HELP with advice - should I shop at Ralph's???

[4_Legs_Good]

Hi everyone!

I'm wondering if it serves the Union members for me to shop at Ralphs or not. Since the beginning of the strikes down here, I've avoided all chain grocery stores (well, I did make one trip to Scolari's). The only shops in my area are Albertson's and Vons, I can get to a Ralph's though, with some effort, but I'm not sure if I should.

I know the Ralph's employees are still on strike, but I also know that the Union is trying to pit one chain against the other by not picketting Ralph's. So what should I do??? I don't mind sticking with the health food stores, but I wanna help out the workers, and an occassional trip to a supermarket would help out at certain times of month.

Anyway, any advice would be helpful.

Thanks!!

david

[TrueAmerican]

1. Join the military

and shop at DECA/Commissary. ;)

[rucky]

2. Lockyear is investigating a profit-sharing scheme...

whereas all the customers who've returned to Ralph's because the picket lines have disappeared & Ralph's is sharing that extra profit w/ Albertson's & Von's.

Here's an article from the LA Daily News:

http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1413,200~20950~1805197,00.html

[Doug Decker]

3. I admit I went to Ralph's yesterday because I needed something...

I couldn't find at Food4Less (which isn't in on the strike). I have to use No Salt for medical reasons.

It was very depressing. The shelves were very depleted and there were no employees I recognized. It was almost empty and before the strike it was a busy store.

I don't recommend it - too much of a downer.

[Terwilliger]

4. If the union employees of a chain are on strike, don't cross

Now, Safeway up here in NoCal has separate unions who are not on strike, so I have no problem shopping there (it's 2 blocks away) but I've heard stories about NoCal grocery store employees doing the same thing, so I'll stop going at that point.

[4_Legs_Good]

5. That seems to make sense...

and normally I wouldn't think twice about it, but I wasn't sure if it served the Union's purpose to say, "See, Ralph, all we have to do is say the word and you'll be back in business - so let's meet with these just demands, and you'll reap the windfall."

I think I'll continue to stay away. I hope their making progress, though. This has gone on much longer than I thought it would, but, on the other hand, it hasn't been 1/4 as difficult as I feared.

david

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

6. please do your best to avoid Ralph's as much as possible

The unions back off because they know shoppers don't have enough choices, but it appears there has been an illegal profit sharing scheme. IF at all possible, see if smaller ethnic grocery stores can accomodate your produce and meat needs (their produce is often less pretty but better tasting) adn try to use 99cent stores for other products wherever you can.

Thanks!

[Emboldened Chimp]

7. No, don't do it!

Ralph's is sharing revenues with Vons, Albertson's, et al. And the Ralph's employees aren't striking; they've been locked out. Their situation is precarious at best. Shop at Whole Foods, Wild Oats, your local Co-Op, or 7-11 if need be.

[radwriter0555]

8. I stopped in a ralphs on Tuesday, there were no picketers out

front however.

BUT, OHMYGAWD. The place has fallen apart! The shelves are empty; there was little meat to be had, except for the pricey, overly large hunks of raw flesh; the veggies were old and picked over at best.

No big buy detergents, the milk selection was non-existent.

AND the staff!!?!?!? Wow. Kids who definitely weren't used to conveying professional customer service. I'm used to trained professionals for checkers... and while the kids were nice and tried really really hard, it was a huge change, and not for the best.

I guess I'll be ordering my xmas meal meat (either standing rib roast or a genuine turkey) from the butchers at the (real) Farmer's Market this year. I usually wait for the sale at Ralphs. Not this year though.

Big difference.

[4_Legs_Good]

9. WOW, on the profit sharing deal...

I can't believe that's legal (or at least not so illegal that they fear doing it).

That certainly cinches it. No Ralphs until this thing is over. I like supporting the small guys anyway.

Thanks again for all the information!

david

[ldoolin]

10. avoid Ralphs

I'd avoid Ralphs, Safeway, Vons, Frys, Kroger, and Albertsons, picket lines or not. Those stores are all either experiencing strikes, or have locked out workers. All of them are big Republican donors too.

For anyone reading this, Bashas, if you have them where you live, are big Democratic donors. Bashas also owns Food City. That's the only big supermarket where I'll shop right now.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

11. Great info to know!

What region are they in?

[ldoolin]

12. Southwestern U.S.

Bashas: All over Arizona, and at least one southern California location (Needles).

Food City: The Food City stores in the southwest are owned by Bashas. As far as I know the Food City chain in Tennessee, Virginia, and Kentucky is a separate chain not owned by Bashas.

IGA: The IGA stores in Arizona and New Mexico get their groceries from the Bashas warehouse. This applies to Arizona and New Mexico only, not to other IGAs.

I found out about their political donations by checking www.opensecrets.org

Check where your own local supermarket chains are sending their donations by checking the "PACS" list first. That's where I got the info on Safeway, Kroger, and Albertsons all being big Repug donors. If the company you're interested in doesn't have a PAC, go back to the main page and click on the "search" feature, and enter the company name to see about individual donations. In the case of Bashas, I did a donor search on the Basha family name.

By the way, regarding Food4Less, they turn up on Open Secrets with only one political donation: a $1000 donation to Sen. Bob Kerrey (D-NE) in 1996. (Although I have heard that Food4Less is non-union - can anyone confirm this?)

[Freddie Stubbs]

13. Go to Wal-Mart instead

Their employees aren't on strike. ;-)