DaringMehring
18th September 2011, 03:13
The UFCW membership has authorized a strike with over 90% in favor.
They are still negotiating but if an agreement is not reached by 7 pm Sunday, the strike will be on.
Went to an event this morning at a local Ralphs. It was a last show of solidarity, to let the bosses know what they're getting into. About 200 people from a variety of unions (SEIU, UNITE HERE, and CWA at least, in addition to UFCW) and community supporters, like the Interfaith Committee for Workers Justice. We marched in circles outside the store, and many people honored the picket, though some customers crossed the line. Then we marched through the store, causing a lot of commotion and jamming the aisles. Four of the workers inside were lined up, giving high fives and handshakes to the line as it passed through.
It ended with a speech by local AFL CIO boss (a total bureaucrat, went to Stanford, don't know if she has any low wage working experience at all). But her speech was fine. The cops had been called however (probably when we went through the store). They tried to disperse us to clear the street even though we were already dispersing. Some people, I think instigated by a guy from ISO, started a confrontation and it wasn't pretty, or necessary, really. Some locals got into it mocking us and sticking up for the cop. Jerks.
So --- the big question is, will the strike happen? It would be 62,000 grocery workers all over Southern California.
They are still negotiating but if an agreement is not reached by 7 pm Sunday, the strike will be on.
Went to an event this morning at a local Ralphs. It was a last show of solidarity, to let the bosses know what they're getting into. About 200 people from a variety of unions (SEIU, UNITE HERE, and CWA at least, in addition to UFCW) and community supporters, like the Interfaith Committee for Workers Justice. We marched in circles outside the store, and many people honored the picket, though some customers crossed the line. Then we marched through the store, causing a lot of commotion and jamming the aisles. Four of the workers inside were lined up, giving high fives and handshakes to the line as it passed through.
It ended with a speech by local AFL CIO boss (a total bureaucrat, went to Stanford, don't know if she has any low wage working experience at all). But her speech was fine. The cops had been called however (probably when we went through the store). They tried to disperse us to clear the street even though we were already dispersing. Some people, I think instigated by a guy from ISO, started a confrontation and it wasn't pretty, or necessary, really. Some locals got into it mocking us and sticking up for the cop. Jerks.
So --- the big question is, will the strike happen? It would be 62,000 grocery workers all over Southern California.