Who Killed The Living Wage? An Insider’s View of the Grocery
Strike
By Hillary
Kaye
On February 26, 86 percent of the
55,000 workers of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union voted to ratify a
contract with the three grocery giants Safeway (Vons and Pavilions), Kroger
(Ralphs), and Albertsons.
The strike, which lasted five months, began
last October when negotiations failed with Safeway. Their competitors Kroger and
Albertsons immediately responded by locking out their unionized employees.
The contract dispute was over two central
issues, lowered health care benefits and the corporation’s attempt to
institute a two-tier system. A new person hired would be subject to a lower wage
and benefit scale than those already there. This provision would open the door
to increased profits by getting rid of older, better paid employees.
The strike was pivotal, because what
was at stake was the future of the living wage for workers. As real wages
continue to decline for workers and the middle class continues to disappear, it
seems especially important to try to evaluate the strike and its results. To do
so I plan to do a series of interviews with some of the participants. This first
interview is with Neicer, a veteran Ralphs employee who was very active in the
strike.
BEFORE THE
STRIKE
Beachhead:
What did you think of the preparations for the
strike?
Neicer:
I felt the union was not prepared.
Beachhead:
What sort of input did you and the others have in the decision to
strike?
Neicer:
Just our vote. Details of their take aways were conveyed during the voters
meeting. Personally I felt the two-tier system was out of the
question.
Beachhead:
How long did you think the strike would
last?
Neicer:
I believed the strike would not happen,
and
when the strike began I thought
“Two weeks,
max.”
Beachhead:
Did the union express any view on how long it would
last?
Neicer:
No.
Beachhead:
Did the union discuss strategy with the
workers?
Neicer:
It instructed members how to maintain effective picketing positions to restrict
truck deliveries. Most members did not welcome aggressive picketing during the
rallies. They basically wanted to keep peace with the customers, since
management was threatening members with consequences they would face when
returning to
work.
Beachhead:
What was your thinking about the strike at the time
pre-strike?
Neicer:
I thought we would give them a run for the money! The companies could not
survive without us during the holidays, the most profitable time of the year and
they would not jeopardize sales due to a labor
dispute.
DURING THE
STRIKE
Beachhead:
What was your role in the
strike?
Neicer:
I was active in the strike, and did everything I could to support our
union.
Beachhead:
What was your sense of how the strike was
going?
Neicer:
There was no balance of power. The management prolonged negotiations only to
offer the same contract with switched wording. It was a slap in the face.They
had the upper hand and were armed to sidestep every old fashioned
move.
Beachhead:
Was there feedback from the union as to how it was
going?
Neicer:
Details were never discussed, only instructions as to how to keep members strong
on the picket line, and news of upcoming visits from influential people at
rallies or
events.
Beachhead:
What support did workers get from other
unions?
Neicer:
We obtained quite a lot of support from other unions, the first union up to bat
was the Teachers Association, a group of 78-80 teachers who marched, chanted and
scolded customers for crossing the lines. The iron workers Local 433 and 416,
communication workers, IBEW, RIW, and the IUE made numerous contributions. The
Teamsters gave their support by honoring picket lines and eventually went out on
their “silver bullet” plan, refusing to drive their trucks in
attempt to shut down the Vons distribution center. The International
Longshoreman Local 13 shut down the port for 24 hours, held a Christmas toy
drive for the members and families our Locals 770, 324 and 1442 and a few
others, as well as contributing over $100,000 to the members who lost health
care benefits due to the employers refusing to make their final
contribution.
Beachhead:
What was the community
support?
Neicer:
Local businesses adopted stores; others provided food and water for the members,
as well as donations to purchase daily essentials. Fortunately we connected with
the Harry Bridges Institute in San Pedro. HBI is community funded to aid
families in need. UFCW members were accepted, depending on their needs for
mortgage, rent, utilities, and payments of medical bills. We also received
referrals for local food banks located in numerous cities throughout Los Angeles
and Orange County, as well as organizations offering help to accommodate members
in many ways. The Toberman House in San Pedro helped hundreds of families. All
this assistance mind you, was extended to local 1442 members, who’s to say
what the other locals
received.
