(Lancaster, June 29) – Over 100 ILWU members at the Rite Aid Southwest Distribution Center in Lancaster exited the facility on their lunch break and marched across Avenue H with 100 union and community supporters to demand a first contract with Rite Aid after two years of negotiations, and to protest the company’s unfair labor practices.  Rite Aid has held 100 bargaining sessions with its employees since March 2008, when its employees voted for union representation with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) in a democratic election. Rite Aid has also committed several unfair labor practices including unfair “speed-ups” and poor working conditions.

Rite Aid ILWU workers and supporters lined the street outside of the distribution center holding signs stating, “Rite Aid Workers United for Good Jobs” and “An Injury to One is an Injury to All.” At noon, they gathered for a rally in the blazing desert sun with some people standing in the shade of a massive Food and Drug Council big rig.

Sylvia Estrada has worked for Rite Aid for more than 11 years and sits on the bargaining committee. She and a few others traveled to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania for Rite Aid’s annual shareholders meeting.  They reported back to their coworkers and the crowd that they put additional pressure on the company to stop dragging out negotiations and provide a good first contract.  Estrada noted several internal victories at the facility and stated, “They thought they could grind us down and demoralize us.  But we have stayed united.”

Several dozen ILWU Local 30 members from Boron, California were present to support the Rite Aid workers’ efforts to win a good contract and inspire Rite Aid workers not to give up.  ILWU Local 30 miners recently won a major labor battle against the global mining giant, Rio Tinto, after being locked out of the Boron Rio Tinto mine for over three months.

Along with members from ILWU Local 30, members from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, United Auto Workers, California School Employees Association, International Association of Machinists, Warehouse Workers United, ILWU Local 13A, the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO and several other union and community supporters participated in Tuesday’s rally to fight for a first contract for Rite Aid workers in Lancaster.

Check out photos of the big rig in action!

http://launionaflcio.org/fullstory/2010-06-29/200-Rite-Aid-Workers-and-Union-Supporters-Rally-in-Lancaster-to-Demand-a-Good-Contract/

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