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Old 07-26-2007, 02:54 PM   #1
Nimrod's Son
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Default Bagging Groceries Seen as Good Career by Unions

Yet another example of why unions are ruining the economy, making everything cost more, and why Wal-Mart actually has the right idea about how to sell groceries.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniont...24grocery.html

Quote:
Grocery workers approve contract

Union, chains consider four-year deal a victory

By Jennifer Davies
and Keith Darcé
STAFF WRITERS

July 24, 2007

Elated by key gains on wages and health benefits, workers at Southern California's largest grocery chains have approved a new four-year deal with 87 percent voting in favor.

Mickey Kasparian, head of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 135 in San Diego and Imperial counties, said yesterday that the union was able to attain all of its goals with the new contract – something that hadn't happened in more than 25 years.

The deal was so good that members were hugging, laughing and cheering at the vote Sunday, Kasparian said.

“It was pretty amazing,” he said. “One member put it best when he said, 'We got our respect and we turned our industry back into a career.' ”


Kevin Herglotz, spokesman for Safeway, the parent company of Vons, said the deal was actually a victory for both sides because of a new approach to health care benefits and the emphasis on preventive and wellness programs.

“We really feel this is a win-win,” Herglotz said.

Industry watchers and analysts said the contract was an unexpectedly strong one for the union, which in recent years has had to accept reduced benefits and stagnant wages.

George Whalin, president of Retail Management Consultants in Carlsbad, said the grocery store chains still face brutal competition from such retailers as Wal-Mart, Target and, soon, Tesco, a British supermarket chain that plans to open dozens of Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market stores in Southern California by the end of the year.

“I'm surprised the union got as much as they did,” Whalin said. “But both sides had to do whatever they could to avoid a strike.”


The new contract phases out a two-tier system that provided lower wages and health benefits for new hires, while offering food clerks wage increases of $1.65 over the life of the contract.

The deal also reduces the time it takes new hires to qualify for health benefits to six months from 12 months. Children of workers become eligible for health care after six months. Under the previous contract, it took 30 months for children to qualify.

The ratification of the new contract ends the prolonged wrangling between the United Food and Commercial Workers and the three supermarket chains – Albertsons, Ralphs and Vons – and precludes a replay of the bitter 141-day strike and lockout from 3½ years ago.

The agreement covers about 65,000 workers at about 785 stores from San Diego north to San Luis Obispo and northeast to Bakersfield.

Ken Jacobs, chairman of UC Berkeley's Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, said the grocery store chains, which had been trying to more effectively compete with low-cost stores like Wal-Mart, did an about-face with this contract.

Part of the reason for the shift in strategy, Jacobs said, is that Wal-Mart has failed to make inroads into the Southern California market due to local municipalities restricting certain types of stores. "Wal-Mart Laws," which union groups and lobbyists have made an important part of their agendas, are in effect in many areas of southern California, and generally only apply to prevent that chain from building or expanding stores. There are exceptions written in for member discount stores, such as Costco. Now, the grocery chains will have to face Tesco, which appeals to a more affluent clientele.

“They've realized that service quality matters,” Jacobs said. “The low-road model doesn't work for important parts of the industry.”

To increase the level of service, the chains agreed to eliminate the two-tier system. Whereas those hired after the last strike take longer to reach higher wages, they now qualify for benefits more quickly and eventually can reach the top wage, something that was impossible under the previous contract.

Jacobs said the two-tier system created massive turnover and hurt employee morale, which in turn affected customer service.

“The companies decided that having a stable, productive work force matters when you are competing on quality as well as price,” he said.

Still, the supermarket chains say there were important advances in how the two sides approach the issue of skyrocketing health-care costs.

Where in the past the supermarkets gave a set amount of money to cover health-care benefits, the new deal creates health reimbursement accounts in which employees have $1,000 allotted to pay for medical visits, Herglotz said. Those accounts essentially become the employee's money, he said, so they will encourage employees to shop around for the best deal on medical service.

Another key change in the health care plans is an emphasis on such wellness programs as smoking cessation and weight loss.

“If we can get the employee healthier now, we won't have to pay more later,” Herglotz said.

The union also agreed to contribute $240 million from a health care trust fund, which is jointly managed by the chains and the union. Still, that is far below the $350 million that the chains originally wanted to take from the fund.

Representatives from the grocery store chains said the deal was reached after more than six months because both sides finally dispensed with theatrics and got serious about negotiations.

“We don't think it was something external,” said Stephanie Miller, a spokeswoman for SuperValu, parent company of Albertsons. “It was just getting to the table and getting it done.”

Kasparian said it was commitment and solidarity on the part of the grocery workers, who recently had authorized the union to call a strike.

“It's no coincidence that we got a vote of 95 percent and a week and half later we got a deal.”

 
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Old 07-26-2007, 02:57 PM   #2
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I'm pretty psyched about the Fresh & Easy (Tesco) opening up in Pico Rivera.

