Strike inconveniencing many

Mike Swanson

Workers at Laguna’s three supermarkets set up pickets starting at

10:30 p.m. Saturday and continued to urge shoppers day and night to

take their business elsewhere through Thursday.

Employees at Ralphs, Albertsons and Pavilions united in their

quest to keep the same health benefits, but decided to picket only at

their respective stores.

“All we’re asking for is for them to keep everything the same,”

said Toni Dietz, who’s worked at Ralphs for nine years. “For a few

months we’ve known our contracts were up. The union knew they were

going to play hardball this time.”

The United Food and Commercial Workers Union is subsidizing the

workers, paying them a minimal amount to strike, Dietz said, but most

grocery store employees live paycheck to paycheck and will have a

hard time missing even a week’s pay. She said they’re all willing to

fight as long as necessary, however, for a fair deal.

Ninety-seven percent of 70,000 Southern California supermarket

employees voted to strike, Dietz said.

“It all depends on how much these big corporations are willing to

lose,” Dietz said.

As parking lots at the big three markets in town looked far more

bare than usual, Wild Oats Market saw its business boom. Service

Manager Tom Maher said crowds were heavier starting Sunday,

especially in the evenings. Lines were longer than usual and fewer

people were buying just a few items.

Boback Ziaeian, a regular shopper at Wild Oats, said he never

shopped at the major supermarkets anyway but supported the picket.

“I think the whole thing points to a greater problem in this

country -- our lack of universal health care,” Ziaeian said. “I

applaud them for unionizing to fight for something that’s worth

fighting for.”

Ziaeian added that his younger brother’s 16-year-old friend took a

job at Ralph’s as a replacement worker for $20 an hour.

“I doubt it’s that fun being yelled at every day and called a

scab, but $20 an hour’s a lot for a high school kid,” Ziaeian said.

Businesses and residents surrounding the grocery stores are

becoming increasingly less supportive of the picket, Sgt. Jason

Kravetz said.

“Nothing violent has taken place, but the tension level’s

definitely rising,” Kravetz said. The supermarkets in Laguna are a

lot different than in most cities, Dietz said, in that they have more

of a communal feel, and she hopes to get it back sooner than later.

“It’s a special store and we know most of our customers by name,

so it’s hard to see some of them crossing the picket line and doing

their shopping as if it’s just another day,” Dietz said. “Some people

just don’t want to be inconvenienced.”