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Uploaded: Sunday, November 4, 2012, 9:06 AM
Union says Raley's grocery workers on strike
Walkout hits stores in Northern and Central California although Pleasanton store is operating normally
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by Jeb Bing
Pleasanton Weekly Staff
Thousands of unionized grocery workers walked off their jobs at Raley's supermarkets this morning, citing management's unlawful implementation of takeaways and unfair labor practices.
Ellen Anreder, a spokeswoman for the United Food and Commercial Workers union, said the strike follows days of intense negotiations in the presence of Federal Mediator Greg Lim.
Leaders of UFCW 8-Golden State and UFCW Local 5 announced a strike was in effect at Raley's, Nob Hill and, in all likelihood, Bel Air stores in Northern and Central California. The labor dispute involves approximately 7,000 union members.
The workers will set up picket lines in front of stores and will soon be asking shoppers to take their business to Safeway, Save Mart, Rite Aid and other unionized retailers.
In communications with members, the unions noted Raley's management had been bargaining "in bad faith since contract negotiations began 15 months ago."
Union attorneys filed charges of "unfair labor practices" against the company on Nov. 1, citing violations of laws prohibiting harassment and intimidation of union members, circumventing the union's authority as a bargaining agent, and "regressive bargaining by submitting proposals that are worse than previous offers."
The unions also charged that Raley's was unlawfully threatening to implement changes to the parties' collective bargaining agreements.
After the union leaders said they intended to file additional charges in response to systematic one-on-one interrogations of union members by Raley's managers, Anreder said Raley's officials agreed to comply with union demands to stop the interrogations but the interrogations continued anyway.
The strike coincides with Raley's imposition of many of its "last, best and final" contract proposals without the input or approval of its union employees, Anreder said.
She added that among other things, the proposals include permanent elimination of some wage premiums for working at night and on Sundays and holidays, and establishment of two distinct classes of workers: those hired after the next contract is ratified and those hired before.
Other terms proposed by the company include elimination of retiree health care and inadequate funding of health care for active workers.
The strike has received endorsement by the UFCW International Union and all of the regional labor councils in Northern and Central California. In addition, the Raley's Union Solidarity Alliance, initially formed by UFCW 8-Golden State and UFCW Local 5, was recently expanded to include UFCW Local 711 in Nevada; Northern California Teamsters; Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union Local 85; and IUOE Stationary Engineers Local 39.
UFCW Presidents Jacques Loveall and Ron Lind said progress in the negotiations was stymied by Raley's management team under the direction of an outsider with a history of animosity toward Unions.
"This individual's lack of good faith, his inconsistencies and his erratic approach have derailed the entire process," they said.
"By allowing this outsider, whose priority is 'union avoidance,' to direct its bargaining efforts, Raley's has forced us to take this course," they said.
"We look forward to returning to the bargaining table when Raley's management has adopted a more constructive attitude," they added. "Our goal from the beginning is to negotiate a fair agreement serving the needs of both Raley's and its Union employees."
The United Food and Commercial Workers says it represents 7,400 of the chain's employees. Raley's and its other brand-name stores have 128 markets in Northern California and Nevada. This marks the first strike against the grocer in its 77 years of operation.Are you receiving Express, our free daily e-mail edition? See a sample and sign-up for Express.
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Posted by Jack, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Nov 4, 2012 at 4:45 pm Bust the union tired of paying high prices where union bosses don't care about their members,
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Posted by It's Your Wallet, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Nov 5, 2012 at 9:05 am I urge all people of the Tri-Valley to please patronize Raley's during this strike. Raley's has to remain competitive. Hence, this is not an issue of the union versus Raley's. It is an issue of the union versus you. If the union wins, your grocery prices will increase even more rapidly than they would otherwise.
I am not associated with Raley's, I am just a regular Pleasanton resident with no connections to this issue. However, I am smart enough to realize that unions continue to significantly hurt the economy of California and our country. I am getting sick and tired of union workers vacuuming my wallet for compensation and benefits beyond what they would get in a competitive economy.
So, do the right thing, and walk right past the pickets and buy your groceries. It's the unions vs. your wallet.
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Posted by Pleasantonian, a resident of the Mission Park neighborhood, on Nov 5, 2012 at 9:08 am
Pleasantonian is a member (registered user) of PleasantonWeekly.com Our Raley's is NOT unionized. It's only the meat department employees who are union members and are striking.
