Chicago sanitation workers continue to strike; St. Louis grocery workers start strike
Findlaw (AP) reports: “Trash Piles Up As Chicago Workers Strike.”
“Rats and other vermin scuttled through overflowing trash bins Monday as thousands of garbage haulers stayed off the job for a sixth day in a contract dispute. Negotiations were scheduled to resume Tuesday.”
“The Chicago Cubs host the first two games of the National League championship series starting Tuesday, putting the city in the national spotlight. City officials have said trash will be collected at Wrigley Field and surrounding businesses during the series.”
“The city’s Department of Streets and Sanitation is picking up trash at hospitals, smaller homes and in some public areas. Mayor Richard Daley said the city will have to recoup the money it’s spending to alleviate the trash overflow, either from the union, the refuse haulers association or both. ‘The taxpayers are not going to pay for this,’ he said.”
That comment does not bode well for an early resolution to this strike. Or does it?
St. Louis UFCW-represented grocery workers struck the city’s 3 major chains today (actually they struck the out-of-town chain, but the two local chains have stated intentions to lock them out). Teamsters drivers have threatened to support the strike by ceasing deliveries.
It was eerily quiet at my local store this morning, just minutes after the strike vote results were announced. A large guard with a gun paced outside, and management huddled in the aisles, but no pickets were there yet.
A problem is that these three chains command such a large market share that shopping at other union stores, which is what the union wants us all to do in support of their strike, is very difficult and inconvenient. I expect Wal-Mart and Sams to post immediate gains, as people seek to simply avoid crossing picket lines, not to truly support this ill-advised strike. So they’re driving the consumer into the hands of the enemy. Ingenious strategy. That’ll show those selfish store owners!
A strange time, economically speaking, for unions representing some of the least skilled, most easily replaced workers to flex their muscles. And at the grocery stores, I expect no matter how it turns out, we’ll see many more of those check-yourself machines installed. They’re quite easy to use and popular, and will eliminate jobs. So, as with the UAW, we’ll see unions trading better wages and benefits (for the RIF and plant closing survivors) for fewer jobs. And thus the unions contribute to the jobless recovery they bemoan.
