Grocery workers fear joining the working poor

[UpInArms]

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20031019-9999_1b19economy.html

excerpt:

Assembly-line work, residential construction labor, work behind the counter of a bank, among many other relatively low-skill jobs, used to provide a comfortable living for millions of Americans. Now, for the most part, they don't.

<snip>

A generation ago the worker was in a far better position. There was little competition from abroad, industry was just beginning to automate and unions were strong. Over time, however, globalization, advancing technology and union busting allowed companies in many industries to slash benefits and keep pay levels down, experts say.

<snip>

A turning point was President Reagan's decision to fire striking air traffic controllers.

"That gave businesses the green light to go after unions," Milkman said.

Then the collapse of the Soviet Union and 1994's North American Free Trade Agreement launched an era of increased globalization. Manufacturers began to have more freedom than ever before to move plants to Mexico, China and other countries where labor is far cheaper.

...more...

(edited 'cause I did it wrong) :)

[laura888]

1. a tragedy! Anyone who is "pro-family" should support jobs that allow...

...workers to earn a liveable wage.

The alternative is parents working 2-3 jobs just to keep from being homeless. And who is raising the kids when parents are working?

Corporate greed is not only undemocratic, it's anti-family.

[Liberal Veteran]

6. Funny thing is, so-called "pro-family" people would say....

...that grocery workers being relatively low skilled don't deserve to make a living wage.

My attitude is most of these people who look down on "low skilled" jobs as being "beneath them" wouldn't last a week doing what some of these people are doing to scrape by.

[abelenkpe]

11. incredible

At work this past week I posted a link to the site http://www.saveourhealthcare.org/ because some co-workers were wondering what the strike was all about. It caused this huge ugly debate where one fellow basically let it be known that he felt that unskilled workers didn't deserve health care or a living wage because they were all just lazy losers for not pulling themselves up by their own bootstraps, going to college and getting a real education. Of course this guy was from a middle class white neighborhood in Philadelphia, and has only had one job working for the film studio where we all work now. So, how can one explain to him that his life experience is actually quite privledged, when it is clearly important to him to feel that he deserves his status? Our company has excellent benefits, but how can those benefits be sustained if the grocery strike is won by big business? If large corporations get the message that it is OK to do away with health care benefits for their workers won't all companies be forced to do the same in order to compete? How can one influence our generation which prides itself on it's 'independance' and 'individualism' that we need to work together to survive these trying economic times without insulting one's sense of self achievement?

[area51]

12. healthcare

abelenkpe said:

"If large corporations get the message that it is OK to do away with health care benefits for their workers won't all companies be forced to do the same in order to compete?"

Yes, and that's one of the things I'm concerned about; this insane race to the bottom. In my previous job, workers had no paid holidays & no medical bennies. I'm concerned that this is the wave of the future in the USA. The govt. is going to be forced at some point to start some kind of single-payer plan, as fewer & fewer cos. will offer any medical benefits. It's an obscenity that people have to go without healthcare, or that a single illness can bankrupt them in a country that alleges that "we're no. 1".

[Karenina]

7. And in case anyone missed it

Here's an example of the rock and hard place paradigm.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=173258#173830

[SharonAnn]

14. A post about Sen. Santorum yesterday said that when told by

a constituent and a priest that pro-life positions included supporting living wage, affordable health insurance, and affordable housing, he denied it.

He said that pro-life only meant anti-abortion and that the others were Social Justice Issues which were none of his concern.

Read Michael Lind's book about G. W.l Bush titled "Made In Texas". It explains how this concept works. A few families control most of the land, most of the means of production, and everyone else works for subsistence (or less) wages. The families control the government, the financial industry, nearly all land, and all they want is to export commodities of some kind or other (cotton, oil, lumber). They're not interested in "value-added" products or in the betterment of those who are "lesser" than they are.

Remember, "Made in Texas". I thought I knew this about GWB but when I read this - I really began to understand the depth of his worldview and that of those around him. We can never shame these people - they think we're worthless. We can never convince them with facts, their minds are already made up. And we may have a hard time getting rid of them because they control every lever of power today.

[prolesunited]

24. No one

And so when tragedy inevitably ensues, like the woman who left her children alone so she wouldn't lose her job, we'll prosecute her criminally when they tragically die in a fire.

I agree that we really need to reframe the debate. Paying a living wage it pro-family.

[billbuckhead]

2. On NPR This American life their talking about chasing the American dream

in the restaurant industry.

[The Zanti Regent]

3. That NPR program was sponsored by Mc Donald's RIGHT??????

I wouldn't be surprised since all of NPR is endless Bushevik propaganda!

[BiggJawn]

17. No, ADM...."Supermarket to The World"...

Hard to trust stories about a sponsor's products, Y'know?

[DuctapeFatwa]

4. This is normal and to be expected in the transition

It is only natural that these workers who were making an average of $20 or so an hour will experience a more immediate anxiety at the new challenges presented with their empowerment to adjust their wage levels to a more globally competitive rate than their counterparts in the tech sector, who were making several times that.

