grocery strike

[king4wd2]

Originally posted by king4wd2
The only grocery store that is locked out up here is Albertson's. Vons and Ralphs are still striking, as far as I know.

Correction: Albertsons and Ralphs are the stores that are locked out. Vons is still striking. King4wd found out yesterday due to jury duty and one of the potential juror was from Albertsons. So that's what she told the attorneys and the judge.

[Guest]

Originally posted by qwiksilver
Now if we were like every other industrialized first world nation, we wouldn't be having these strikes because we would have government sponsored healthcare. (Don't let anyone fool you, socialized medicine must be good because I have friends who keep their Candadian, Danish and British citizenships just for the benefits and know Americans who have given up their citizenships just to get the benefits from all those 1st world countries that have seen the light. Hell, even the Czech Republic has better benefits than we do.)

Every Canadian I know (and I know a good many of them where my Mom has retired, in south Texas), that can afford it, comes to the United States and pays for their health care. Why? Because socialized medicine sucks. If you remove all profitability from medicine, the standard of quality care suffers. In other words, you get what you pay for.

Besides, socializing medicine would just take us one step further towards being a socialist republic, instead of a democratic republic. Believe me, you don't want the government's fingers in each and every aspect of our lives, espescially our health care...

And by the way, if it's so great in all of the places you've mentioned, then why are citizens of nations from all over the world giving up everything they've ever had to come here and make new lives for themselves. I know of no such exodus of people renouncing their U.S. citizenship and emmigrating to other nations; it's quite the other way around...

[blkTJ]

I went to Trader Joes today. I hope your all happy.:yay:

[Guest]

Originally posted by blkTJ
I went to Trader Joes today. I hope your all happy.:yay:

I like Trader Joe's, but the nearest one is in Riverside...

[NAILER341]

Originally posted by blkTJ
I went to Trader Joes today. I hope your all happy.:yay:

that, indeed makes me very happy, brian.. you did the right thing

[qwiksilver]

Originally posted by PRegner
And by the way, if it's so great in all of the places you've mentioned, then why are citizens of nations from all over the world giving up everything they've ever had to come here and make new lives for themselves. I know of no such exodus of people renouncing their U.S. citizenship and emmigrating to other nations; it's quite the other way around...

In the early nineties the population of Americans in Prague, Czech Republic swelled so much that there are 25,000 Americans in Prague now. People with degrees between the ages of 25 and 35 ran over to eastern Europe because they could get jobs there and advance quickly. My former roomate lives in Little America. She has a degree from Stanford in Physics and could find a job here (well, teaching in South Central and waiting tables). We burned her diploma in Denny's one night. She now owns a string of discos in eastern Europe, has a country house and town house, drives expensive cars and vacations in places you and I only see on TV. She and a lot of others gave up their citizenships to be Czech citizens. We still email back and forth and I met up with her in Paris last year.

Another friend has given up her American citizenship to be Danish. She loves the peace and quiet in Copenhagen and the fact that she can walk down a street at night. She can take her child to the doctor anytime and not worry about paying for it. She pays a huge tax, but gets it all back in services. Oh, Denmark is a constitutional monarchy that is 400 years old and they have democratic elections that are more direct than ours for prime minister.

Other friends ran to Berlin. It is considered the next place to make it. When you are not worrying about healthcare and can put your money into other things, you can get ahead a lot faster.

My apartment manager won't give up her British citizenship because she is elderly and needs the access to healthcare if she should get cancer or other catastrophic disease. She stays in America to be with her kids and grandkids.

A friend down the street married a Canadian and won't let her husband get his citizenship because she uses his healthcare for her medical problems. Cheaper to catch a flight to Vancover from LA than see a doctor here.

Another friend in New York, also married to Canadian, had her kids in Canada because it was cheaper to hop the border and use their hospitals.

