Will you cross the picket line in case of a Grocery Strike? (Seattle: to buy, high school)

[I'm Retired Now]

The newspapers are full of ads from the major grocery chains begging for replacement workers in case of a strike. I understand that these replacement workers will get a few extra dollars per hour for the abuse of being called scabs and possible harassment by shoppers and strikers.

I suspect that the replacement workers will be of poor quality and poorly trained, so customer service will be poor.

Would you put up with the customer service issues and moral considerations related to crossing the picket lines at a Seattle grocery store that is on strike but kept open using replacement workers?

If you needed a retail job would you work as a replacement worker to make a few extra dollars per hour?

[jm31828]

Originally Posted by I'm Retired Now

The newspapers are full of ads from the major grocery chains begging for replacement workers in case of a strike. I understand that these replacement workers will get a few extra dollars per hour for the abuse of being called scabs and possible harassment by shoppers and strikers.

I suspect that the replacement workers will be of poor quality and poorly trained, so customer service will be poor.

Would you put up with the customer service issues and moral considerations related to crossing the picket lines at a Seattle grocery store that is on strike but kept open using replacement workers?

If you needed a retail job would you work as a replacement worker to make a few extra dollars per hour?

I wouldn't jump to the assumption that they will all be poor quality and poorly trained. Lots and lots of us have worked as cashiers or grocery baggers at some point, it's something that it seems half of high school kids did back when I was at that age and I assume it's still the same- so there are lots of people out there who may have decent experience who could fill in. I don't really expect much of a drop off. And after all, what do you expect, as long as they scan each item, take my payment, and get the items into bags to me that is a success.
And with that being said, I don't know why people wouldn't do this if they needed some extra cash, if the person needed a short term retail gig.

And as a shopper, I don't see any moral consideration when going there during the strike. I definitely would go there to shop if I need to get groceries during this- it is not my issue if the union decided they want to get more pay or benefits out of the stores, that is between those two parties. It's not something that involves any of the rest of us, there is no moral issue here at all, one way or the other.

[Ira500]

I'll just drive a few extra blocks to a supermarket not on strike.

[Hemlock140]

We can go to Trader Joe's or Whole Foods, just a few miles farther away, but most of our food comes from Costco anyway. Normally the only things we get at these grocery stores is last minute eggs or milk and customer service doesn't matter because we normally use the self-checkout.

[PollyGlott]

I don't cross picket lines, because I was once on strike myself (as a San Diego Unified teacher), and I know how it feels to have someone cross the line.
So I will shop elsewhere until the issue is resolved.

[Ira500]

I will not cross the picket line, and I don't see it simply as an issue between the union and management. The people who may go on strike aren't " the union". They're my neighbors, people I see frequently. They are being offered a cut in pay and benefits. If you look at the net earnings and revenues of Safeway, and Kroger( parent of QFC and Fred Meyer), they're healthy and increasing. I don't have a problem with them making profits. Albertson's is owned by Cerberus Capital management, and is privately held.
If the strike happens and the workers lose, it will not benefit anyone around here, just the corporate headquarters in Ohio(Kroger) the Bay Area(Safeway), and New York City( Cerberus).
I don't take the union side every single time.
First, I don't think they can hire enough replacement workers. Most people looking for work don't want a gig that might last only a very short time. Second, the economy here is pretty good, and most people looking for work want a job that will last them longer than the duration of a strike, and third, it can't be fun having to to work through a picket line of angry strikers.
Just because I'm not a grocery worker doesn't mean that I should only care about my own needs. I care about people who are part of my community. That includes grocery workers. I don't particularly care about the out of state CEOs of these companies. They'll continue to do okay, strike or no strike.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by I'm Retired Now

The newspapers are full of ads from the major grocery chains begging for replacement workers in case of a strike.

What's a newspaper? Is that like a buggywhip? These union idiots are going to buggywhip/newspaper folks out of a job.

If I see any strikers abusing shoppers or workers, I will talk to their boss and encourage their dismissal. Just because your idiot union wants to be a bunch of a--holes doesn't mean the membership should be.

[flyingsaucermom]

So I'm an idiot, what's "crossing the picket like"? ... I'm assuming it's going ahead with my normal shopping when the regularly scheduled workers are on strike... but does that action have significance for the customer? The way I see it, I'll do my normal shopping, but if it's a problem with waiting long lines to check out, then I'll simply go and the store will lose my business that way. If that happens to enough people then the store will be forced to work with strikers. I don't see how it has to involve my action of crossing a picket line.... as a homebody housewife, I've actually never really dealt with a strike ...

That said, I've been shopping at PCC for all of my needs for nearly two months (not my kids: I have to buy their processed food crap elsewhere) so I'm assuming that I don't have to be involved anyway.

I've actually saw the signs at Fred Meyers and thought "gee, that would be a quick few bucks" if I stepped in, but then my moral objection spoke up, that the other workers are trying to fight for their own paychecks and benefits and I want to enable them. If I worked their job then I would be enabling corporate CEO's and I just don't think they need the help.

[PollyGlott]

Originally Posted by flyingsaucermom

So I'm an idiot, what's "crossing the picket like"? ... I'm assuming it's going ahead with my normal shopping when the regularly scheduled workers are on strike... but does that action have significance for the customer? The way I see it, I'll do my normal shopping, but if it's a problem with waiting long lines to check out, then I'll simply go and the store will lose my business that way. If that happens to enough people then the store will be forced to work with strikers. I don't see how it has to involve my action of crossing a picket line.... as a homebody housewife, I've actually never really dealt with a strike ...
That said, I've been shopping at PCC for all of my needs for nearly two months (not my kids: I have to buy their processed food crap elsewhere) so I'm assuming that I don't have to be involved anyway.
I've actually saw the signs at Fred Meyers and thought "gee, that would be a quick few bucks" if I stepped in, but then my moral objection spoke up, that the other workers are trying to fight for their own paychecks and benefits and I want to enable them. If I worked their job then I would be enabling corporate CEO's and I just don't think they need the help.

Right. And if you cross the picket line you are doing the very same thing!

[ebbe]

I'll shop where I want to shop picket line or no picket line. I don't mind a little extra wait while checking out if someone new is learning the ropes.