Here in Southern California, our major supermarket chains are Albertsons, Ralphs and Vons. This morning, about 70,000 workers from those three chains went on strike or were locked out as contract negotiations broke down overnight. While I understand where the workers are coming from, in general, grocery store workers have some of the best benefits of any job. Most of their health care is paid for 100% and they have no co-pays for office visits. Now, with costs rising 50% in 4 years, the grocery stores want to shift some of the cost (not all of it, mind you) to the workers - which isn't uncalled for - almost everyone I know has to pay for doctors visits, pay for healthcare in some way.

Yet, the grocery store workers want it all. While making more yearly than registered nurses and teachers, they want 100% medical coverage (though I'm sure there was some point between 100% and the 50% cut the grocery stores want that they'd agree to), and they want to continue making a good amount of money. How are Vons, Albertsons, and Ralphs supposed to compete with the increasingly cheaper stores that are gaining market share - Wal-Mart, Costco, etc.?

Like I said, I don't think it's unreasonable to want good healthcare, but in my opinion, from what I've read, they're just asking for too much and not willing to give up enough to continue working. So here we sit with 70,000 workers out of work, truck drivers refusing to deliver food (they're a union too, afterall), and if you want to go shop in one of these stores, you're harassed as you enter because these workers refuse to work and would rather stand outside picketing.

URL: CNN.com - 70,000 grocery store workers strike - Oct. 12, 2003