There was, and still is, a quiet exodus from this country. Usually it is well educated kids looking for a place to use their new degrees (like a former co-worker who is leaving to practice law in Singapore; another former co-worker went to Taiwan). Others want to get away from the violence and enjoy getting some bang for the tax buck (my friend in Denmark). Sometimes it is just people following the jobs. The most recent exodus has been the Hindus going back to India because the jobs they came here to do in the computer industry have all moved to India. Following them are some Americans from the Silicon Valley.

Don't get me wrong. I love it here (which is why I didn't follow them). I spent time in the service of this lovable lug of a country. But I am also not blind to its flaws either. I don't let the media wave a flag in my face and fool me into thinking me all is well and we're the best. We're great, but we could be better.

[EvilPsych]

hrmm...

when did wal-mart start opening up grocery stores to compete w/ ralphs/vons/albertsons/kroger/safeway?

I've been in exactly 4 walmarts that had grocery depts. and they were separated by several hundred miles (yes, i've been nearly everywhere in the lower 48), and the selection sucked (although my local one actually has live lobsters :rollseyes. Not a one of those was in California. Maybe there are some walmarts in CA that have them, but my experience has been that if you're in a town big enough to qualify for a 'Super Wal-mart' (the only ones i've seen with grocery depts) you already have a need for multiple grocery stores to begin with. Oxnard for instance, had 3 albertsons, 3 vons, and 3 ralphs stores, along with only 1 walmart that didnt have a grocery section.. so copping a 'big bad wal-mart' plea on this grocery union strike is BS imho.

[qwiksilver]

Originally posted by EvilPsych
hrmm...

when did wal-mart start opening up grocery stores to compete w/ ralphs/vons/albertsons/kroger/safeway?

I've been in exactly 4 walmarts that had grocery depts. and they were separated by several hundred miles (yes, i've been nearly everywhere in the lower 48), and the selection sucked (although my local one actually has live lobsters :rollseyes. Not a one of those was in California. Maybe there are some walmarts in CA that have them, but my experience has been that if you're in a town big enough to qualify for a 'Super Wal-mart' (the only ones i've seen with grocery depts) you already have a need for multiple grocery stores to begin with. Oxnard for instance, had 3 albertsons, 3 vons, and 3 ralphs stores, along with only 1 walmart that didnt have a grocery section.. so copping a 'big bad wal-mart' plea on this grocery union strike is BS imho.

They haven't moved in...yet. Plans are on the boards and talks with city counsel have been happening. Right now the strike is not a strike. The workers can't go back now. They are locked out.

Rock-n-Roll Ralph's by my house is empty. I pulled in to use the ATM on the corner. Ghost town. LA is a union town (SAG and AFTRA) and we tend to honor each other's lines.

More buses are off the streets (hmmm traffic was really moving this morning). The strike by the bus mechanics is growing. We have sheriff's walking off in a "blue flu" over - healthcare. I didn't catch who is next on the strike list, but it looks like it's over - you guessed it - healthcare.

SAG members are not happy with the screwing they got on healthcare. The union is not providing the old level anymore. Actors barely making it are paying $193 a quarter for health insurance now. That's on top of the $600 they have to pay in dues (a non-union actor makes minimum wage and has no protection from production's abuses - and I have seen what production can do to an actor). The problem is that it's their own Union screwing them (or more acurately Miss Little Louse on the Prairie, Melissa Gilbert).

This healthcare thing is gonna be big next year. Runner up for strikes - pensions.

[Guest]

qwiksilver:

I could debate the evils of socialized medicine with you endlessly; but as a wise man once said:

"Arguing on the internet is like racing in the Special Olympics. Even if you win, you're still retarded."

[JeepGal]

OK...small problemo...heheheh

Im outta those lil blue and green pills...and the refill is at Ralphs. Do I cross the line? Maybe Ill call the Good Doctor tomorrow and have her call it in to Target.

