Warren, Biden Side With Workers in Massive Grocery Strike

[Skidmore]

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-18/stop-shop-strike-elizabeth-warren-joe-biden

Some 31,000 Stop & Shop workers are headed into their second week on the picket line, buoyed by national attention and, on Thursday, a planned visit from Joe Biden. But the people with the most at stake may be the ones who don’t even work for the grocery chain yet.

In part, the workers are fighting to protect their own pay and benefits from the cost-cutting demands of Dutch-Belgian parent Ahold Delhaize. They’re also resisting the company’s proposal to establish less generous terms for tomorrow’s workers, saying they’ll hold out to defend future employees’ compensation.

“We’re in this for the long haul,” said Framingham, Massachusetts, employee Celine Blaisdell, who has worked at Stop & Shop for 29 years. “People that went before me fought for me before I was a union member. It’s important for me to do the same.”

With no end in sight, the strike -- the biggest in the U.S. private sector in years -- underscores the pressures faced by Stop & Shop and other retailers. The labor market is tight, and workers have been encouraged by successful work stoppages around the country and across industries. At the same time, the grocery industry, already known for razor-thin profit margins, only gets more competitive....

[BlueFlorida]

1. Biden is sincere. n/t

[Skidmore]

2. Indeed.

Always with labor.

[Demsrule86]

3. Yes he is.

[druidity33]

4. That's my Union! These are my people!

I have picketed here 2x and hope to do more... I know people that work there. I have to say the stores are suffering and the workers want this to end already. The expectation is that any new Union contract will attempt to keep up with COLAs. A Union Contract negotiating Rule is "No Takebacks". Ahold wants to cut benefits across the board. Their reps are jerks too.

Solidarity!

K&R

[brer cat]

5. K&R

[George II]

6. Warren rallied with striking workers a few days ago, Biden was rallying with them....

...in Boston this afternoon.

Warren:

https://www.masslive.com/news/2019/04/elizabeth-warren-tells-stop-shop-shoppers-do-not-cross-the-picket-line.html

Biden:

https://www.wbur.org/bostonomix/2019/04/18/joe-biden-stop-shop-rally