| 27 Jan 2004 Meeting of San Gabriel Valley Community Labor Alliance Groups represented: Pickets from Albertsons (Montebello) and Ralph's (Alhambra); San Gabriel Valley Neighbors for Peace & Justice, Alhambra Democratic Club, Global Women's Strike, Monterey Park Democratic Club, and Whittier Neighbors for Peace & Justice MARK YOUR CALENDARS: Thursday, January 29, 6 pm: Rally at Von's (Alhambra) at New Avenue & Valley. Fire Department will make hot dogs. Friday, January 30, 7:30 pm: "Fandango Rebelde: Eco Sin Fin" to honor Nora Castaneda, head of Women's Development Bank in Venezuela, at Eastside Cafe Echospace, 5469 Huntington Dr. North, El Sereno Saturday, January 31, 12 noon: Great Western Forum: Tuesday, February 3, Next Meeting of SGV Community Labor Alliance at Monterey Park Civic Center Gym (McPherrin off Newmark); for details, call Alvaro at 626-289-3573. Saturday, February 7, 12 noon: Labor Solidarity March & Rally in Whittier; meet at Whittier City Hall, hold peaceful march to Albertson's (Greenleaf & Whittier); for details, call 562-897-6742 or email [email protected] Friday, February 13, 7-9 pm: Monterey Park Democratic Club to hold candidate's forum, with representatives of Democratic U.S. presidential candidates, in Monterey Park City Council chamber. Sunday, March 7: 8 (?) pm: Party (victory party!!!) at home of Bob & Linda (SGVNPJ); proceeds to be split between strikers and SGVNPJ. REPORTS: Rep from Ralph's reported on trip to Washington, DC, where she and another UFCW picketer from Southern California were invited by AFL-CIO to address national meeting of union officials representing every state in the US. Union officials pledged to give California strike support highest priority; will start setting up informational picket lines first at Safeways, starting on the East Coast, and then on to Kroger's plus organize a national boycott. Picketers to be people from other unions -- grocery workers are not being asked to picket their own stores, but are being advised to prepare for possibility of losing hours because of drop in business, and it's better to face that now than to wait until contract comes up. At meeting, ppl were asked to send more $$ for strikers. While in DC, she made a radio commercial to emphasize vital importance of health benefits and telling ppl, "don't shop at Safeway." Also brought back from DC 10-minute video on strike and will get copy to Alvaro, who will ask Richard M. to duplicate it. AFL ppl assured Ralph's rep that strike will be won, meaning that union will get affordable health-care (maintenance of benefits without cap), no two-tiered hiring system, and no expansion to list of vendors are are allowed into stores to stock shelves. Irv (MPDC) proposed that AFL-CIO put up a website about the strike so as to get information out, across the country, cheaply and quickly. Rep from Ralph's will ask head of communications if they can do this. Gene (SGVNPJ) asked how exactly the support will be implemented; will AFL do educational work to reach out to all union members, so union ppl won't shop at Safeway? Albertson's rep said out-of-state organizers have already started to show up at the picket lines here. They are being sent here in pairs to help union reps answer questions, to encourage shoppers to go to other stores, and to boost morale on the lines, esp. since lines at some stores are stronger than lines at others. Out-of-state organizers have been given lists of markets here which they will visit 2 or 3 times daily. Lots of rumours floating around. Director of Albertson's (Montebello) is predicting that "something big is going to happen tomorrow [Wed., Jan 28]." Ralph's rep was approached by former colleague who has gone back to work at Ralph's and who was trying to get information, but who got told off instead. Union still has fund to help workers with car payments, house payments, utility bills, etc. The money doesn't have to be paid back. Union depends on strike captains to get word of this out to everyone on the lines and encourage them to get help if they are in need. Split in Alhambra Fire Dept. over strike; one shift is supporting the strikers; captain of another shift crossed the picket line to shop while the Fire Dept's union head was on the picket line. Monterey Park FD used to shop at Albertson's; now they go to Cost Co. Craig was elected President of Alhambra Democratic Club and is looking for volunteers to help strikers, e.g., by dropping off food and water, and providing ongoing support; trying to get an ad hoc strike support committee going. Monterey Park Democratic Club is providing continuing support, with drop-offs at the line. Ralph's rep and picketers with signs came to Chinese New Year's parade in Alhambra. Ralph's rep photographed with Sheriff Baca, who supports strike. Liberty Tax has offered to prepare income taxes for strikers for free; know how to keep them from being taxed on strike benefits, since money represents income for which they have already been taxed once. DISTRIBUTIONS: $64 (collected at this meeting) and $74 (collected at last Global Women's Strike mtg) were divided between the two supermarkets represented. |