Thus far I haven't broken down and crossed the picketlines at Ralphs, Vons, or Albertsons. Personally, I don't care for unions all that much, and I don't care for mangement lockouts either. However, the healthcare issue does strike a chord with me.

That said, earlier this week, I went to Trader Joe's, but their shelves were pretty picked over and it really isn't a good substitute for a supermarket. As far as I know, my other options on the Westside aren't that great either (if any westsiders have other options please post). Therefore, I'm considering crossing the picketline sometime in the coming week.

Has anyone already crossed the picketline? Considering it?

Dave

 

No thanks, other than accessing my bank which is inside a Ralph's, I do not want to cross those lines!

You could try Ranch 99 or any of the other ethnic grocer's in your neighborhood. Not only will they have everything you need, but lots of other fun things too like 5000 different kinds of tea and Chinese veggies.

 

I haven't crossed yet either Dave, and like you, I am not a fan of unions (though my wife belongs "reluctantly" to the teachers union). I too am at odd with the health care issue... We have shopped at Stater Bros and I hear Food 4 Less is not striking as well. Also try Costco/Sams club if you can stand to buy in bulk. The other option is Gelsons though they are expensive, they do have outstanding service... sort of the Nordstroms of supermarkets.

Hope this helps!

Garth

EDIT: Forgot to suggest Whole Foods... very good market with all kinds of natural stuff

_________________
Recently modded: Alta intake, pulley, sway bar; H Sport springs and camber links; UUC ehaust; Powerchip ECU

Just having fun running the crest for my commute...

 

Too bad you don't have Stater Bros. near you. They have an excellent meat dept.

Nope, haven't crossed the picket lines at all and don't plan to. I will say this too, my Mini gets the most enthusiastic waves when I honk on the way past the picketers. Some of them even know the "thumbs up" sign.

Ken

 

if they have such a lock on the food market then they need to help their employee's have what is fair also. so i would never cross only way to get this over is to drive both parties back to the table. shop somewhere else you might not ever go back to the big stores. :???: :???:

 

Dave,

You have many choices of alternative places to shop at on the Westside. Try Bob's on Ocean Park and 16th, nice little neighborhood supermarket and they have a GREAT selection of well-priced wines! Try Co-opportunity on Broadway & 16th, very close to your home; you can join it and get a discount on organic products. Also, you have Wild Oats at Wilshire and 5th, I believe. Then, if you feel like driving down to the Marina, Gelson's is a great market, in the Marina Marketplace, oddly enough in the basement!

Be sure to try the Trader Joe's at Palms & Sepulveda. It has a good parking lot and is adjacent to Long's Drugstore. You have many options other than crossing a picket line. I feel like the line has to be held in order to preserve medical benefits. I will not cross a picket line.

Hope this helps!

Cheers!
Clover

 

Well and in a sort of ironic way you can cater to the businesses like Costco and Warmart that are at the very crux for why the supermarkets won't agree to what the unions are demanding.

I've been shopping at Sav-On in the Marina, at Rite-Aid in Mar Vista, Target, and the local Mini markets. When I'm out in Montery Park, I'm at the 99 Ranch as well!

I don't plan on crossing the picket lines, but then again, if the supermarkets are saying they can go on for several months like this, then I'm not so sure I'll be able to hang on that long. Of course it IS fun driving around to several different stores in the MINI.

_________________
Octane Guy

 

How about Whole Foods or Bristol Farms. Good luck.

 

Clo Thanks!
I went to Gelson's they where busy but had all 8 lanes open and It didn't take me any longer than Pavilions to check out. Good selection and had everything I needed. Octane, you shoud try there next it's right around the corner from you.
It was intresting, in there underground parking there where 3 porsche's and a bunch of nice cars, felt good parking there.
-Technomage

 

Have you seen the actual breakdown of "health Care" they are being asked to pay?

Historically, supermarkets have paid 100% of the benifits and the checker has paid 0. Currently they are asking them to pay 5 dollars a week, $20 dollars a month.

The average checker makes roughly 17.50 and hour and they cant scrape together 20 bucks a months for healthcare.... Sorry, I dont have much sympathy for them.

Government employees have to pay $70 dollars a month for crappy HMO coverage.

I say cross the line and do it with a smile, asking a person to spend $20 bucks compared to the multiple hundreds the markets pay to cover each empoyee is nothing.

Grow up and dont grief people who want to buy food.

Thelaw13

 

>>Clo Thanks!
>>I went to Gelson's they where busy but had all 8 lanes open and It didn't take me any longer than Pavilions to check out. Good selection and had everything I needed. Octane, you shoud try there next it's right around the corner from you.
>>It was intresting, in there underground parking there where 3 porsche's and a bunch of nice cars, felt good parking there.
>>-Technomage

Great idea. I completely forgot about that Gelsons. Thanks for the tip!

