Thursday is the deadline set to conclude an agreement between Southern California's grocery workers and Ralphs, Vons and Albertsons.
Faced with a deadline to conclude a contract that has been in negotiations for six months, management is clearly desperate to once again spread the blame and avoid responsibility for a situation of their own making. It is hard to believe that the very same corporations that have delayed and dithered in negotiations around the country - Houston, Dallas, Toledo, Seattle, Puget Sound, Portland, Oregon and Eugene, Oregon are all past the original expiration of their contract with one or more of the markets in negotiations in Southern California - could with a straight face claim to not be responsible for the lack of an agreement. “We have taken every step possible to negotiate a contract and avert a strike,” said Mike Shimpock, spokesperson for the Southern California Grocery Workers Union. “We have been negotiating for over six months with management. We are nearly four months past the original expiration of our contract. We've agreed to multiple extensions. But management's negotiators still refuse to meet and close a deal. When, exactly, does management intend to get serious about a contract? Without a deadline, these could go on forever.”
Management negotiators spent much of the last two weeks sequestered in their meeting rooms, refusing to meet with union negotiators or respond to proposals in a timely manner. In fact, the only proposal offered by the employers, a wage progression that would nearly double the amount of time it takes to get to the top step, was given to the union on a Friday at 5pm, as management negotiators were leaving for the weekend.
The endless excuses, games and reluctance to negotiate on the part of management is what has caused these negotiations to drag on for so long. It is managements' recalcitrance that has prevented a timely contract agreement such as the ones reached easily with Stater Bros and Gelsons Markets, and their determination to put their employees and consumers at risk to squeeze another penny of profits out of workers already struggling to support their families.
In fact, much of the little progress has been driven by grocery worker negotiators trying to force management to deal fairly.
What has been accomplished?
The grocery workers union proposed: a health plan that would dramatically reduce waiting periods for new employees and children, cover wellness programs such as child immunizations, physicals and mammograms - all at a cost of exactly one penny more an hour than the employers currently pay. Grocery workers even offered to kick in half of their health care security reserve to reduce employer costs.
The employers' response: They want to cut their contributions by nearly half over last year, potentially bankrupting the health care plan in its final year.
Grocery workers proposed: a wage progression and wage increase proposal that uses current progression levels and has a moderate raise.
The employers' response: A wage progression that takes up to eleven years to reach the top level and pays workers hired after the new contract less than current workers. Workers would receive no wage increases throughout the life of the contract.
Not so fun fact: the only place in the United States where it takes up to eleven years to get to the top wage level is in the wilderness of Alaska.Management is clearly not serious about negotiating. Without a solid deadline, such as the one set for Thursday, management will drag out negotiations forever.
What is going to happen?
Thursday is the deadline set to conclude an agreement between Southern California's grocery workers and Ralphs, Vons and Albertsons. At noon on Thursday, grocery worker negotiators will take whatever deal is on the table and prepare for member voting on Sunday, June 24th. If there is not a satisfactory deal, the unions will ask their members for a strike authorization vote.
“Grocery workers do not want to strike. But management leaves us little choice if they refuse to negotiate fairly. We cannot wait forever for a contract,” said Shimpock.
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