AFTER THE
STRIKE
Beachhead:
Did you vote to ratify or
not?
Neicer:
Not!!!!
Beachhead:
Why
not?
Neicer:
It was unacceptable. I was willing to pay my share in health care costs, but the
two tier system would begin the erosion of power at the bargaining table. I was
fighting for all the single mothers who were paid benefits, and could work part
time, go to college and still spend time with their children. This contract
would eliminate that
ability.
Beachhead:
What do you think about the outcome of the strike when returning to
work?
Neicer:
Ridden hard, and put away wet! The employers have a plan in motion that does not
include existing employees. Members are now realizing what type of contract they
voted
for.
Beachhead:
What do you think about the out come now that some months have
elapsed?
Neicer:
Every promotion is under the new contract. The new hires take precedence in
prime scheduling with a guarantee of 30 hours a week, whereas existing members
hours are cut to accommodate the new part time employees with a minimum of 24hrs
a week. Many members have left the company while others have taken early
retirement with a freeze on promotions. The stores losing full time members
borrow part time members from other stores, who are commuting up to 25-30 miles
away from home, while new hires continue to work in their private little Idaho.
Beachhead:
What has happened to workers on the
job?
Neicer:
Members refusing to train newbies are quickly transferred to other locations.
Those turning down promotions under the new contract are transferred as well.
New employees are flooding the stores, most of them are not trained at all in
their general job duties, grooming standards, courteous customer service or even
security. This cheap labor assisting in stocking, facing, price changes, and
clean ups has no training or ability to perform these jobs
efficiently.
Beachhead:
What is the feeling between management and
workers?
Neicer:
Management’s main goal seems to be focused on new hires, and continues to
create an environment so the existing members feel uncomfortable. The store
managers will state how important we are in the success of the company, but
their actions play a different tune. The employers are implementing changes to
accommodate the new contract, and store managers are following through with the
unlawful threats made during the strike to employees, yet they claim
it’s for the good of the company.
Beachhead:
What have the workers that you have spoken to said to
you?
Neicer:
Members from all three companies complain mainly of the lousy scheduling, how
the new hires are given the prime shifts, and how most new hires are quickly
promoted while the existing members with up to 15 years vested are passed
up.
Beachhead:
What happened to the scabs? Were some of them hired on with the new
contracts?
Neicer:
All replacement workers were fired, then a third of them were rehired under the
new
contract.
Beachhead:
What is the feeling between old and new
workers?
Neicer:
Very difficult at first. Most store managers warned employees that any
misconduct physical or verbal would not be tolerated, but I was not prepared to
receive negative comments from the terminated workers returning to shop at our
store. With the tables somewhat turned, they seem to have experienced resentment
towards us as
well.
Beachhead:
How many new workers are
there?
Neicer:
About 20 percent of employees are new. The second week, most of the new hires
and a few existing courtesy clerks began cashier training. It used to take
years to reach that
position.
Beachhead:
How did people who have devoted years of their lives to these markets
feel?
Neicer:
Working for an employer who cares only of his profits, and the treatment
exhibited to members during the strike and afterward does not convey a warm
fuzzy feeling. Given the threats made by a store manager to certain members, I
believe most members feel as I do, that it’s just a matter of time before
we’re replaced or fired.
Beachhead:
How do the workers feel about the union
now?
Neicer:
The few members I’ve spoken with seem to blame the union for the outcome
of the strike. But when members are approached on ways to make politics work
and preserve our union jobs or to prepare for the next contract, they have no
desire to participate or even extend support to the very unions that helped us
through our struggles.The union did what it had to do in order to protect the
interest of its members. We did not lose this fight – we ran out of
money!!!
In short, I feel the union
members collective will is not as strong as it could
be.
Beachhead:
What would you have liked to have seen the union do
differently?
Neicer:
To have established outside resources following the employer’s patterns.
Track every move made by these mega conglomerates, as well as other companies in
grocery retail, to analyze and prepare several strategies for attack. Calculate
the amount of money needed to strike. Enforce militant picketing from day one.
Publicize the union’s position and corporation’s intent. And call
in all troops for aid.
Posted: Thu - July 1, 2004 at 07:25 PM