 

>>Have you seen the actual breakdown of "health Care" they are being asked to pay?
>>
>>Historically, supermarkets have paid 100% of the benifits and the checker has paid 0. Currently they are asking them to pay 5 dollars a week, $20 dollars a month.
>>
>>The average checker makes roughly 17.50 and hour and they cant scrape together 20 bucks a months for healthcare.... Sorry, I dont have much sympathy for them.

Yeah as much publicity there is on this subject, I'm about split on whose side I wanna take. I think the supermarkets have the right to stay competitive if they need to be against non union businesses. I know the Sunday issue of the LA Times was trying to say that's all baloney, but heck when I saw that they make $17.50/hour, I was amazed!!!!

That's a lot of money. Heck I went to architecture school, spent a ton of money on that, spent 8 years in school, and you earn like $15/hr most, not to mention needing to intern for the first several years working for practically nothing.

Ok, I'm digressing. Still, the economy sucks. Let's talk about something meaningful. How about Gray Davis that signed a bill to layoff 12,000 workers to get back $1Bil , and didn't cause he needed the votes on this last recall? Now Arnold will be faced with this $1Bil hole when he takes office---and the blame will be laid on him. Especially if he gives them 30 days notice---just the perfect timing to lay them off for the holidays! Ohhh, he won't be liked, even though Gray Davis caused this whole mess. Geesh.

Back to more imporant things, like MINI talk!

 

I won't cross a picket line.
We wouldn't have health care or a 40 hour work week if workers hadn't stood up for them. Give an employer an inch and they'll take a mile. We'd all make $3 an hour if they could get away with it.

Whole Foods on Newport Ave, in Tustin is where I've been going.

As for Arnie, he better be ready to take the heat. Davis already said the DMV increase was mandated by the ending of time on a law that Pete Wilson enacted. It's easy to blame Davis for everything, but it won't work for long. At some point, just like Davis, the person in charge will be held accountable, as we just witnessed. Republicans will blame the state legislature for everything wrong form now on, and Democrats will blame the "Gropinator" for everything. It's all very embarrassing if you ask me.

Don't blame me...I voted for Gary Coleman.

"What you talkin' bout Willis?!"

 

>>Have you seen the actual breakdown of "health Care" they are being asked to pay?
>>
>>Historically, supermarkets have paid 100% of the benifits and the checker has paid 0. Currently they are asking them to pay 5 dollars a week, $20 dollars a month.
>>
>>The average checker makes roughly 17.50 and hour and they cant scrape together 20 bucks a months for healthcare.... Sorry, I dont have much sympathy for them.
>>
>>Government employees have to pay $70 dollars a month for crappy HMO coverage.
>>
>>I say cross the line and do it with a smile, asking a person to spend $20 bucks compared to the multiple hundreds the markets pay to cover each empoyee is nothing.
>>
>>Grow up and dont grief people who want to buy food.
>>
>>Thelaw13

Being a former retail clerk (on the picket line in 78) I sympathize with them and will not cross the line. Everyone thinks the workers are being asked to pay an extra $5 for health care....but as usual there is more. The extra $5 would be easy if you were working full time, most are not. There is a two tiered (sp?) pay scale proposed...newer employees will be paid less and not get any benefits in some cases - older employees would be facing the prospect of reduced hours and eventual replacement by workers at the lower scale. Retirement is also taking a hit....a friend who is still in the business is looking at retiring in 2 years (30 yrs of service)...under the new contract he would have an additional 8 years to work and end up with fewer benefits.

I agree with Kurster...we wouldn't have health care, overtime pay or other benefits if someone in each of our professions hadn't stood up for what they believed was right.

My $.02

 

If you feel not to cross then dont, if you feel to cross then do, we would not have
lots of stuff if it were not for the peaceful efforts of the freedoms that this
country offers, but always remember, nothing is fair, nothing is free, and no
one has a right to health care or a job, if they dont like the conditions of the
supermarkets then find another job, learn the skills needed to make more money
and acheive a better position. I started out digging out bacements and laying
sheetrock, now I program computers and make more an hour than I could have
ever dreamed of. its about taking responsibility for your self, lifting yourself up
by your pants and getting out to the hole your in, its no one else's duty to do
that, not the goverments not the corp. just my .02

 

>>Have you seen the actual breakdown of "health Care" they are being asked to pay?
>>
>>Historically, supermarkets have paid 100% of the benifits and the checker has paid 0. Currently they are asking them to pay 5 dollars a week, $20 dollars a month.
>>
>>The average checker makes roughly 17.50 and hour and they cant scrape together 20 bucks a months for healthcare.... Sorry, I dont have much sympathy for them.
>>
>>Government employees have to pay $70 dollars a month for crappy HMO coverage.
>>
>>I say cross the line and do it with a smile, asking a person to spend $20 bucks compared to the multiple hundreds the markets pay to cover each empoyee is nothing.
>>
>>Grow up and dont grief people who want to buy food.
>>

One of my co-workers has a daughter who works for Ralph's. She said that they're not picketing about having to pay for healthcare. They are perfectly willing to pay for healthcare; the problem is that not only are they being asked to pay for it, but the benefits themselves are being greatly reduced! Now if your boss came to you and told you that from now on you would be making less money, paying for your healthcare (when you hadn't before), were going to get a LOT less coverage of said healthcare, and had to work a lot longer to get fewer benefits, I'd bet you'd picket too!

