Grocery Workers Rally To Save Good Jobs In DC

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)

Accusing Dutch-owned mega-corporation Royal Ahold, its subsidiary Giant Food, and its grocery supplier C&S Grocers of “destroying good, family-supporting jobs across the country,” hundreds of grocery workers, shoppers and community allies rallied outside the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill yesterday afternoon, brandishing signs reading “Stop the war on workers!” “We know that over there, in that building right now, C&S, Giant and Ahold are planning to come after us,” said Teamsters President Jimmy Hoffa (top, left), pointing to the Hyatt where representatives from the Food Marketing Institute – the lobbying arm of the food industry – were meeting. “But we’re not going to stand by and let them take our jobs,” Hoffa promised the crowd. Hundreds of local union jobs are at stake in the Washington area as  Giant outsources its warehouse operations to C&S Grocers. George – a members of Teamsters Local 863 in New Jersey – told Union City that he lost his job recently after C&S shut down all the major warehouses in the area, “under the guise of financial troubles, yet they neglected to tell people that they made nearly 40 billion dollars last year.” He added, “I just want my life back, and I want my brothers and sisters out here to keep theirs. That’s why we’re out here today- it’s about our lives and our families.” The workers also say that Ahold, Giant and C&S are lobbying against legislation that would grant sick leave to workers, extend workers’ rights and require food manufacturers to label foods so that shoppers know the countries of origin. UFCW Local 400 President Tom McNutt (top, right) pledged to “stand and fight” with the workers. “This company – on a global basis – is attempting to destroy the economic standing of workers wherever they do business with no consideration whatsoever to the workers or the communities they live in,” said McNutt. Click here to sign a petition telling Giant “not to let C&S do its dirty work.” – report/photos by Adam Wright