 
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Old 07-26-2007, 03:04 PM   #3
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yes lets do away with unions and revert back to 1878

 
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Old 07-26-2007, 03:06 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mayfuck
I'm pretty psyched about the Fresh & Easy (Tesco) opening up in Pico Rivera.

I didn't hear about this...where is that company based?

 
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Old 07-26-2007, 03:07 PM   #5
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Sales associates at respectable retail stores often make just as much as many grocery baggers do. God bless america

Last edited by Effloresce : 07-26-2007 at 07:11 PM.

 
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Old 07-26-2007, 03:08 PM   #6
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I miss child labor too.

 
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Old 07-26-2007, 03:12 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Trotskilicious
yes lets do away with unions and revert back to 1878
HERE HERE

join me at the five and dime, i will buy you a phosphate

 
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Old 07-26-2007, 03:17 PM   #8
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Although you know I have to say, it shouldn't matter if you bag groceries, work at target, or run a fortune 500 company. Every working American should be entitled to a living wage, end of story.

 
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Old 07-26-2007, 03:20 PM   #9
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the thing is if we have people who never do anyting more productive than bag groceries their whole life, it's goign to bring the country down unless they dont take any more production out of the system than whatever is equivalent to bagging groceries 40 hrs a week.

in a utopia the government could round up 15 year olds and make them bag groceries and pick vegetables before they went on to be educated and become R&D scientists

 
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Old 07-26-2007, 03:24 PM   #10
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I never said anything about a utopia government. I just said everyone should be entitled to a living wage. And I don't necessarily think that will keep them from getting better jobs.

Only those who have the drive to get better jobs are going to get them. Not everyone does and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

 
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Old 07-26-2007, 03:25 PM   #11
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Well, construction work is out of the question. They can make more money bagging groceries with all of the Mexicans around.

 
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Old 07-26-2007, 03:26 PM   #12
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my point was anyone who doesnt produce on a certain level is not contributing much to society, whether it's because theyre lazy or mentally disabled. if they get more out of society than they put in, theyre bringing it down.


if you want to just give your production away in return for very little, that's fine, but unless you have unlimited riches to give away, too much of that leaves you with a poor country

 
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Old 07-26-2007, 03:27 PM   #13
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I am all for testing traits in babies and killing them at birth if they show signs of weakness.

 
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Old 07-26-2007, 03:29 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by darcyismybass
I didn't hear about this...where is that company based?
Tesco is one of the U.K's largest retailers and they're going to enter the U.S. market in Los Angeles and Phoenix with a bunch of Fresh & Easys which is a grocerin the vain of Trader Joe's or something like that.

 
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Old 07-26-2007, 03:30 PM   #15
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on that note, regarding "richest country in the world, worst health care", i dont think we'd be the richest by such a margin if we did have universal health care, if we would even still hold the title

 
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Old 07-26-2007, 03:30 PM   #16
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Thumbs up

People, bag your own groceries and bring a tote bag! Let's start phasing out plastic bags everywhere.

 
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Old 07-26-2007, 03:30 PM   #17
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I'd rather live in one of the more decent nations instead one of the richest. Say what you will about free health care but what we have in its current state is a fucking scam, to say the least.

If universal health care isn't the answer it still needs to be affordable to every working American, I'm pretty sure at the end of the day that's what concerns people most. Cost. Not how that cost is brought down, just the fact that it is.

 
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Old 07-26-2007, 03:32 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mayfuck
Let's start phasing out plastic bags everywhere.
should be outlawed everywhere

pretty ridiculous it isn't already

 
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Old 07-26-2007, 04:59 PM   #19
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well, maybe if they're unionized they'll start getting lazier and won't rush to put your 3 purchases into 5 different bags when you don't even need one.

 
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Old 07-26-2007, 05:48 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ravenguy2000
should be outlawed everywhere

pretty ridiculous it isn't already
fuck you man

i need them to pick up dog shit

 
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Old 07-26-2007, 06:02 PM   #21
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What tv show was it where the bagmen went on strike? Was it the Simpsons? Sister Sister?

 
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Old 07-26-2007, 06:04 PM   #22
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Acquire a pooper scooper, nimrod

 
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Old 07-26-2007, 06:14 PM   #23
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you still need a baggie for storage

 
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Old 07-26-2007, 06:19 PM   #24
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says who

 
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Old 07-26-2007, 06:21 PM   #25
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honestly grocery stores as we know them are enormous wastes of space and energy. as soon as i move to a bigger city i'm going to get all my shopping done from warehouses with delivery.

 
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Old 07-26-2007, 06:24 PM   #26
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Boycott Graceland
HERE HERE

join me at the five and dime, i will buy you a phosphate
i take ether for my consumption

 
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Old 07-26-2007, 06:25 PM   #27
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BULLY!

 
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