may want to take a few moments to look over this article...

WILLIAMSON, N.Y. — After nearly 90 days of picketing in the broiling sun outside the sprawling Mott’s apple juice plant here in upstate New York, Michelle Muoio recognizes that the lengthy strike is about far more than whether the 305 hourly workers at the plant get a fatter or slimmer paycheck.

“Companies have asked for concessions throughout the history of the labor movement because they’ve faced hard times and needed help to survive,” said Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, which represents the Mott’s workers. “Dr Pepper Snapple is different. They don’t even show the respect to lie to us. They just came in and said, ‘We have no financial need for this, but we just want it anyway because we figure we can get away with it.’ ”

More at link....

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/18/business/18motts.html?_r=2&adxnnl=1&ref=business&pagewanted=all&adxnnlx=1282132822-kJQ95WYp/UqlaMOM4vyqwA

[Hannah Bell]

1. solidarity. the bosses everywhere are trying to make big clawbacks by any means possible in

a time when workers are suffering.

fight back.

[Jack Bone]

2. I loved this qoute from the article soooo much, I gotta add it

<snip>“Corporate America is making tons of money — this company is a good example of that,” said Mike LeBerth, president of the union local representing the strikers. “So why do they want to drive down our wages and hurt our community? This whole economy is driven by consumer spending, so how are we supposed to keep the economy going when they take away money from the people who are doing the spending?”
<snip>

Thanx 4 posting the article!!

K&R

[Sherman A1]

3. It is a good quote

I think it's like anything else, just a short sighted outlook on the part of the company. They don't want to drive down wages, so to speak, just the wages they pay out. If the XYZ factory down the road pays way above average the bosses at the ABC Company don't care until it affects them and the sale of their products. It is pretty much an "all about me" look at the world.