I havent yet crossed the line, and I dont intend on doing so. I worked for grocery stores for well over 5 years, and I did it for the benefits, certainly not the pay or hours. When you start taking away the benefits, theres really no reason to work there anymore.

Got my fingers crossed for you guys Erik...tell Beck I support her and her Union.

Tam

[NAILER341]

thanks tam, it is easy to transfer your prescriptions

[Jeepskickass]

Originally posted by JeepGal
OK...small problemo...heheheh

Im outta those lil blue and green pills...and the refill is at Ralphs. Do I cross the line? Maybe Ill call the Good Doctor tomorrow and have her call it in to Target.

I havent yet crossed the line, and I dont intend on doing so. I worked for grocery stores for well over 5 years, and I did it for the benefits, certainly not the pay or hours. When you start taking away the benefits, theres really no reason to work there anymore.

Got my fingers crossed for you guys Erik...tell Beck I support her and her Union.

Tam

Tam, if your Doc can't or won't transfer the prescription, go to your Ralphs and tell the picketers your story. They understand that people need their medications, and pretty much are not standing in their way.
If anybody has prescriptions at Albertson's, you can get them filled at any SavOn pharmacy.

And a big THANK YOU for your understanding and support!!!

[qwiksilver]

Originally posted by PRegner
qwiksilver:

I could debate the evils of socialized medicine with you endlessly; but as a wise man once said:

"Arguing on the internet is like racing in the Special Olympics. Even if you win, you're still retarded."

True. Everyone has an opinion on the subject. That's the thing I love about this big fractious family we call a country. We live the crede of the Enlightenment: "I might not like what you say, but I will defend your right to say it." (paraphrase of Voltaire)

I guess I am a bit partial to socialized medicine because it kept me alive without bankrupting me. We were told (in the early 80s) how much my hospital bills would have been and it was nearing two hundred grand. Who has that kind of money? Even 20 percent of that is a chunk of change. And that didn't include the medication that I was stuck on for years that cost about a $150 a month in the 80s (thankfully I am free of now).

I can see the argument for keeping the government's nose out of our business as well though.

[king4wd]

Bad union...Bad!

Well they did it again... This is according to KNX (cbs news radio) and the LA Times. Two grocery workers unoin members were arrested for beating a replacement worker with a baseball bat. The beating occured at about 2:00am the picketers blocked in the replacement workers car on a freeway on ramp, and proceeded to beat him in the head and chest. The victim may require reconstructive surgery.
I haven't yet crossed a picket line, and I certainly won't now. I don't want to endanger my children while the union is employing thugs like this to man their lines. And the union IS thugging up the lines. Look at them when you pass- the union is 70% female and over 50% are over 45. However you don't see mostly middle-aged women picketing, do you?
Labor unions have a long history of inflicting physical violence to get their way and supporting the union (though not necessarily the workers) is tacit approval of this thuggish behavior!

[NAILER341]

Re: Bad union...Bad!

Originally posted by king4wd
Well they did it again... This is according to KNX (cbs news radio) and the LA Times. Two grocery workers unoin members were arrested for beating a replacement worker with a baseball bat. The beating occured at about 2:00am the picketers blocked in the replacement workers car on a freeway on ramp, and proceeded to beat him in the head and chest. The victim may require reconstructive surgery.
I haven't yet crossed a picket line, and I certainly won't now. I don't want to endanger my children while the union is employing thugs like this to man their lines. And the union IS thugging up the lines. Look at them when you pass- the union is 70% female and over 50% are over 45. However you don't see mostly middle-aged women picketing, do you?
Labor unions have a long history of inflicting physical violence to get their way and supporting the union (though not necessarily the workers) is tacit approval of this thuggish behavior!

i'm going to have to say that this is VERY much an infrequent occurance... lets face it, there are 70,000 picketers.. there has to be a few disgruntled box boys out there.. this random act should in no way impact the perseption of the othe 68,998 picketers...