Supermarket Support Ramps Up as Deadline Nears

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)
"What! Safeway's hiring strike breakers?!...Apoye los trabajadores de Safeway y Giant!...That's right, grocery workers need fair contracts." These were some of the responses outside Giant and Safeway stores across the metro DC region last weekend as activists hit the streets to support supermarket workers. In Adams Morgan, Columbia Heights, Rhode Island Avenue, Tenleytown and Northern Virginia last Saturday, activists leafleted outside supermarkets in support of a good and fair contract that includes affordable health care and pensions. The existing contract between United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 400 and Safeway and Giant expires this Saturday. During their breaks, workers wearing Local 400 buttons approached activists, curious to find out more about who was organizing such widespread community support. "We got a great reception from workers," said activist Beth Slavet (click here for a Washington Post report on affected workers). Mark Rickling, a Jobs with Justice member said " This contract fight affects far more than the thousands of Safeway and Giant workers in the metro region." More actions are scheduled this week. Click here to get a full list of events or to download materials. To RSVP to an action or get more info, contact rcastel@dclaborarchives.org or call 202.974.8281. - reported by Ruth Castel-Branco