031161 Striking Workers Step Up Picketing in Bay AreaNovember 22, 2003San Jose, CA - Striking supermarket workers from Southern California, who have already dispatched union members to picket some Bay Area Safeway stores, are exporting unionized grocery employees to Washington, D.C., and elsewhere in an effort to publicize their side of the six-week-long labor dispute. Rallies sponsored by the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union will be held today in Washington as well as Oakland and Fullerton. The United Food and Commercial Workers' union began picketing and running advertisements in Northern California last week urging consumers not to shop at Bay Area Safeway stores. Friday, the union expanded picketing to three Safeway stores in Sacramento. Picketing continued at Safeway stores in a half- dozen Bay Area communities, including Menlo Park, Mountain View, San Francisco and Oakland. About 15 Bay Area Safeway stores are now being targeted by union picketers, up from about three last week, Safeway spokesman Alexander Winslow said. Southern California's largest supermarket strike in 25 years began in mid-October when United Food and Commercial Workers union members walked off the job at two chains -- Vons and Pavilions, both owned by Pleasanton-based Safeway. The dispute centered on proposed cuts to health and pension benefits and wages. Within hours, unionized workers had been locked out of Albertson's and Ralphs stores, affecting 70,000 grocery workers in 859 Southern California stores. The grocers want to cut personnel expenses to survive the competitive threat from Wal-Mart Stores, the world's top retailer, which is preparing to open 40 discount stores in California that sell groceries. Safeway officials call their offer to workers a “reasonable” one that includes increased wage and pension contributions. While the union says “the grocery chains want to eliminate health care benefits,” according to a letter that Safeway is distributing to shoppers, “nothing could be further from the truth.” The Southern California grocers strike has national implications, union officials say. “If these companies get away with gutting health care in one of their most profitable markets, this is something that will be attempted by companies around the country, and not just the grocery industry,” said Ellen Anreder, spokeswoman for the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union. “It's in everyone's advantage to keep the chains competitive and we understand the compensation package must be trimmed. We believe they should use a scalpel. The company is coming after us with a chain saw,” Anreder said. The case is before a federal mediator and both sides are forbidden from discussing negotiation specifics. The strike doesn't affect supermarket workers in Northern California, where labor contracts last through July 2004. But union officials say the same benefits issues are likely to re-emerge when local contract negotiations begin next year. Mike DiLeo -- a meat cutter locked out from his job at an Albertson's in San Diego -- was among union workers from Southern California walking the picket line Friday at a Safeway in Menlo Park. They included produce employees, grocery checkers and receivers, DiLeo said. “The public has been very supportive,” he said. “They are understanding the issue. I feel energized from the response we are getting here.” Fliers are being distributed inside the grocery stores that apologize for the inconvenience, assure customers that Bay Area Safeway workers are not on strike and explain the health care offer made by the grocery chain to union workers. The offer includes requiring union employees to make weekly health insurance co-payments of $5 for individuals and $15 for family coverage and pay out-of-pocket costs of up to $500. Employees had no co-payments under the previous contract. The picketing has deflected customers from some Safeway stores. “In some stores, there is some impact,” said Winslow. “Is it anything meaningful? No, we are still quite busy.”
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