BTW, it's only the employees of one of the three that were picketing; the employees of the other two were quite willing to go to work but were locked out by their employers. THAT shows you what kind of employers we're talking about.

No, life isn't fair. But we do have laws in this country and protection of workers is one of the key things that makes this country great. If the workers aren't happy, those at the top who are 'fat and happy' won't be for very long... if they really try to screw the little guy, eventually it all comes back to bite them in the ***.

 

>>One of my co-workers has a daughter who works for Ralph's. She said that they're not picketing about having to pay for healthcare. They are perfectly willing to pay for healthcare; the problem is that not only are they being asked to pay for it, but the benefits themselves are being greatly reduced! Now if your boss came to you and told you that from now on you would be making less money, paying for your healthcare (when you hadn't before), were going to get a LOT less coverage of said healthcare, and had to work a lot longer to get fewer benefits, I'd bet you'd picket too!

I'm sorry but I gotta disagree. If I'm in a job and told that I have an option, take a pay cut or find another job, you can bet I'll take the pay cut rather than look for a new job, especially in the job climate we are in today. It's the unions that have allowed employees to complain about how unfair it is, but think of all the non union business layoffs. That wasn't fair either. Yes, I've been there. I sympathize with these people, but on the other hand, having been self employed for many years, and worked under a variety of corporations large and small, heath coverage varies widely and if we gotta pay more for it, or get paid less money, hey that's your choice.

A few days before 9/11 due to financial reasons I was given the choice to relocate from my ad agency job in Los Angeles as Managing Director to the New York office or quit. I quit which shocked them all, but I sure was glad of my decision. We all need to decide for ourselves what to do next. Life is never fair. And I think it will be pretty interesting if Albertson's continues to hold out, and all these strikers jobs are lost--because consumers won't wait around forever.

 

I too have walked away from a good job as a result of management changes. I have never regretted it. But a lot of people don't have that luxury. In today's climate I'm not sure what I would do in the same situation. Probably the same thing, but then I don't have dependants to worry about.

From what I understand about the supermarket workers, they want the same health care coverage that they previously had, AND they are willing to pay for it. But the employers won't provide such a package. I don't know why, I'm just relaying what was said to me a number of weeks ago. My memory could be a little hazy on the subject.

As for workers complaining too much, where do you draw the line? There HAS to be dialogue and compromise. I think everyone will agree on that. But when the employers won't even let the workers in, let alone sit down at the table, who looks bad then? How many times do we have to see CEOs get astronomical salaries and bonuses while their workers just barely squeak by before the system breaks down? I think that people are simply becoming fed-up with it all. I know I am.

 

Don't forget that the UFCW contract was up for renewal with only Vons. When the Vons employees decided to strike Ralphs and Albertsons "locked out" their employees. These are people who might sympathize with the Vons employee, but were willing to work and couldn't!

 

Yeah, well American Airlines employees took your advice...they agreed to cut their salaries. Look at what happened in the complete story here (http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/18/bu...85&ei=5070):

...The problem arose a day after American appeared to have secured $1.8 billion in annual labor concessions, which it said were necessary for it to stay out of bankruptcy court. The Allied Pilots Association and the Transport Workers Union closed voting Tuesday morning and said they had ratified $660 million in annual concessions from pilots and $620 million from mechanics and ground workers. The Association of Professional Flight Attendants agreed with management to extend its voting until Wednesday, when its members ratified $340 million in concessions...

...In its filing, the company said it created a trust last October to provide the top 45 executives with supplemental pension benefits that would be protected from "the claims of the creditors" if the company had to file for bankruptcy protection. The company's top four executives would also be paid an undisclosed amount for managing that trust....

Sooo. Workers volunteer to take pay cuts to "save" the company from itself, and low and behold the executives create a golden parachute for themselves.

THAT, my friend is why we have labor unions and this strike before us. Corporate execs often don't give a rat's patootie about these workers. They should fight for their right to a decent wage and benefits. It's still a fraction of what the execs earn, The ratio of what execs earn to what the average worker earns in this country is grossly out of whack compared to the rest of the world.

 

Hear Hear Kurtster!