What do you think about the grocery strike ?

[DannyMay]

I am telling you what I think these picketers should be arrested the second they begin intimidated people for crossing the line.

Don't tell me I dont have the right to shop in that store just because you are on strike. F*** YOU !!!

If you dont think the store is offering a fair wage for the duties you perform, then pick up the classifieds. Dont give me that crap about there not being any jobs. There are plenty of jobs out there ( just not as many as when Clinton was the President

)

 

[SENDITIN]

Don't bite the hand that feeds you Danny. These union jokers are the backbone of the Democratic party.

 

[DannyMay]

In that case, my position on this should show that I am not a democrat.

I am not anti-republican, I am anti-Bush. He is the worst president we have had in a long time whether he is Whig, Republican, Democrat, or Independent.

In fact, most of my political beliefs are more toward the republican way of thinking. I am just not of the mindset that I have to support the Republican Nominee, no matter how bad a president he is.

 

[DannyMay]

The world according to me.

1. Abortion should be illegal.

2. Capital Punishment should be expanded.

3. The Govt has no right to tell a law abiding citizen that he cant carry a gun for protection.

4. These strikers should not be allowed to threaten customers for crossing the picket lines.

 

[angusr]

I agree with you that threatening customers who cross the picket lines is unacceptable. However, if I shopped at a store where the workers were striking I would not cross the picket line out of solidarity. The biggest threat to our quality of life in North America is the notion that somehow work that doesn't require an impressive string of letters after your name does not have to pay a decent wage. The majority of people on this forum, whether they are unionized or not, owe their current quality of life in large part to the union movement. Don't kid yourselves - everyone is replaceable, but that doesn't mean that an honest day's work shouldn't be rewarded with an honest day's pay.

 

[WildBill]

They don't work that hard Angus. The true value of a worker should be determined by the market, not what they think they should be paid. The market isn't obviously guiding checker salaries because at their pay scales there are probably 10 times as many people willing to do the job as there are spots open. Compound that with the fact that the jobs are so lucrative and the union so greedy that the checkers are usually limited to 3 or 4 shifts a week, making it possible for more people to get a job at the high wage and of course to pay the high union dues.

If the job were that tough, people wouldn't be taking half the pay and working at Walmart gladly. Do you also realize that they aren't even being asked to cut their high pay? They are being asked to pay for some of their benefit costs, something just about all of us have to do. I get middle of the road benefits and have to pay $80 a month for that, these people wouldn't have to pay anything near that and want me to feel sorry for them???

 

[PatPatriot]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>The majority of people on this forum, whether they are unionized or not, owe their current quality of life in large part to the union movement. Don't kid yourselves - <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Very true, I believe the first unions were for the purpose of saftey.The problem is a lot of them have turned into another scam or have out used their purpose.
I have freind that had a small buisness and he said if he had to pay someone 20 bucks an hour to sweep the floor he might as well close his doors.
Don't forget the cost of labor is just passed on to the consumer.
I personaly would go out of my way NOT to cross picket lines.

 

[angusr]

Wild Bill......

You make some good points. Obviously there has to be give and take between the union and management. Some unions do get greedy and end up having a counterproductive effect by financially crippling the company and endangering their own jobs. That being said, in response to your assertion that market forces should determine job pay I can only say that the market works both ways - there's what management is willing to pay for labour and what labour is willing to accept. Unions have an important role to play in ensuring that the second part of that equation remains important.

Patriot . . . .

We finally agree on a political issue

 

[DannyMay]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Patriot:

I personaly would go out of my way NOT to cross picket lines.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Patriot is turning into a liberal. I bet you he votes for Dean in 2004.

 

[DannyMay]

They threaten me, and I will shop at that store exclusively just to piss them off.

 

[WildBill]

I highly doubt the union has any clue what the market rate is for anything. All they know is what they think the rate is, then they boost it up by a mandatory percentage just to make sure they can justify high dues from members to be part of their club. Big unions like the grocery workers and auto workers are a joke, they act like they are defenders of their workers but they ought to be honest and admit they are defenders of their cozy SYSTEM. How come no one calls the union leaders that make far more than any of the rank and file, yet they stand there and tell us they can feel the pain of their workers struggling without a paycheck? Yeah management of the markets are overpaid at times too, but that is in many cases the market rate. Union leaders pay themselves what they can extract out of the members. That is the sad thing, I wouldn't personally mind some unions that do things rationally, but the unions go way too far to get things done, simply because that is how they defend the system.

 

[Degenerate]

Well as one who is part of this strike I for one have not threatened anyone who goes in to shop. I have heard stories to be sure and it does hurt our cause no doubt about it. One thing is that if you go to far in trying to talk to a customer is that you run the risk of turning away permanent business and that would end up costing jobs right there. Everytime you get worked up seeing people cross you have to remember those who have stayed away the entire time and business overall on average is around 50% of what is used to be. The joke conditions of many stores is keeping them away more than picketers anyway. Also remember, alot of times WE get crap too from customers who bump into us on purpse just to cause a scene. Going both ways. They are going back to the tables on thursday and hopefully it ends soon for the customers sake, my sake, fellow workers sake, etc.