Matt Hart reported at around 7:00 that 72 hours notice has been given. This means that the strike could start in 72 hours. It does not mean that it *will* happen in 72 hours. But the odds have increased a lot.

72 hours from today is Sunday.

What this means for supporters is that we need to do as much as we can to try to make the strike short. This means going to their pickets to march in their lines. It means not buying anything from Vons Albertsons or Ralphs once the pickets go up.

I'm sure the grocery workers apologise for any inconvenience.

WHY SUPPORT?

Because the corporations are profitable, and want to push wages down because the economy is bad. Does this make sense? Profits are UP, not only at these three stores but in many businesses, but unemployment stays UP too. Workers need to organize to fight for fair wages and compensation. If we do not, the economy will move even more towards a society of "haves" and "have nots".

By fighting for good (read, more expensive) health care, these supermarket workers are pulling stock-owner profits into their paychecks. The money gets spent on medical services, supporting those jobs. They, in turn, spend their wages on food and other goods.

If these workers have their compensation cut... then it's more profits for the owners and stockholders. And these people are NOT spending their money to make jobs. They're hoarding their money.

For solidarity information see:

http://www.oclabor.org/

http://launionaflcio.org/

Sign up for all email lists.

And do not hesitate to create your own solidarity action for your local stores.

Do not wait until the pickets are up. Every show of strength now helps with negotiations, and prevents a strike or shortens a strike.

Workers: Don't forget the lessons of the last strike.

See the link:

http://la.indymedia.org/archives/archive_by_id.php?id=762&category_id=3

Lessons learned:

1 If you can not stop the scabs from crossing the line you will lose.

2. Strike at all three chains at once. Don't let the bosses lockout fellow workers at other stores.

3. Don't let the union hold you back. Strike hard the first week, shutdown the loading docks as well as the front doors. Get radical right at the start, don't wait until you are months into the strike to escalate.

4. Remember the Shop&Awe tactic. Use it to shutdown stores and keep them closed.

5. Do not accept another crappy contract. Don't let the union leadership compromise. Wildcat if you have to.

the last strike lasted 5 months, and the union ended up signing the same contract that they went on strike against in the first place

the unions have been compromised three ways to sunday.

how do we help them when they lure customers in to balance the bad press by lowering prices to an impoverished consumer? Then there are the Scabs they hire to replace the unionized workers who loose again. There is no effort to attempt to divert consumers to independent grocery stores.

how do you mobilize to fight these greedy bastards?

A lot of anti-war groups formed strike support committees. They will do this again, but there are fewer of these groups. These committees helped picketers, pushed local cities to support the workers.

The groups also pushed the strikers to reach out to more of the community. This helped lead to some stores being 100% empty at times.

This time around, the same has to happen, with more community groups.

As customers, we can do things that the employees cannot. We can go inside and fill up baskets and leave them in the aisle. We can buy out the loss-leader items that cost the store money. We can waste the scabs' time.

Ralph's said they will close their stores if there's a strike. Albertson's will probably do the same. So much for the Shop & Awe tactic, they beat you to the punch.

Stater Bros will make out big time, just like in 2003.