Strategist brought in to help resolve Raleys’ union-management strife
By Dale Kasler, Sacramento Bee
After a week of strike talk and increasing bitterness, Northern California supermarket workers have called in a strategist from their union’s international headquarters to help with stalled contract negotiations.
William McDonough, director of bargaining for the United Food and Commercial Workers, came to the Bay Area on Monday at the invitation of the three UFCW locals in Northern California.
Union officials and labor experts said it’s common to bring in reinforcements when negotiations aren’t going well. The Northern California supermarket talks have dragged on since last fall.
“This is getting late in the game in the bargaining, so it’s not unusual,” said Mike Henneberry, a spokesman for UFCW Local 5 in San Jose. He said McDonough helped the union obtain a new contract in Southern California last fall after eight months of negotiations.
McDonough’s arrival in Northern California followed one of the most difficult weeks yet in the contract talks.
First, Raley’s workers voted to authorize a strike against the West Sacramento grocery chain. Then, a three-hour bargaining session Friday ended with the UFCW and Raley’s seemingly farther apart than ever.
So much for “the Family STORE.”
You can tell the union really wants to win 100% here…bring in the big guns, try and intimidate the family run/local store perhaps?
Too bad an non-partisan arbitrator type wasn’t brought in to get an agreement.
Isn’t it true that if the union gets the contract here the same result goes through all grocery stores?
a federal mediator couldn’t get anywhere, not sure if this guy can either, but miracles have happened before~
Fire them all there are plenty of people out there who would love to work for what the store is offering.
Mr Dewitt, your opinion is a perfect example of the old saying “Throwing the baby out with the bath water”. I’m guessing, but fairly positive, that there are quite a few union members who have completely independent and opposing thoughts and opinions to those in the union leadership. Would you punish EVERY voting citizen in the US for the misdeeds of our political leaders?
bigger picture
the unions dont give a dam about there members all they care about is winning at there members expnse.
Mr Dewitt, that was my exact point, yet you advocate getting rid of ALL union members.
bigger picture
all i was trying to get across is choice for the workers. let me relate my union experience my first job was as a carpenters helper you had to provide your own tools. But they did not want you to take them home on the weekend for fear that you might work on a non union job that was my last and only union job.
Let’s all trash the Unions like good subservient serfs. The race to the bottom on wages and benefits is destroying the middle class that Unions and Gov’t. regulation helped create. Who do you suppose is in favor of paying third-world wages, deregulating and privatizing everything to maximize profits and the human and environmental consequences be damned? It certainly isn’t the majority of “We the People”. Here’s a clue for y’all… everything workers give up now is Never going to trickle back down.
Please go to http://www.breadandbutter.com. The “big, bad, union” offered to get together with Raley’s and look at the budget to come to agreement on what could and could not be done. Raley’s turned them down flat. Please talk to some of the employees.
30-year – a federal mediator IS non-partisan – did you give any thought to why he couldn’t get anywhere?
David DeWitt – is the answer really to get rid of everyone who wants to make a decent living? Raley’s already cut a lot of long-time employees to 24 hrs a week -just above qualifying for partial unemployment.So, if you were working 40 hrs. per week, got cut to 24 hrs. per week, can’t get any replacement income (hard to work another job when you have to be available at their schedule) and now, Raley’s wants more cuts? You honestly saying you would be ok with that if it was you?
Mojo – you are closest to the truth.
We could go on with this argument for ever and it has gone for ever. the union is loosing membership daily but they never learn to compromise mean while where has the plasterers union gone? and the list goes on. i will not post on this subject again while i can still safely open my mail.
Up here,Raleys is competing with the grocery outlet, Liras, Wallmart and Costco.
Typically a union grocery store only walks away with 2-3% profit. It is hard to compete anymore. They used to cut staff back to 16 hours a week. The pension plan was not invested properly and there is a risk of receiving it if you are not old enough to collect it. Private California families pay about 800 a month for emergency medical benefits with no vision, dental, chiropractic, or counseling. In this economy your lucky to have a job.