July 6th, 2007 Update...

Your union will be back at the bargaining table on Monday, 7/9/07, to resume negotiations and we hope the employers will compromise on wages and health care.

It is unfortunate that the employers continue to delay and threaten us instead of negotiating.

To date, wage proposals from the employers still include increases for only the top pay scale, and the introduction of a third tier that would make even less than second tier workers.

And the employers still want to reduce their contributions to the health care trust fund, putting the fund at risk of bankruptcy, potentially reducing your benefits and dramatically increasing your out of pocket costs.

These proposals are unacceptable. The employers know this but they refuse to compromise.

Instead they’re continuing with their threats and intimidation, trying to frighten grocery workers into accepting a bad deal, just like they did in 2003.

They already threatened to lock you out of your job. And yesterday Ralphs announced their plan to hire replacement workers and threatened their employees that if they strike, they may lose their jobs or hours will be cut. They even threatened that their employees would be forced to pay hundreds of dollars just to keep their family’s health care coverage.

It’s no surprise that Ralphs should be the first to make threats. Remember Ralphs is still on probation for their actions during the 2003 strike and they were forced to pay $70 million in fines and restitution for lying to the federal government. What will stop them from doing the same again?

Getting a contract without a job action is and always has been our top priority. We are hoping for the best but preparing for the worst just in case.

We will keep you informed in the days ahead as things progress.

We can do this. But only if we stick together and stand strong.