—ON THE PICKET LINE—

Maggie Trowe, Editor

 

Maryland Teamsters strike US Foods, win solidarity

SEVERN, Md. — Members of Teamsters Locals 355 and 570, on strike against US Foods here, have won solidarity across the country. Wherever they have shown up early in the morning with “US Foods Serves Misery” signs to picket the company’s distribution centers, their union brothers and sisters have honored the picket lines with one-day job actions. Close to 3,000 Teamsters at US Foods facilities in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and elsewhere have carried out such actions.

The strike began April 27 when the 200 warehouse workers and truck drivers walked out. The company had refused to bargain with the union about its decision to shut the warehouse until the Teamsters members agreed to major concessions. When the company started to move its inventory out of state, the union members decided to strike.

“US Foods is threatening to close our facility because we refuse to let the company slash our wages, abolish our retirement plan and destroy our quality, affordable family health care,” driver Joe Schwabline and warehouse worker Chris Price say in a Teamster fact sheet. “If we all stand together, we can stand up to US Foods and its Wall Street owners and stop their bullying.”

On June 8, Local 570 warehouse workers won an agreement that included health care and severance pay. Local 355 truck drivers are still striking, and job actions around the country continue.

— Arlene Rubinstein

Calif. unionists tell packing boss: ‘Bathroom break is the law!’

VERNON, Calif. — Around 200 people — members of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 770 at the Farmer John pork processing plant and supporters — held a rally and picket here July 27, four days before the meatpackers’ contract expired. In a spirited picket, workers bore the heat and got lots of honks from passersby.

“We are demanding respect and dignity, access to the restroom, wage increases, and no cuts to our health insurance,” shop steward Pedro Albarran said.

— Rebecca Williamson

Grocery workers rally for contract in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES — Over 400 grocery store workers marched and rallied here Aug. 2 demanding a new contract. The United Food and Commercial Workers organizes roughly 50,000 supermarket workers from central and southern California. The pact with Albertsons, Vons and Ralphs stores expired in March. Two days later a tentative agreement was announced and will be voted on Aug. 8.

At the rally union member Rob O’Connell told the Militant workers are sending the grocery bosses the message, “Do what’s right. Give us a fair contract. You make billions of dollars, help us provide for our families. Don’t touch our pensions and our retirement.” O’Connell has been working at the Glendora Vons for 24 years in the dairy, deli, and as a cashier, and was part of the grocery workers’ 141-day strike in 2003-2004.

— Bernie Senter