Picketers from the Ralphs in Westwood lay down their signs for a
few hours and came to the UCLA campus Tuesday night to address
students and seek support for their three-week-long strike.
UCLA students Ben Angulo, a fourth-year anthropology and history
student, and Michael Garner, a second-year political science and
international economics student, organized a grocery store strike
forum at the Fireside Lounge in Rieber Hall to inform students of
the issues surrounding the strike.
Angulo and Garner decided to organize the forum because they
said they believed apathetic students who crossed the picket lines
were not looking at the bigger picture. Angulo said he has a more
personal connection: His brother is an employee at Vons.
Speakers included Ralphs strikers and a representative from the
United Food and Commercial Workers union.
Clerks at Kroger Co.’s Ralphs, Safeway Inc.’s Vons
and Albertsons grocery stores went on strike Oct. 11 after
negotiations over health care and wages for new hires broke
down.
So far, negotiations have not moved forward. A lawsuit against
Safeway was filed Wednesday claiming the original contract failed
to provide the proper amount of reserves in the company trust fund
to cover employees’ benefits through December. The contract
ends Jan. 1.
Terry O’Neil, a Ralphs spokeswoman, was invited to the
forum but declined to attend, Angulo said.
About 30 students were present at the forum. The had the
opportunity to make their own judgments as they heard personal
accounts from the strikers and were able to address questions
directly toward the panelists.
Although there was not a high turnout, panelists said they were
still happy some students were concerned, especially students in
the dorms.
Second-year music and history student Patricia Moran says she
feels connected to the strike despite living in the dorms. Though
she does not find it necessary to shop at Ralphs, she said if she
did need to buy grocery items, she would avoid shopping there.
“I feel that a little inconvenience is a small price to
pay for the great support one can be providing,” Moran
said.
Kuan Hwa, a second-year English student, said she believes that
students who rely on dorm food and don’t need to buy
groceries probably are not affected as much.
Though some students continue to cross the picket lines, a
significant increase in numbers has not occurred, many of the
picketers said.
Strikers reinforced that a settlement, whatever the outcome,
will set the standard for other corporations in terms of respecting
health benefits and cutting costs.
Adel Kaesemeyer, a Ralphs employee of 26 years, said she is glad
to see student support. It helps raise the picketers’ morale,
she said.
“This is our problem now. (The store) does give us a lot,
but we give a lot of ourselves. We’re paying for what
they’re giving us, but now we have nothing,” Kaesemeyer
said.
A single mother of two, she fears she will need to look for
another job if the strike continues.
All panelists urged students that if they must cross the lines,
they should check the sell-by dates on products and make sure they
are correctly charged on their receipts.
Many students present at the forum said they will continue to
honor the picket lines and took suggestions from workers to shop at
other locations.