opinions on grocery strike?

[bclapham]

i know it is not mx, but its relavant to us socal guys.

what are your opinions on the grocery strike- i dont really know where i stand, but coming from a place with free health care it really bites me to see people getting such a benifit taken away. so ive not being going to vons, albs or ralphs but its starting to be a real pain in the arse and costing more. what are you guys doing??? have they got a real argument or are they just a bunch of whiners? i dont want to start any arguments here, i just need a bit of education from you natives:)

thanks

lets ride soon, the races at Cahuilla were real fun, there is another race there Nov 16 weekend

 

[2strok4fun]

I try to go into the stores as much as possible. Every time I go in I engage the picketers, I have yet to come across one that knows *really* why they are walking. They insist on saying that they are going to have to pay for half of thier health care which is union BS. They say they wouldnt be striking if all they had to pay was 5 per week or 15 per week for a family, but according to the contract offered, that is all they would have to pay. The only case where they would have to pay for half is *if* thay are retired *and* they decide to choose a physician outside of the plan, then it is limited to a dollar figure (I forgot what)

My health care (which I pay for my self) has gone up conciderably, noone is happy about it but everyone is in the same boat. Why shoud they be exempt?

They yell at me "Go to Stater Bros" I reply "Go get educated" a little mean but heck I dont support them.

 

[JPIVEY]

Well, I avoid Vons, Ralphs and Albertsons now, not because I support the strike, but because I don't want to listen to a bunch of BS from anybody.

Stater Bros is fine with me, it's close to my office and that's cool, but, I went to CostCo on Sunday and boy was that a blast, they have some of the best munchies around, plus all kinds of other crap and you buy it by the sh*t load, I bought some TP and I swear the smallest size was like 8000 rolls, they had Lobster tails the size of my leg.


Needless to say I was lost in there for 2 hrs, bought enough food for a month and spent under $300.00


Oh and salami the size of a freak'n baseball bat :aj:

 

[Bet On Red]

Flat out, they don't want to pay a single cent for health insurance. What makes them so much better than the rest of the world that they get free insurance? What makes them better than us? I know all of you that are reading this right now are at work. Don't you pay for your health insurance? What makes them better than YOU?

Yeah yeah yeah, the Union claims that Ralphs/ Albertsons/ Vons is going to make their employees pay for half of all their medical fees and yadda yadda. When I hear them talk about that, all I hear is "Wah wah wah" You know, like the adults from Peanuts. And when I read about that, all I read is "Wah wah wah." Talk about an exaggeration! That is not going to happen, and it's just something they're saying to get public support.

Granted, the grocery worker people have, up to this point, not had to pay for any of their health insurance. But you know what? Times change. Things change. Economics change. Health and medical fees have been skyrocketing these days. Even my sister's insurance premium has just recently increased sixty eight percent. Do you see her go on strike (other than the psuedo work-strike that we sometimes go on)? She deals with it.

Why are medical fees going up so much these days? Contrary to popular belief, it is not because corporations want to force their employees into paying a portion of their insurance. It's because of lawsuits against doctors and hospitals. Know anything about malpractice insurance that doctors and hospitals have to get? As a result of the kazillions that are awarded in malpractice cases, insurance premiums for a doctor with a private practice go well into the six digit range. In return, they have to charge their patients more and more.

 

[dirt bike dave]

Red is right.

I pay 100% of my own insurance for me and my family of 4.  My premium and out of pocket costs are ridiculous, and escalating each year.  In the last two years, many people I know have been faced with cuts in their coverage, or increased co-pay costs.  Many more will know this joy in the near future.  If you have not impacted by this national issue, you are LUCKY.

Not sure why the union cashiers feel they can yell at my wife and demand that she help protect them from rising medical costs.

Even after the 'cuts', the union employees have superior health plans to most of the people who shop at their stores.  It's kind of hard for us customers to spend an extra couple of % on groceries when our own pocket books have been squeezed by high medical expenses. 

My wife does the grocery shopping for us.  We have two small children - 6 months and 26 months.  She usually brings the kids to the store while I work. There is a Vons about 1/2 mile from our house.  The nearest full service non-union grocery store is 1/2 hour drive across town, and the news reports that it takes 1 hour to get through their crowded check out lines. 

It annoys me that some union members have verbally asualted my wife with our two babies in tow, and demanded that she not go into Vons to pick up food and medicine for my sick kids. 

