Raley's-Bel Air-Nob Hill employees on strike (how much, subsidized, wages)

[moonman239]

In case you haven't heard, employees for the above mentioned stores are on strike right now because they want more benefits. They're paying the union to send workers.

This is crazy for three reasons:

1) The market managers cannot possibly afford to give them benefits.
2) If the employees want benefits, they could always go to a different job. I personally think it's crazy to expect to receive so much in exchange for working for the local store, unless perhaps they're a manager.
3) Obama will give them healthcare. I'm not saying I approve of Obama's healthcare bill. I don't. Romney's idea of healthcare is better.

[Youthanasia]

I don't know what that store is, how many locations they have or how much of a profit they make but I can see both sides. Walmart employees are planning a massive strike on black Friday because of pay/benefits. Yes you can say "don't work there then" however a LOT of walmart employees collect welfare and food stamps and other social services which puts a drain on society as a whole because walmart is more concerned with lining their pockets than paying a livable wage so it comes down to you, me and everyone else who pays taxes ALSO paying to support these people because walmart doesn't want to pay... we subsidize walmart's payroll, they get subsidized labor...nice. Some stores/companies cannot afford to pay more or they go out of business, but if you are making hundreds, or thousands times for money in markups on chinese trash like walmart does that argument doesn't hold much water. If I was walmart I would say the same thing to these people, go work somewhere else then... some other desperate individual will come fill your pisition in this economy BWAHAHAHA now get back to collecting carts and folding shirts! while I laugh at hand over fist profits being made, that's business plain and simple so I can see both points of view.

Upon looking it up I found

workers said they were opposing Raley's efforts to cut wages and benefits. The company said the terms it sought to impose would freeze pay increases for two years and eliminate some premium pay, without affecting health coverage.

We don't know if wages and benefits were indeed being cut or frozen. The company wanted to eliminate premium pay, this usually entails work on holidays, or overtime rates on holidays... so they want the work but they don't want to pay...seems legit.

[ccm123]

I sympathize with these workers, but I also realize that the stores really need to watch costs to be competitive, or they can go out of business potentially. I hope it gets worked out on both sides.