The Fight in California

Translated from an article by David Bacon at http://www.jornada.unam.mx/mas-cara.html

Two weeks, the supermarket workers in northern California had a protest, against the efforts of Safeway and other strong chains of cutting again the health insurance in the negotiations of a new union contract in this part of the neighbor of the north.

Last year, in Los Angeles after the union lost a strike of four months, Safeway once again cut the salaries and health benefits for the recently contracted employees. (About 40% of the workers in the supermarkets are immigrants.)

This week, the union that amasses to 15 thousand workers of supermarkets in Sacramento reached an agreement for the new contract, with cuts less severe than those suffered by the workers in Southern California.

Another 20 thousand workers in Northern California are still negotiating, and Safeway and other large chains are still demanding concessions.

The contract expires on January 15th.

The union and their parties speak with clients every day in front of the stores, asking them that they promise in writing that, in case of a strike, they don’t buy there.