The employers made record profits last year.
Last year, Ralphs, Albertsons and Vons (Safeway) each averaged nearly $3 BILLION dollars in profits (click here for more details).
Non-union competition is not a factor
The employers always point to Wal-Mart and Costco as major reasons they need to cut costs (and pay us less), but Wal-Mart and Costco control less than 8% of the Southern California market, even less than they had in 2003 when the employers claimed that this competition was forcing them to reduce wages and benefits for their workers.
Union super markets have regained the market share lost in the 2003-4 strike
During the 2003-4 strike, the supermarkets lost massive amounts of their market share. But thanks to your hard work, they have regained almost all of it -- and in some cases increased it.
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Who made all this possible?
Union employees made all this possible, pulling together after the strike and working to make our supermarkets profitable again.
Now the supermarkets enjoy record profits, reduced competition from Wal-Mart, and the return of consumers. This is our success too, and it is only fair that our employers should share it with us.
Because of our hard work, the employers can afford to give us a new contract that eliminates the two tiers of grocery workers and gives all employees equal benefits and pay. It is only fair.
