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GUESTS: Greg Conger, President of UFCW Local 324, Monica Garcia, served on the Commission on the Los Angeles Grocery Industry and Community Health, LAUSD Board member

Nearly three years after a large-scale strike by grocery workers in Southern California, members of the United Food and Commercial Workers are bracing for another possible strike. Instead of bargaining with the large grocery chains as a group, as was done in 2003, the union decided to negotiate with them separately. On March 25th, Albertsons’ employees voted to authorize union leaders to call a strike if necessary. In response, Albertsons, Ralphs, and Vons formed an agreement to lock out all union members if a strike is called against even one of them. This was the same tactic used by the corporations three years ago, and legally challenged by then-California Attorney General Bill Lockyer on grounds of anti-trust violations. Union leaders want to end the two-tier system of employment agreed to three years ago where new hires are not allowed to earn the same wages and benefits as senior staff. Union leaders have now walked away from negotiations upon hearing of the grocery chains’ cooperation agreement. The 2003-2004 strike lasted 20 weeks and cost the chains about $2 billion.

Read the report by the Commission on the Los Angeles Grocery Industry and Community Health here: http://www.lagrocerycommission.org/docs/
070321IndustryAtaCrossroads.pdf