Does the union care that her only alternative is to turn a 1/2 hour errand into a three+ hour ordeal, with two sick kids?  NO.   Does the union care that I can't afford higher grocery costs, even though their employers are offering them far better health coverage than my family has?  NO. 

 

[ktmboy]

I've tried posting here twice and lost everything, so I guess someone is telling me that it's best to stay out of this controversy. Let's just say I shop at my local store more than I used to! I'm trying to send a message to the whiners!

 

[Surfrider55]

I am in the food industry with a manufacturer. Unfortunattely for the union members they don't want to face reality that they may have to share in the cost of healthcare. My coverage for my daughter & I is over $2500 per year. I guess they will need to decide if they want to have jobs or not.

No one wins in a strike situation. I am amazed at how these people can just walk off the job. Corporations will survive as the majority of stores in So Cal are owned by out of state companies that have stores in other divisions and they will take from them to make up for the losses in this market.

They all need to get over it, share some of the cost and get back to work. Unions are a good thing but then again they are old school and need to take a look at what is happening in the world today.

Ok, I am off my soap box.

 

[2strok4fun]

No doubt Surfrider, I have customers that have to ship to these stores, they are pulling thier hair out trying to get goods into stores and suffering lost sales. Those sales NEVER return.

 

[kelsorat]

I really have not had the time to read all the info about the strike in the newspaper, so I can't make a decent opinion.
But one thing I do now.... Let's all buy stock in COSTCO. I went yesterday to buy groceries and the place was packed like a weekend. Between cheap gas and good clothing,elecctronics, and food selection--these guys can't stop making money.

 

[thumbs]

Let's see, you don't like something that is changing at your job so I should shop somewhere else and waint in longer lines? Or I could still shop where I have been a loyal customer for the last umpteen years and have to hear a bunch cry babys yell at me from the moment I leave my truck to I get into the store. Not a good choice for the loyal customer.

Most of the people out there don't even know exactly what they are on strike for. One of the guys that I engaged in conversation with said that they were getting all their health care taken away and that their saleries we getting cut in half! Not true!

Much like sacrificing a virgins to the gods unions served there time and place in history.

 

[oldandslo]

UAW took some big hits this contract signing. They realized they have to give so the big three are somewhat equal to the Japanese plants (nonunion) that are in this country.

If I were them I would hate to loose some benifits, but I think I would rather have the job. Not many positions out there for cashiers and stockers.

 

[yz250roost]

I'll be back with a post to follow, but I do have a question that you might want to think about, if you had very cheap health care (not free because that's BS, the grocery store workers don't have free health care), and they wanted to raise your payment each month AND your co-pay to 40.00 each visit, would you just say, ok everyone else is paying it, or would you TRY to get the same healthcare for the next three years? It's not that the workers think they're better than you, it's that they just are trying to hold on to a good thing that they have going, wouldn't you? I feel that alot of people are bitter that grocery workers are getting away with cheap health, and that makes them so pissed off that they can't focus on anything else in the contract, sure they're not as big as the health care issue, but they add up. These include split shifts, decreased pension, decreased top wages to new hires (but that also includes employees that are getting promoted to another department) and two tiered pay scale. This means that it is highly unlikely that any of your kids will want to go work for a grocery store because it will take them 5 to 6 years to hit a top pay of 9.10 in the meat dept, 8.10 as a courtesy clerk, 8.10 as a service deli worker, 8.10 as a bakery worker, and 14.90 as a produce,dairy,supervisor or checker. All of those figures are 3 dollars an hour less than the people now are making. So that is where I stand and more will come out in my next post, but basically I'm sick of hearing people say, "I have to pay for health care and so should you" And that translates into...you shouldn't get anything better than me, because I am better than you. This thread is on its way out.

 

[ktmboy]

I can understand people wanting to keep what they have. My problem is that creating a picket line where I choose to shop is involving me in your argument. This is why some of us are getting pissy.

 

[Jimbokdx]

This thing is getting old... I am just about ready to punch one of these obnoxious strikers. I am active duty military and thier healthcare benefits are better than mine! They have been spoiled and are pissed off because they are being asked to step into the real world.

Jimbo

 

[BunduBasher]

And to think 40 million Americans don't have insurance or can't afford health coverage. My guess is that this figure would rise dramatically if low end workers have to choose between health care coverage or food for the kids.

