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Grocery Store Showdown: Workers' Strike May Come Next Week
Photo by nathanielperales via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr
Grocery workers in Southern California have been threatening to strike since April, but according to a statement from the worker's union, the time may be at hand. This week, they say, meetings are being held with picket captains, and a strike could come as soon as next week. Workers are protesting their contracts, the negotiations of which have been going on for six months. Specifically, they're unhappy with the company's suggestion on healthcare.
"Management proposals to cut workers’ pay by 50% or more to maintain health care access, despite billions in profits by the corporations that own the supermarkets," says the statement.
In a statement issued by officials at Ralph's, Vons and Albertsons in June, the company described their initial proposal as increasing the cost of individual healthcare plans from $7 a week to $9 a week, and family plans from $15 a week to $76 a week. It's unclear what changes have been made since then.
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