(no subject)

[naelany]

So Dustin and I just went to the Union meeting for a vote strike. I knew that a vote was up for discussion already, but I didn't have a clear idea as to why. Of course, Dustin had told me some of the issues, but still. It was shocking to me just what the employers like Safeway, Albertson's and Fred Meyer are trying to pull.
To give a short synopsis, here are some of the things they want the workers to agree to for the next 5 (yes, that's right five years):

•   10 cent cut off the premiums (meaning for Holidays and Sundays. Currently there's a premium of 35 cents/hour)


• Stores open on Christmas Day. Work on voluntary basis. If quota of workers is not met, they will do inverse seniority (meaning those who were hired last, work first. Also, you don't qualify for the Holiday pay if you haven't worked for the company for more then a year)


• to permanently ban union visitations from work places


• reduction of pension for some employees


• 0.75 cent raise over the next 5 years

Some other stuff as well, which I forget right now, or don't completely understand. But it's enough to piss me off. Thankfully, a law's been passed and will go in effect come January 1, 2008 that will allow workers who are locked out of their workplace to get unemployment. And the Union will help monitarily if you go on strike, so either way, we don't loose out too much money. So Dustin voted yes, and I'm whole heartedly behind his choice. It's rediculous!

They've put up a website for people, basically a blog, about all this. I encourage you to go read it. Also, if you shop at any of the stores involved, please let them know that you're behind them and do not agree with the terms they're being offered. Sorry, Christmas is family. We already forego enough family functions due to Dustin's schedule. Christmas we'd like to keep. So please, let your opinions be known to those who'd want to take the one Holiday a year away from their employees. Support your store clerks.

http://www.groceryworkersunited555.org/updates/eugene.php

Comments

[naomi-sue.livejournal.com]

Oh, you haven't learned the smallest part of me yet! I don't live in your area, therefore do not have the same stores you have, however we have a similar situation going on here with Krogers. If I did live in your area, I'd be voting with my feet until they did right by their employees.

Go ahead and ask me how long it's been since I've been in a Wal-Mart, Home Depot (of which I've never set foot in) a Sam's Club...oh my list can go on. I voted with my feet years ago - and believe me it's cost them bundles - as I'm not one to keep my mouth shut.

There are strength in numbers and it doesn't take just being a union member to get it done.

[naelany.livejournal.com]

*chuckles* Voting with your feet??? And Krogers is the same thing, they own Albertson's and Fred Meyers ^_~.
Ohh, I get what you mean now, with voting with your feet..duhh... *slaps self*. How long? ^_~
Oh, I still do shop at Walmart. Mainly because unfortunately they're cheap and we can't afford much else, but...eh. I wish I could shop other places.

Go ahead and vote with your feet! It might not do good over in my neck of the woods, but it'll still hit home ^_~

Voting with My Feet

[naomi-sue.livejournal.com]

You would be suprised at how voting with your feet works. I have been in a Wal-Mart parking lot three times in the last ten years. Once because I needed to use my cell phone and I will not talk on it while driving. Once because I was lost in Tulsa Oklahoma and waited on my local friends to arrive and guide me to their home and once (in which I actually went in their store) to spend $92.00 that was donated for charity for under priveledged children. I only went because I could get the school supplies cheaper there, than any where else. And 'eh, it was for kids. I can put aside my differences for one moment. I cleaned 'em out, and loved every second of it. I never looked at anything else in their store.

I have never been a Home Depot, nor will I ever. Haven't even been in their parking lot. Here in Dayton, they ruined a forty year old successful family business. They were contracted for part of the building on a new location and the weather that year brought about heavy rain, tornado's, etc. The local business would not put their employees in jeopardy. Unfortunately there was a clause in the contract that stated if they could not meet their portion of the building obligations, they would be fined 'x' amount per day. That 'x' amount caused them to declare bankruptcy. They are no longer in business. I'm damned happy to say neither is the Home Depot store that put them out of business. So I suppose trying to conincide the Coca~Cola 600 with Tony Stewart as a grand opening, bit them right in the ass. Nobody in Dayton wanted anything to do with them after that. It was the barest parking lot you had ever seen. Voting with your feet works. Trust me.

I don't know what your local area offers, but you would be suprised at how much you can save by shopping what I call 'barn burners'. I plan my shopping around all of it, in the stores that I will frequent.

Other than the school supplies I cleaned them out of, (.16 cents for each 24 box of crayola crayons, .18 cent note books...and other stuff) they have nothing to offer me that I can't get for less else where, if I shop wisely. I'm a real hard nose when it comes to this.

Told ya, you would be sorry if you asked. :)

Re: Voting with My Feet

[naelany.livejournal.com]

lol Hey, I'm still here ^_~.

Yeah, I'm sure there's other places where I could get stuff cheaper. I know there is, but unfortunately we're already boycotting one of those places ^_~. Reason being is that I tripped over something in that store (something that the night crew was supposed to have cleaned up and didn't), I herniated my disc because of it and they refused to pay my medical bills or even acknowledge any fault at all.
Anywhere else that might be better, is harder to get to given our schedule and all

Re: Voting with My Feet

[naomi-sue.livejournal.com]

I sure hope I didn't offend you with my posting. By no means am I trying to sway you in any direction. We all do what we need to do. My guff with Wal-Mart isn't even so much about their treatment of female associates, it's what they did to a friend of mine in another state. (NY) He had been employed (first as an associate - then moved up the ladder) and eventually beacame the GM for a store in his area, over a period of twelve years. He was given a promotion and asked to move across country to open a new location. He declined. His father had been diagnosed with colon cancer and he wanted to be near his parents to help out, not to mention he had one child on the verge of graduating from hich school. Wal-Mart fired him for not taking the promotion. And that's the total truth of it. No guffaw or anything about it. The guy got the axe because he wouldn't up-root at this time in his life. They stopped getting all of my dollars then and there. It was a little harder to break Mr. O of Wal-Mart, that is until I said "Anything you purchase from there - that needs ironing, you iron. Any food products you buy, you cook." heh, I gave him a choice... He chose to shop elsewhere as he won't do those women jobs. And I won't even go into Office Depot. We had to take them to court to get over $10,000 in biz billing from them. It took a year, to finally get them to pay their bill. As soon as we hired an attorney they paid up. They also lost a lot of business - forever, as our company wasn't the only one they forced into court.

And that stinks about your injury. I didn't think business's had the right to deny accident claims, on in store premise injuries. Did you report it right away, to the store personnel? Just another reason I'll shop online and have it delivered to my door. Every doggone mega-store around here makes it absolutely dangerous to shop in, for even the most cautious of shoppers!

Re: Voting with My Feet

[naelany.livejournal.com]

*chuckles* Goodness no! Of course you didn't ^_^. I agree with you, after all ^_~.
O.o man that blows! Typical though. *chuckles*

Why wouldn't they pay up?

Yep, we did everything "right". They said they'd look into it. Apparently (found this out afterwards), they fired the person who hadn't cleaned up but had signed off on the job being done. They said something along the lines of it not having been anything that was within their realm of liability. Or some such nonsense. We went to a lawyer, who pretty much told us he wouldn't touch the case with a 10-foot pole.

[(Anonymous)]

A 75-cent raise over FIVE YEARS??? What kind of crap is that? Good for you for voting to strike. I hope things get settled quickly and the companies start recognizing the workers as human people with lives and families. Grrr.
-Rachel (Lickety Knit)

[naelany.livejournal.com]

Yep! *waves frantically hello* (Oh my gosh, you actually read my LJ???
There's a slew of other things, too, that they're trying to push through, but we're not having any of it ^_~.