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Posted by Peter, a resident of the Downtown neighborhood, on Nov 5, 2012 at 10:29 am I am sick and tired of the unions treating their members like drones. Wise up union members, the goons have been using us for years, it's time to think for yourselves, sucking money out of your checks under the guise of protecting and representing you is a standing joke, that is why prop. 32 is going down, we have had it, I am going to give myself a raise tomorow, I am going to vote yes on 32
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Posted by Helen, a resident of the Jensen Tract neighborhood, on Nov 5, 2012 at 10:55 am I am just back from Raley's. ONly two picketers...one at each end of the store, outside. As I entered, one asked me if I would support the strike and when I said no, he nodded and wished me a good day. The store is practically empty..no lines at the check-out...and yes, only the meat department workers are on strike. Good day to shop there.
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Posted by Pleasantonian, a resident of the Mission Park neighborhood, on Nov 5, 2012 at 12:22 pm
Pleasantonian is a member (registered user) of PleasantonWeekly.com Well, they must have known the TV cameras were coming because I just left the store and there were about 7-8 picketing. And not one face that I recognized from our meat department. Please support Raley's during the strike.
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Posted by Steve, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Nov 6, 2012 at 7:07 am Well, you are all partially right, and wrong. As usual you've mixed up the facts of a situation to fit your own particular view of how things 'ought to be'. This one is no different. Reminds me of my wife. Constantly complaining that she doesn't understand why I'm just not living my life according to her perfectly logical demand for absolute conformance.
So from my view, there are two categories to consider. Category 'A' (them) and category 'B' (us).
For category 'A', it is true that big business is making billions of dollars from our purchasing. They continuing to move themselves further into their elite world, leaving everyone else to just 'tough it out'. These are indeed the Bankers, Wall Street, big Tech companies and giant retail chains like Walmart. These are also industries that do not have unions.
Then there's category 'B', other businesses such as retail stores, restaurants, hotels and even chain grocery stores are not rolling in the dough. This is where most of us work and they are just holding their own. Many have and are still going under. The process is slow as they slip away, one by one. One hardly even notices it. These seem to be the industries that do have unions.
Since 2008, business competition is fierce. Profits are small. Until the economic prosperity that we all enjoyed prior to 2008 returns, category 'B' folks will continue to suffer.
This brings us to the reality of living. While I can rage and rant at category 'A's prosperity over me, and how unfair it is, hate them for it, I still have to live in the real world and keep feeding the family.
I clearly understand that unions want to leave the 'B' area of life behind and elevate themselves up to the 'A's. In spite of all the rhetoric of hating the 'A' folks, in reality they love them. They want to be one of them. And I say they should try and go for it. But I do not support their improvement by denying a more sustainable life for myself.
Business must make a profit or there is no business. Every time the union extracts higher wages or benefits for themselves, the cost of living for the rest of the 'B' group goes up. Every time they scream that they only want equality, that they just want to maintain their working conditions, the rest of us pay their cost. We pay their cost through higher prices at the stores where we must shop, as well as us having to listed to what sounds like spoiled children throwing a tantrum - Its Not Fair!
Given the current state of the economy, I don't think I will support the selfishness of a few, against the penalty it forces upon the many. They're right - Its Not Fair!
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Posted by Steve, a resident of the Stoneridge neighborhood, on Nov 6, 2012 at 8:15 am Just when I thought I was the dumbest person on these sites, along comes my namesake above. Thank you Lord!
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Posted by rob, a resident of the California Reflections neighborhood, on Nov 7, 2012 at 11:21 am I worked produce in Ca. for 22 years in 2000 I moved to Wa. and now deliver bread.
I first worked for Krogers and got journeyman scale but not fulltime and looked for another job thank goodness I found one.
Was telling the pos at the safeway I deliver to about this Raleys thing and how I feel so bad for the employees because just like here(the safeway I was servicing)half of them are starving.He said many of the safeway employees in said store were on food stamps.How sad is that?
What most do not understand is that over the years with each contract the employees have lost just about all they ever had imo.
Used to be you start at 1st apprentice log your hours and in a matter of years you are journeyman and twice a year you could bid for full time.This was back in late 70's early 80's.
Now they have helper clerks,meat counter clerks,non food clerks and so forth all working part time getting their hours cut according to sales but the cooperate still get their fat 6 figures no matter how sales are going.
IMO the best thing for these employees is to look for a second job that hopefully leads to a better carrer and make Raleys their second job and these stores can get what they pay for.Hell even now I say why do they call them helper clerks because they seem brain dead to me.You work in a freakin grocery store isn't rotation synonymous with working in the industry.
One more tidbit(long post huh)I also sevice Wall Mart which is a stones throw from Safeway and I see the Safeway employees shopping there and I joke that I am going to tell Cheri (the Safeway manager as she is anti Wall Mart ) that they are shopping there and the response is when they give me more hours then they will shop at their own store....LOL
When politicians/pundits say the unemployment numbers are stewed because of folks that are underemployed I think of the retail clerks.
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