Grocery Workers’ Protest to Shut Down Michillinda Avenue Tuesday Morning

United Food and Commercial Workers Local 770 will hold a peaceful protest at Vons' corporate headquarters, 618 Michillinda Avenue, in Arcadia Tuesday morning to push for fairness in its ongoing labor talks with grocery stores, a union leader told Patch. 

Michillinda Avenue between Sunset Boulevard and Huntington Drive will be closed to all vehicle traffic Tuesday morning from 7:45 a.m. - noon due to the group's protest. Local businesses can be accessed via Huntington Drive or Sunset Boulevard, according to the . Police are urging motorists to use alternate routes to avoid delays.

UFCW 770 spokesman Mike Shimpock told Patch that the union plans to hand-deliver a letter to corporate executives at Vons' headquarters. In addition to the protest in Arcadia, the group also plans to stage rallies at Ralphs' offices in Compton and Albertsons' offices in Artesia on Tuesday.

The letters were written by Clergy and Laity United for Economic Judgment (CLUE), an organization that hopes to end low-wage poverty in California though a faith-rooted movement for economic justice. According to Shimpock, CLUE's letters urge grocery stores to do the “moral thing” and engage in fair negotiations with the union.

Union leadership has been in contact with the Arcadia Police Department to inform authorities of the protest. Shimpock estimated 200 to 300 people will take part in the demonstration at Vons.

Daymond Rice, the pubic affairs director of Vons, said he expected a peaceful event and that Vons' loss prevention team had been in contact with the APD regarding the rally.

"We certainly feel that events and rallies like we're going to see tomorrow are counter productive to the negotiating process," Rice said. "We would encourage labor to return to the bargaining table and that's where everybody understands we're going to come to a solution on the complex challenges of escalating health care costs and pensions."

Rice pointed to a tentative agreement made with the union over pensions as proof that when the parties commit to the bargaining process progress can be made.

Since the workers' contract expired in March, they have been on a day-to-day contract that can be cancelled by either party after a 72-hour notice.

No comprehensive offer has been made by the chains, according to Shimpock, though Rice said employers have offered a comprehensive health proposal that calls for individual rates to increase from $7 to $9 per week and family rates to jump from $15 to $23 that the labor group had yet to offer a counter-proposal to.

According to NBC Los Angeles, the last walkout by the grocery workers in 2003-2004 cost Ralphs, Vons and Albertsons around $2 billion.