Pictures Of Speakers At Safeway Labor Rally

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More than 70,000 UFCW members in Southern California are taking a stand against corporate greed. Forced to fight by supermarket giants demanding wholesale cuts in health benefits that would leave current workers unable to pay for their care—and effectively leave future employees without any health care coverage at all--workers from seven locals voted over 90% to reject the offer by three of the largest supermarket operators in the country, Von's (Safeway-owned), Ralph's (Kroger-owned) and Albertson's and set up picket lines October 11, 2003.

The job action was limited Von's in order to reduce any inconvenience to customers but the other chains responded by locking workers out of their jobs.

Even though operating profits for Kroger, Safeway, and Albertson's over the past decade have risen ten times faster than their contributions to worker health care in Southern California, the companies insist on what amounts to a 50 percent cut in medical benefits that would shift almost a billion dollars in health care costs onto employees over the term of the proposed contract.

"I'm fine with paying my fair share for health care coverage," says Angelica Medina who works at Albertson's. "But they are demanding to reduce our benefits while making us pay more. I'm really upset because they know how hard we work, and that we need to support our families."

Safeway President and CEO, Steve Burd has responded to the strike saying, "this is an investment in our future."

The striking and locked out members belong to San Diego Local 135, Buena Park Local 324, Hollywood Local 770, Camarillo Local 1036, Bloomington Local 1167, Claremont Local 1428, and Santa Monica Local 1442.

These workers are on strike for all workers—union and non-union—here and across the country knowing if these three supersize, super-profitable, supermarket chains can cut benefits here, then every worker is at risk.

http://www.ufcw.org/workplace_connections/retail/strike_updates/southern_california/