What’s going on at our Local Giant & Safeway Supermarkets?

Over the past few weeks, I have received several emails and fliers at meetings about the contract negotiations with the UFCW between Giant & Safeway grocery stores. I must say that it really didn’t resonate how close they are to not reaching an agreement by March 31, 2012. Many of the UFCW representatives have been quoted for saying that this was going to be tough contract negotiations becauseGiants & Safeway were trying to compete with competitors such as Wal-Mart.

“It’s still early,” said Tim Goins, Local 27′s executive vice president. “Negotiations are complex. They’re always difficult, but they’re very complex this time because of pension issues, health and welfare and severance.”

Local 400′s president, Tom McNutt, said the grocery chains have presented the union with more than 30 demands that would mean “thousands of dollars” out of workers’ pockets.

Giant has a (30) plus year record of paying workers their fair share, and Safeway, Superfresh, and Shoppers have all modeled that practice. With the race to the bottom tactics that are pushed on the American Middle Class, we see that leaders in the grocer industry are ready to fold their hand and put profits over people which helps in destroying the American middle class structure.

As time goes on and things get worse, I feel very discouraged and disturbed as a young worker that as we turn into a global economy, America is losing the core principles that have built the middle class. Corporations and CEO’s are doing business as usual and the American worker stomach the brunt of the abuse.

Currently I am taking a class “Management & Labor in the 21st Century” and the question was asked

In recent years, the number of U.S. companies that buy their products from low-cost foreign suppliers has been growing, and concern about the ethics associated with employing young children in factories has been increasing. In Pakistan, children as young as 6 years old work long hours in deplorable conditions to make rugs and carpets for export to Western countries. Children in poor countries throughout Africa, Asia, and South America work in similar conditions. Is it ethical for a child to work in dangerous conditions if not working means that his or her family may starve?

The direction that our country is going in order to keep up with the global competition is horrifying. Why do we always have to compete with the race to the bottom standards, instead of raising the standards for all workers? This is the practice that I was taught and this is the approach I believe we should take.

So when I walk in my Local Giant Supermarket this week, I am going to make sure to let the worker and supervisor know that I have always stood with Giants because Giants has always stood with the American worker. If that practice fails to exist than my business will go elsewhere because I believe that “Raising the standard for one worker, is raising the stand for all workers.”