| 20 January 2004 Meeting. of SGV Community-Labor Alliance Groups represented: UFCW Local 770 (Ralph's and Albertson's), Monterey Park Democratic Club, Meatcutters Local 1167, Alhambra Democratic Club, Whittier Coalition for Peace & Justice, San Gabriel Valley Neighbors for Peace & Justice, Studio City Neighbors for Peace & Justice, Global Women Donations totalling $126 ($67 from the Global Women's Strike and $59 collected from meeting participants) were divided in half and distributed to the strike captains from the two local supermarkets represented at the meeting. Report from Alhambra Democratic Club: Club has donated $500 to strikers (divided between Albertson's and Ralph's). At State Democratic Party meeting in San Jose, party chair made a motion to support the strike, which was approved, but no $$ was pledged. Report from Monterey Park Democratic Club: Club is continuing to support the strike with $$. Reports from strike captains: A strike captain from our local Von's and another union spokesperson from Orange County went to Washington, D.C., to address a group of union officials and make an appeal for $$ to help the strike fund. Safeway CEO Steven Burd was appointed by George W. Bush to a position with "Homeland Security," which he will take when strike is over. It's business as usual at Von's distribution facility in Santa Fe Springs; El Monte is the only distribution center that is still being picketed. UFCW Hardship Committee is accepting applications to reimburse ppl for the $$ they paid to get health insurance for next 3 months. Some ppl are being asked to bring bank statement when they apply; other ppl aren't, but you can't get through on the phone to find out what you need to bring with you when you apply. Kaiser will let premiums slide until strike is over. Union set up a food bank in Pasadena; when ppl got there bags were still being made up, so they were told to wait and ended up getting parking tickets because there was no available parking; ppl left without getting food. Upcoming and Ongoing Strike Events: *Wednesday, Jan. 21 at 10:30 am: Rally & civil disobedience at Von's corporate headquarters in Arcadia. * Thursday, Jan. 29 at 6:00 pm - Rally at Von's in Alhambra (New Avenue). Ppl are encouraged to come because it lifts morale of strikers to have a big crowd. Also fewer ppl will cross the picket lines when there's a big crowd. Ppl are urged to be militant when you picket. LASSO, which has been very aggressive and effective on the West Side, will be there; wants to establish a LASSO on the East Side. SGVNPJ rep will try to get SGVNPJ members to the rally, so they can hook up with LASSO. * Every Wednesday, 6 pm at Pavilions on Olympic and Beverly/Beverwill in Beverly Hills: National Lawyers Guild, which has adopted the market, joins the picket. Good place to go to learn (a) what your rights are on the picket lines (for example, you are exempt from loitering and trespassing laws during a labor dispute) and (b) how to turn customers away. Report on Silverlake Forum: SGVNPJ rep spoke questioning (1) why union leadership didn't seem to be making a national effort, though union is up against multinational corporations, and (2) why union leadership hasn't organized a conference to bring labor and community together to talk about what we need to do to build a movement and win the strike. Union leaders implied that some of the strikers were at fault for poor morale, but SGVNPJ rep's point was that it's the job of the union leadership to build morale. Union leaders said forums like the one in Silverlake were the way to build the movement, but won't answer direct questions in a public forum; they just used the forum to make their points. Other Strike News: Super-A, Stater Bros., and Food4Less contracts will be up at end of February; workers are so demoralized they are saying they will sign anything. UFCW's John Grant and LASSO are trying to organize younger, militant strikers into a "strike force" that is paid to organize rallies at different local stores. There was a 2-hour rally at a Von's; 200 ppl showed up, and only one customer crossed the picket line. Some picket lines have gone back up at Ralph's but for one day only; confusing to customers. Proposals: (1) Local 1167 rep proposed everyone send a letter to Steven Burd pointing out hypocrisy of his taking out a full page newspaper ad praising MLK. (2) Global Women's Strike rep proposed trying to start a national boycott of all Safeway (Von's and Pavilions), Ralph's and Albertsons stores. Strikers will bring list of where to shop and where not to shop to next meeting. Fundraising: (1) SGV/Studio CityNPJ rep will see about getting a call-in show on KPFK for ppl to pledge $$ to support strike. (2) SGVNPJ will organize a St. Patrick's Day party to raise $$. Next Meeting: Tuesday, Jan. 27, 7 pm at Monterey Park Civic Center Gym on McPherrin off Newmark. Call Alvaro Maldonado at 626-289-3573 for more information. |