The tech employees are much more likely to have savings accounts, homes or other assets that will not be exhausted for several months, whereas the grocery workers experience a more immediate impact of the transition.

[bluestateguy]

5. They already are in Texas

Except for a few of the grocery workers who are just college students earning some extra cash, most of the rest of the employees are unable to make a living on 6.50 an hour. The reason? They can't unionize in this state.

[MaineDem]

9. Showing my stupidity here

Why are they not allowed to unionize?

[Bozita]

10. Oh, but unions are allowed ... in theory.

Here it is in practice:

http://www.oakridger.com/stories/112102/new_1121020024.html

-snip-

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., based in Bentonville, Ark., is the world's largest private company with 3,200 U.S. stores and 1,100 other locations worldwide, posting $218 billion in sales last year. None of its 1.3 million employees belongs to a union.

The company is not anti-union, spokesman Wertz said. "We are striving to keep the close relationship and direct communication we've always had within our stores, and we feel a union as an agent or third party would interfere with that," he said.

The only union success at a Wal-Mart came in 2000 in the butcher's department in a Jacksonville, Texas, store. After seven of 10 butchers voted to join the United Food and Commercial Workers, Wal-Mart announced it was closing its meat-cutting departments in favor of prepackaged meat.

Union officials say Wal-Mart workers are underpaid, and two-thirds can't afford the company's health insurance. The new coalition says the average Wal-Mart worker makes $6.15 to $8.50 an hour and works about 32 hours per week. Workers wanting family health insurance must pay $192.05 every two weeks, or about a third of their wages.

"In a world of Wal-Marts, the American middle class would disappear," said AFL-CIO President John Sweeney.

more...

-snip-

[alarimer]

25. let's do the math

6.15 times 40 hours = $246 before taxes or $492 every two weeks (assuming this individual works 40 hours). Subtract $192 for insurance, leaves $300 for TWO weeks work or $600 a month. That is not a living wage. For 32 hours it is even less. No wonder most people opt out of the insurance. Wal-mart sucks. Having unionized workforce might cut into their billions of profits so of course that is not an option!

[brainshrub]

8. Proof Labor Unions aren't obsolete n/t

[Sadie5]

13. But...Sweeney

Is a strong Republican and so is his staff. The AFL-CIO was infiltrated years ago by the Repigs. Linda Chavez is next in command after Sweeney. The Kroger, and Ralph's are on strike now and, will end up doing just what Kroger wants then to do. Sweeney never fought for Union members four years ago, in the last contract when things were better because Clinton was in office, and the workers ended up paying for much of their insurance and recieved a very small raise. Sweeney will not fight for them this time either. He is pro business.

[schultzee]

15. Can't they vote Sweeny out? We all need to boycott Walmart. I did

about 2 years ago.

[dax]

16. Unions have the same problem-money in politics!

Regardless of how democratic a constitution is (we have a fairly good one for this country for example) money and politics are everything in the organizational leadership model. The union leaders have control over the message that goes to the membership, they have control over the contact-they can reach every member. They have control over all jobs in the union so only those who will play their game get to meet the members as a union representative. A mailout to a large national union can cost $250,000 dollars (In my union, the letter carriers)- to the AFL-CIO, it would be several times that for only ONE MAILING. I am dealing with that now running against a toady who is full time travelling the city talking to the 2000+ members while I carry mail and try to pay for a puny ad in the newsletter noone reads. Is he better qualified? hardly -but can I reach 2000 people I don't know to vote for me with his "name recognition" for being one of the chosen (by the incumbents who have NO INTENTION of allowing anyone in leadership who might fight for positive change and send them back to their mail routes)-probably not. Rank and file organizing is more difficult now that Union leaders have adopted the cuthroat practices of CEO's-the biggest mistake is the salaries-most national leaders make so much more than those they supposedly represent-they forget what it is like to try and survive on the wages.

[newyawker99]

20. Hi Demo5!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Fitzovich]

18. From a lockout Grocery Worker in St. Louis, MO

Please do what you can to support those on the Picket Lines. In all cases, West Coast, Mid West or the East this is about hanging on to what we have not about great strides forward. The Companies have the money to pay a living wage to their workers who have helped them build these firms into huge operations.

Thanks for your support!

[MaineDem]

19. Welcome to DU!

:hi:

Hang in there...we support you!

[revcarol]

21. And please know that ONE of our Presidential candidates supports you:

Dennis Kucinich, who wants a "workers' White House." and I hope you get lots of DK supporters walking the lines with you, like DK does.

Welcome to DU!!:grouphug:

[callous taoboy]

22. Massive walkouts

and work slow downs are needed NOW!!! The National Education Association should call for a walkout of all teachers and support staff until 1) the materials and class sizes we need to teach are provided and 2)teachers are paid appropriately. We are headed in that direction soon, I feel.

[BikeDeck]

23. Not to defend Reagan

and it pains me to do so. This is flat out wrong.

A turning point was President Reagan's decision to fire striking air traffic controllers.

"That gave businesses the green light to go after unions," Milkman said.


Reagan fired the Air Traffic Controllers becuase they were breaking the law, not to give business the gren light to go after unions.