October 23, THURSDAY @1:30 PM

PRESS CONFERENCE:



Vons Market

1421 East Valley Blvd. (at New Street)

ALHAMBRA



Join Assembly Member Judy Chu,

The San Gabriel Valley Community and

the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA)



How to support the strikers



We need your support!

Your brothers and sisters at Local 770 would greatly appreciate any help you can offer in this time of need. If you would like to make a monetary donation, please send a check or money order payable to:



UFCW Local 770 Strike Fund

630 Shatto Place

Los Angeles, CA 90005



To donate your time by walking picket lines, transporting materials, answering phones and general assistance, please call 213-487-7070 ext. 9.



Also, please urge your friends and families to transfer their prescriptions to their local RITE AID STORES.



Again, thank you for your support. United, we shall prevail!



-UFCW LOCAL 770





Please support our strike by transferring your prescriptions to your nearest 100% union pharmacy.

Please urge your friends and family to do the same.

How to transfer a prescription to a Union Pharmacy.



A. If the pharmacy where your prescriptions are filled is open.

1. Pharmacies needs the following information:

- Patient name, address, telephone #, date of birth,

- Patients allergies to medication,

- Insurance information,

- Pharmacy name, telephone #, prescription # and drug name. (If possible bottle from other pharmacy would be very helpful.)

- Print out Transfer Prescription Worksheet

2. Rite Aid pharmacy will call to get the prescription information and check # of refills left on prescription.

B. If the pharmacy where your prescription file is at is closed or if prescription has no refills. You need to get prescription from your physician.

1. Rite Aid pharmacy will need the following information:

- Patient name, address, telephone # , date of birth,

- Patients allergies to medication,

- Insurance information,

- Pharmacy name, telephone #, prescription # and drug name, (If possible bottle from other pharmacy would help),

- Physicians name and phone #.

2. Rite Aid pharmacy will call your physician to get a new prescription for you.

This is valid for all medications except schedule II medications such as Percocet, Oxycontin, Ritalin, etc. For these schedule II medications the pharmacy will need an actual written prescription from the physician.

Union Pharmacies include: Rite Aid, Florence Owl Rexall Drug, Soledad Canyon Pharmacy, Oakdale Pharmacy, Medisco Drugs, Milton's Pharmacy, Fisher Drug and some Sav-On.

Between 150 and 200 people showed up to rally in support of Vons strikers in Alhambra. The event, coordinated with the APA Labor Alliance of the AFL-CIO-CLC, drew supporters from the area as well as union supporters from farther out. Big shots like the union president, local assembly rep Judy Chu, and John Delloro from APALA spoke. Little shots like Diana, a worker at the Vons, also rallied her union sisters and brothers to keep the pressure on.

In casual conversation, the strikers told me that they'd rather be working, but, need to fight to retain their benefits. Likewise, management was in the unenviable position of needing to stay cheerful, nice managers, while defending the interests of multimillionaire CEOs who have been openly hostile to the employees.

Inside, the store was pretty vacant, but a lot of people were lined up at the bank branch inside, waiting for service. They weren't buying anything in the store. Picket line crossers seemed to be going inside to buy extremely cheap Coca Cola, by the dozen. Perhaps they were business owners who spotted a good deal. The produce area was smelling a bit, and the fruit was probably starting to ripen. Security guys stood around, doing nothing, because nothing was going on.

One thing that dismayed me, as an API, was that over half of the people crossing the picket were Asian, and most of them, over 50 old. Granted, that area is around 60% Asian, so that's not so bad, but still... you gotta wonder if they're informed.

You can read all the newsletters (PDFs) put out by the grocery clerks union for the striking workers on this webpage. It includes coverage of events, personal stories, letters and photos:

http://www.saveourhealthcare.org/strikelines.html