One year ago Southern California grocery workers voted to approve a new contract with supermarket operators, ending a strike that had widespread customer support and cost three major grocery chains hundreds of millions of dollars in lost sales. Despite all this the strike still failed to achieve its main objectives. The new contract requires employees to pay for health benefits for the first time, a major defeat for the workers. The contract did provide a few consecutions, including two one-time bonuses for hours already worked. The contract offered no raises, however. Many employees said the offer was not much different from one they received from their employers in October before the strike.
Union leaders ordered a strike against Vons and Pavilions chains on Oct. 11. Albertsons and Ralphs then locked out their employees. In all, about 59,000 workers were idled. The events that followed developed into the longest grocery strike in US history. The 4-½ month long dispute gained national attention because it was seen as a referendum on affordable employee health care. As the strike wore on local activists joined in the struggle and those months saw increased incidents of direct action and militant picketing. The events of this strike were well reported here on LA-IMC as evidenced by the numerous postings.
Links to selected reports from last year
Strikers' Rally, Santa Monica, O19 by a
Jesse Jackson supports Vons' Strikers by Marcus
TEAMSTERS REFUSING TO CROSS PICKET LINES @ Ralphs, Vons, Pavilions & Albertsons by Chantel G.
KUCINICH IN VENICE by Cornelius Cardew
Supermarket Strike in Alhambra 10/23 by John Kawakami
Shop and Awe by Joe Hill
Photos: Striking Grocery Workers March to Beverly Hills By Marcus Students and strikers unite by a
Reportback from LASSO rally Sunday, 11/23 by invisible ink
Know your enemy by a
Photos: Mar Vista NPJ Joins the Food Fight! by Marcus
Video from strike action by a
Mar Vista NPJ Joins the Food Fight! by Sheri Leigh
Scabs fear the camera by Joe Hill
12/30 6AM El Monte Picket Line Part(2) Part (3) by reuben rivas
Los Angeles Critical Mass Rides Through Vons by Carl Carlson
Photos: SHOP AND AWE...again by Mahatma Gandhi
Inglewood Union Rally by J
Inglewood, Massive March by Marcus
Strike drags on - pickets lines getting tense video by a
Words and images from the picket line video by A
Von's hq. Civil disobedience arrests by Bob Morris
Militant Picketing hits Vons by a
NLG, LASSO Firing up the Picket Line Part (2) by Marcus
Video of Militant Picketing in Hermosa Beach, January 17th and Attorney James Demaegt not Intimidated by Police at Picket Line by Marcus Militant Picketing video by a
Grocery Strikers’ Rally Pumps-up the Volume Part(2) by builder123
Grocery Workers Militant Action Part ( 2) by builder123
[The Los Angeles Independent Media Center sends out its thanks to all those who covered this historic strike. Sorry there is not a link to all the postings there were just so many of them.]
