Raley's-Nob Hill Workers to Rally in Alameda

Employees of the Raley's-Nob Hill supermarkets have been on strike since they walked off the job Sunday morning after a disagreement over wages and medical benefits.

Workers will be rallying in Alameda this evening between 5 and 7 p.m. on the corner of Corner of Clement & Blanding, according to a message on the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 5's website.

The statement on the rally flier reads:

"Come out and support your local grocery workers as they fight back a vicious attack on them by a company Hell bent on reducing benefits, wages and busting the union. Make no mistake this attack engineered by the former head of the Oregon GOP. It is Wisconsin in California!"

The workers have been joined on the picket lines by other union members such as firefighters, teachers and teamsters. Employees who did not want to participate in the strike were given a letter of resignation they could sign.

The union is using a format called "Picket Line News" on their site to disseminate daily updates about the strike. In the most recent news posting, they encouraged workers to take time to vote on election day. The news also lists a "Strike Hot Line" for the workers to call and a "War Room" number for workers to speak to union personnel.

About 15 to 15 workers stood in front of the Raley's in Pleasanton at 6 a.m. Sunday morning after being called at 3 a.m. to be notified of the strike, while picketing workers at the Nob Hill market in Walnut Creek were passing out fliers Sunday morning that asked shoppers to support their "neighborhood grocery workers."

The union filed unfair labor practices complaints on Thursday, including allegations that Raley's managers have been interrogating and intimidating union members, union officials said.

Raley's owns 128 stores in Northern California and northern Nevada as well as 78 Raley's superstores, 22 Nob Hill markets, 20 Bel Air markets and eight Food Source warehouses. The Nob Hill markets are staffed with all union employees, while Raley's has some employees who are not union.

In the East Bay, there are Raley's stores in Benicia, Fremont, Newark and Pleasanton. There are Nob Hill markets in Alameda, Livermore, Martinez, San Ramon and Walnut Creek, according to the company's website.

We want to know what Patch readers think about the strike.  Will you cross the picket line? Tell us in the comments section below.