Shaw’s strikers borrow from history

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2010/05/21/shaws_strikers_borrow_from_history/

March inspired by farm actions in ’60s


Employees walked a picket line outside a Shaw’s in Somerville. (Josh Reynolds File)

By Katie Johnston Chase
Globe Staff / May 21, 2010

When striking Shaw’s warehouse workers embark on a five-day march this weekend to draw renewed attention to their nearly three-month fight against the supermarket company, they will also be evoking the civil rights and farm workers’ marches of the 1960s.

“It’s interesting that the leaders are turning to the history of social movements to find tactics that will attract public attention,’’ said James Green, a labor historian at the University of Massachusetts Boston. “Historically, of course, this was very common and often very effective.’’

Marches like this don’t take place very often anymore, but drastic action is necessary to get the public’s attention, organizers said. The 300 warehouse workers walked off the job on March 7, largely over rising health care costs, and the union has been holding pickets at about 16 local Shaw’s stores ever since.

“You can’t win a strike these days, generally speaking, just walking around on a picket line,’’ said Russ Davis, executive director of Jobs With Justice, which helped plan the march.

The march will go a long way to dramatize the work stoppage, he said: “Frankly, 12 weeks into a strike, what’s the news? They’re still on strike.’’

FULL story at link.