The pending acquisition
of Safeway by Cerberus Capital Management, owner of Albertsons and
other retail chains, provides additional evidence of a new wave of
consolidation in the supermarket industry.
Fortunately, our members have UFCW 8-Golden State to stand up for them through this time of uncertainty.
Prior
to the Cerberus-Safeway deal, the giant grocery conglomerate Kroger
Inc. revealed it had purchased Harris Teeter, an upscale chain based in
the southeastern U.S.
These companies and others have stated they
need to be bigger to take on Walmart, which has been the country’s
top-volume grocer for at least a decade. Walmart is infamous for using
its size
to force its suppliers to cut costs and gain a competitive edge.
In recent years we’ve observed similar trends of consolidation in the airline, banking and telecommunications industries.
While
we’ve seen companies come and go, one thing remains constant: our
Union. In our 77-year history, UFCW 8-Golden State has built a
remarkable record in fighting for the best interests of our members. Our
only priority is service to our Union sisters and brothers.
Regardless
of what happens in the course of the Cerberus-Safeway merger, we will
do everything in our power to ensure our members’ contractual and legal
rights are protected.
This holds true for any development in the corporate offices and work sites affecting our Union family.
In
addition to contract enforcement, UFCW 8-Golden State works tirelessly
to negotiate the best wages, benefits and job protections in the
industries we serve, from wholesale meat processors to distilleries to
doctors’ offices.
We also fight to safeguard your job by
protecting Union market share (see our cover story on the closing of
Fresh Markets in Sacramento as a recent and vivid example).
We
fight for better laws in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., to give
working families a break. We fight in the courts — most recently winning
a victory in the U.S. Supreme Court (see page 7) — to protect the legal
rights of workers to speak up.
We build alliances to uphold
guaranteed lifetime security for people who retire. And we strive
constantly to provide added benefits to our members, including
discounts, access to special services and valuable tools for achieving
financial security.
All of these Union achievements and more are possible because ...
Solidarity Works!