Strike!

[r3port3r66]

Albertson's, Vons and Ralphs--BIG grocery store chains here in Southern California--are on strike. Employees of these chains are striking for what they feel are unfair labor practices. The CEO's of said chains are proposing to cut back wages (mind you the average loyal employee gets $17 an hour) and medical benefits (mind you, the loyal employee has full medical insurance, which pretty much covers everything).

With the recent slump in our stock market, the company says that they can no longer afford to pay such high wages and pay for medical insurance too. Of course, when news of a proposal to cut hours/wages and benefits hit the Union Leaders their first reaction was to start up a good ole American picket line. Which they did and it continues on today.

I've heard and read mixed reactions to this situation. Some people say they cross the picket line anyway because they feel that the employees are getting alot and they should be lucky to have a job. Here's a quote from an average American that supports this reasoning:

" Well as I walked into my local Vons store today I was greeted by many people on strike. They were NOT being abnoxious in any way but wanted to know why I was crossing thier picket line. I told them they should be thankful they had a job and if they didn't like working for Vons, find a new job. They were shocked at my bluntness!

These employees are expecting customers to shop at other private, non-union markets until they get their matters resolved, them come back? Please. If I have to change markets, it will be because I want to and I won't be coming back. The more customers they chase away, the less money the company will make and the less employees they will need. Hummmmm, these union workers are really smart! They will strike themselves right out of a job, hopefully!"--Frank

I got that quote from a website that features people who own RV's and travel around the country.

Here are some stats from the CEO's that run the country's biggest supermarkets:

Albertson's
Lawrence Johnston, CEO of Albertson's, makes 12.22 million a year. That works out to $6100 an hour (12.2 / 2000 hours) vs. the $17 an hour he's whining about paying employees.
"CEO makes $6100 an hour, and wants to freeze wages for those making $17 an hour"

Safeway
Steven Burd CEO took a "pay cut" then exercised millions in stock options. Insider transactions for 2003 show multiple option exercises of 50,000 shares of Safeway at $6 a share then immediately selling at market price of about $23-24, netting about $900,000 each time.

Kroger
Joseph Pichler CEO, 3.93 million salary owns 1.2 million shares has disposed of about 270,000 shares this year in "non open market" transactions, and exercised options of 80,000 shares at 4.60 (the stock is 19 today)

Would you ever cross a picket line? Why/Why not?

[Mary Loquacious]

I got very excited when I saw the original title of this thread--it made me think that proofreaders were going on strike. ;D

We had an interesting situation at my university last year, with the teacher's union planning a strike. The negotiations dragged on and on, and it got to the point where the university posted flyers all over the place that stated what students were to do should the strike go into effect. The professors had many excellent issues that they wanted addressed, and I thought the strike--or, at least, their actions--was, for the most part, warranted.

It also got to the point where we graduate students were sharply divided, both in our feelings about the validity of the strike and in our feelings about what we should do or say if the strike went into effect. We were told by the director of the department that if we decided not to teach in order to show support for the professors, we would be "reprimanded" and that we should simply go about our business as usual. There were also rumors that some of us might be drafted into service to sub in for striking professors, regardless of our feelings on the matter. I'm not certain how this would have worked or even if they could legally enforce this, but even the mere rumor pissed many people off.

I did not want to cross the picket lines. Had the strike actually gone into effect, I wouldn't have. I talked to my students about meeting somewhere off-campus for classes--which would probably have earned me a "reprimand", but I felt I could easily defend my actions to the university honchos.

Anyway, the strike did not happen. The university came through with some decent 11th-hour compromises, and the union felt satisfied that their efforts had actually made a difference.

[Sexy Celebrity]

Would you ever cross a picket line? Why/Why not?

I'd skip through one.

[Golgot]

The potential for industrial action is boiling over here wherever the "third way" privatisation system is failing to live up to it's targets [i.e. everywhere] - most noteably on the rail-lines, where cost-cutting maintenance and safety companies have caused an increase in accidents and drivers etc no longer feel safe. Altho the unions can get a little bit militant, i'm happy to see, at the very minimum, the potential for pressure to be put on these companies to ACTUALLY PERFORM finally emerging. Coz the government don't do it - the selection process is often laughable, as subsidies mean the companies fall over themselves to promise the world. Unsurprisingly they fail to deliver - and i'm not holding my breath concerning long-term (30 year) promises to re-invest in infrastructure by these Public-Private-Partnerships [i.e. partial privatisation] and the Public Finance Initiatives [this is where we just give them money to piss away on promoting their brands etc rather than improving service :rolleyes: ]

So, there's no way i'd walk over any picket line that is set-up to ensure worker and public safety in the face of greedy and inefficient corporate bad-practice.

I DO think a balance between companies and state, between capitalism and socialism, needs to be established - coz both have clear benefits. I believe strikes could be one way in which public and state workers can actually put some pressure on the companies and stop them living out their more destructive and greedy principles.

The only problem is of course, that the unions always get hung up on other issues that don't necessarily acheive beneficial ends. Heigh ho. But, constructive (welfare-sustaining/improving) striking? Bring it on.

[Caitlyn]

Would you ever cross a picket line? Why/Why not?


I doubt if the employee benefits you listed just happened… the majority of the time they have to be fought for because most businesses do everything they can to keep from paying higher wages or any type of medical benefits… so no… I would not cross a picket line.