What some of the comments here really highlight is the poor state the entire health coverage system is in. Here we have the most advanced nation on earth, and we can't work out a plan to cover all it's citizens. A health country is a profitable country.

Considering that these food companies are posting record profits, I am confused as to why this has become an issue. For one, they (big business) should be putting their foot down with the insurance companies and saying enough is enough. The unions and business could get together and impose some of their will on these insurance companies, but this is not going to happen. This is just another power play between greedy companies (which they have to be!) and over zealous unions (which they need to be) with the workers the losers - pawns in an ongoing pissing contest.

 

[rickyd]

I support them, i like the "Mom and Pop" markets better anyways.. Outta my $1hr raise coming in January, approximately $.50 an hour is going towards medical..

 

[Tony Eeds]

I agree with thumbs ... unions HAD their place.

Safeway left the central US 15+ years ago because the "union" workers were not as productive as the "non union" workers and were paid (on the average) 50% more than the non union workers at competing stores (One of my best friends was an asst. store manager for Safeway at the time) . They recently (18 months ~ 2 years ago) bought their way back into the central US by purchasing the Randals (Houston) / Tom Thumb (Dallas) chain of stores. The formerly excellent service has sunk to the level of the other chains. Albertsons recently abandoned San Antonio, as they were getting their butts kicked by HEB. I can't say that the new Safeway model is union or not, but between dismal service and cheesy store brands, I am about ready to move permanently to the WallyWorld superstore a couple of miles farther away than my "local" store.

I am self employeed and "my company" reduced my benefits and increased my deductable level while holding the increase in health care expenses to only $10.00. The increase would have been 13.5% if we had kept the same level of benefits. My co-pay doubled and my out of pocket doubled as well. This reduced the company income by $10.00, which will come out of my check. I just hope I don't need my insurance over the next year, because that is when I really feel the change. BTW - My company pays more than $750 per month for "our group", which consists of two.

UNIONS are BIG BUSINESS and they generally don't care one bit about the companies their members work for, and judging by the comments from union members I know, their members either.

We do need to get control of health care costs, and the first step should be make everyone PAY their own way. Not that insurance should not play a part, but if people knew how expensive everything is they might start bitching. Most people think their co-pay is the cost of service and those that know better often don't know the total cost. Just set it up where healthcare costs are reimbursed to the patient, not the provider. There would be a true revolution at that point.

Nobody cares how much something costs unless it comes out of their own pockets.

Would you bitch if you got a new (insert brand here) motorcycle every year or so and all it cost you was a small co-pay? :p

 

[bscottr]

I wonder how the union and strikers would feel if the public did exactly what they are asking them to do? Go shop somewhere else that’s non-union? Business could drop to levels that could cause the union stores to close their doors and then where would these folks be?

Out of a job!

 

[BunduBasher]

Originally posted by Tony Eeds
Would you bitch if you got a new (insert brand here) motorcycle every year or so and all it cost you was a small co-pay? :p

wish I could add that to my coverage :) considering I don't need glasses, or any other medical equipment.

Tony, here is the real kicker, last year when I was laid off, I could have kept Cobra, at a cost of $800 a month :scream: I could not, and became one of the 40 million. Had a trip or two to the doctors and hospital during that time, and had to pay through the arse. As my coverage lapsed, when I did get a job, I got screwed all over again, as any of my wifes medical coverage was deemed as pre existsing. Mo-Fo's all of them !

 

[Jimbokdx]

I agree that the unions don't give a damn about the companies who employ their members. Also, the employees don't give a damn either.

Two things that I find to be really ironic:

1) The strikers are so indignant as they accuse the grocery stores of "corporate greed". They speak of how badly they are being abused by the companies. So, what do they want you to do to support them?? They want you to go down the street to the non-union grocery store where the employees don't get paid nearly what they do nor do they have nearly the benefits!

2) I agree that Unions are big business. But, as the union members are on strike because of health care benefits being cut, the union itself is cutting healthcare benefits to its employees!! How hypocritical is that??

Jimbo

 

[ktmboy]

I have ill feelings towards the insurance industry as a whole. My view is that it's like gambling: they're betting you won't get sick/have an accident and you're betting you will. The trouble is, when you 'win the bet' you end up paying for it in the long run anyways. This industry is right down there with lawyers and politicians in my book!