| SGV CLA Meeting Notes 2/10/04 Groups Represented: Picketers from Albertson's (Montebello) and Von's (Alhambra); San Gabriel Valley Neighbors for Peace & Justice; Whittier Neighbors for Peace & Justice; Global Women's Strike; ActionLA; community residents. Mark Your Calendars: - Wednesday, Feb. 11, 7 pm: Forum on strike at Carecen to raise $$ for strike. Speakers to include Margaret Prescod; entertainers. - Tuesday, Feb. 17, 7 pm: Next mtg of SGVCLA at Monterey Park Civic Center Gym on McPherrin off Newmark. Call Alvaro Maldonado at 626-289-3573 for more information. - Saturday, Feb. 21, 12-2 pm: Rally at Albertson's (Montebello) at Via Campo & Wilcox. - Saturday, March 13: Party in Monterey Park to raise $$ for SGVNPJ and supermarket strikers. Details to come. - Saturday, March 20: March and rally in Hollywood against war and for workers' rights. Reports: - Negotiations to begin tomorrow (Wednesday, Feb. 11) with Federal mediator. Some optimism expressed that strike may be over soon; feeling that recent actions (massive demo in Inglewood, local rallies, march and rally on Wall Street, etc.) are building momentum, but we must keep pressure on. Albertson's managers are saying if strike ends everything will have to be restructured. According to union, everyone who was out on strike will have to be hired back; if companies have to lay ppl off, will have to hire them back first; can't keep scabs. - Mudd reported on trip to New York; her mission was to let stockholders and everyone else know that union will not give up or quit and stock value will drop because union ppl around the country are boycotting Safeway and Kroger's. Rally on Wall Street was massive; many different unions represented. Members from other unions are picketing stores around the country. Local UFCW in Chicago reported to be thinking of striking a Safeway subsidiary before contract is up. - Media Coverage: Pasadena Star-News quoted Mudd day after Wall Street rally, and also published AP piece about rally in Whittier. KCET has footage of rally in NY; wants to use in piece about Mudd; will finish filming in LA; Mudd to let Alvaro know when KCET will film picketers in LA so SGVCLA can bring ppl out to the lines. - Whitter Rally (7 Feb 04) was put together in about 2 weeks, drew at least 240 ppl, possibly 300-400, by getting word out on email and on KPFK; demonstrators marched on sidewalk and rallied at Vons. UFCW came with sound truck. Entertainment. Private security at market taped and photographed everything. Rep from Whittier NPJ, who was one of organizers, spoke with Jeff Conger, president of UFCW Local 324; proposed mtg at Union Hall in Buena Park to organize strike support; Conger declined. Size and energy of rally unprecedented for Whittier. Rappers performed great strike song. - Alvaro reported on Nora Castaneda's presentation about empowering ppl in Venezuela. - WalMart - West Covina City Council rejected WalMart 3-2. Rosemead's anti-Walmart campaign still going on. Inglewood City Council voted to bring WalMart in, but will go to referendum. Susan reported hearing proposal on KPFK to "flip" property taxes and sales taxes, so that municipal governments could be funded with property taxes and state would get proceeds from sales taxes. This would give municipal govts. reliable source of income; would make them less desperate to bring in "big box" stores; would give them incentive to promote more affordable housing. - Scott reported that one unintended consequence of strike is that broadcast revenues from supermarkets' TV advertising are way down. -Al reported that picket lines (which dwindled around the holidays) are stronger now and that strike seems to have picked up momentum. Actions: - Alvaro proposed rally at Albertson's (Montebello) at Via Campo and Wilcox for Saturday, Feb. 21. Union rep supports proposal. Teachers will come out to support. Purpose of rally is to callon companies to negotiate. Strike captain to contact union rep to get word out. Scott to see if Stan has contact for rappers with strike song. Teamster truck will come out for rally. Can union do press release to get media out? Need to get flyer out and give to union rep to distribute at other stores. Flyer will call on people to come out and show support for Community-Labor Solidarity. Susan from CSULA may be able to provide bullhorn; if not, GWS has bullhorn. ActionLA can provide sound system, but it would need to be plugged in, which may not be possible (but we could use for March 13 party). Albertson's won't allow BBQ on property, but maybe we could do on sidewalk. SGVNPJ to provide food, refreshments. Siu Hin to bring bottled water. - Siu Hin to meet with labor ppl in Bay Area. International organization called Labor Net wants to do radio show presentation on strike. - Siu Hin will try to arrange for some local strikers to go to major labor conference at Stanford University in April. Community Support: - Irv W. is continuing to deliver supplies to the Von's picket lines from Alhambra Democratic Club. - Global Women's Strike distributed $278 ($242 collected at Nora Castaneda event and $36 collected at 7 Feb 04 GWS mtg) to picketers from Albertsons (Montebello) and Vons (Alhambra). - ActionLA donated $150 to SGVNPJ for Feb. 21st rally at Albertson's Montebello. |