Organic food delivery drivers go on strike
AUBURN, Wash. -- Drivers who make deliveries for United Natural Foods hit the picket lines Tuesday morning after rejecting the latest contract offer from the company.
The Teamsters union members, who deliver organic produce to area grocery stores, said they don't make nearly as much money as their counterparts at other companies.
The company's contract with the drivers expired in May, but the drivers kept working while negotiations were under way. The union said members rejected United Natural Foods' "last, best offer" over the weekend.
"At the point that the company refused to honor their contract, they decided that it was time to go out on strike and see if they could get them to come back to the table and bargain a fair contract," said Brenda Weist with Teamsters Local 117.
In a written statement, the company said it was disappointed with the union's decision and that its latest offer included a 10.8 percent wage increase over three years.
"UNFI has made numerous concessions during the months of negotiation and believes that the latest offer it presented to the union is fair, reasonable and competitive," the statement said.
The company said it would be hiring replacement workers to continue making deliveries.
Several dozen striking drivers were at the United Natural Foods distribution center in Auburn early Tuesday. Police were on scene, but have not had to intervene.
United Natural Foods supplies organic foods to independent markets and large grocery store chains, including Whole Foods, PCC, Metropolitan Market, Safeway, Fred Meyer, QFC and Albertsons.
The Teamsters union members, who deliver organic produce to area grocery stores, said they don't make nearly as much money as their counterparts at other companies.
The company's contract with the drivers expired in May, but the drivers kept working while negotiations were under way. The union said members rejected United Natural Foods' "last, best offer" over the weekend.
"At the point that the company refused to honor their contract, they decided that it was time to go out on strike and see if they could get them to come back to the table and bargain a fair contract," said Brenda Weist with Teamsters Local 117.
In a written statement, the company said it was disappointed with the union's decision and that its latest offer included a 10.8 percent wage increase over three years.
"UNFI has made numerous concessions during the months of negotiation and believes that the latest offer it presented to the union is fair, reasonable and competitive," the statement said.
The company said it would be hiring replacement workers to continue making deliveries.
Several dozen striking drivers were at the United Natural Foods distribution center in Auburn early Tuesday. Police were on scene, but have not had to intervene.
United Natural Foods supplies organic foods to independent markets and large grocery store chains, including Whole Foods, PCC, Metropolitan Market, Safeway, Fred Meyer, QFC and Albertsons.
There are lot of organic shops and service providers in the market. Governments must have to support the organic food providers and must fulfill their needs.
http://www.adelaide.organicvillage.com.au/
I hope the Union goes bust. I am sick and tired of this Communist agitation.
 @Telman@ Do you even know the definition of Communism?
They should have known what the pay scale was when they took the job. If they didn't like it they shouldn't have taken it and looked elsewhere. May they go the way of Hostess and Reid S & G. 100% of nothing is always going to be nothing.
The Granola crowd gets to eat some food with the ever so trendy "gluten" while sone union bozos get a vacation from breathing Patchouli at every stop. Sounds like a win-win for all.
Stopping delivery of "organic" foods will not effect me as I decline to support inefficient farming anyway. but it is wrong that these goons can blackmail employers and customers. We need a right to work law in Washington.
 @contraryjim What we need are schools that teach the difference between effect and affect.
What is preventing these drivers from seeking employment where the pay is better? I mean if you feel you are underpaid, go elsewhere, why hold your employer hostage. Can we say Hostess?
It sure is refreshing to see the leadership in local 117 finally start to act like part of the labor movement. Under Weinmiester and Williams that local slept through some of the worst contracts around. It must be tough for Tracey Thompson to have to run around trying to play catch up with all those sub-standard agreements. I didnt think 117 would ever amount to what 174 was but I guess I was wrong. Way to fight for families Tracey! You are becoming the new west coast beacon of hope for labor now that 174 has gone quiet for the last 5 years.
Wage "increase"??? Whats that? I don't know anyone who has had one in years. I feel lucky to only have a 3% CUT in pay, not 20% like my coworkers husband. Sad but we are just happy to have jobs still..
Oh well. Guess I'll have to go back to eating inorganic food.
 @relatively Be cautious and consult your Doctor first.
"included a 10.8 percent wage increase over three years." What are they taking away?
 @DarkParty 10.8% means a loss in pay over 3 years. Inflation is higher than what the pay increases are. Thats not just for these workers its for everyone. We've all been losing money over the last 40 years as wage increases have not kept up with inflation.
 @Blindman I think I am getting 6% over 4 years.
@DarkParty Thats not the point. If their "Brothers & Sisters" are making more, then they want more. Of course I would be willing to bet, if someone told them the other company (who's paying more) is hiring, most wouldn't apply
Oh how funny this is the left wing loons who support unions now can't have their organic veggies. Keep on striking! My the Union get twice what they are asking for!
 @wynooheeman I love the irony of that as well. Looks like Whole Paycheck (Whole Foods) is about to become Whole Annual Salary.
 @wynooheeman Why does it always come down to political references? How about acknowledging the fact our Three Branches of Oligarchy hasn't put America first pertaining to "we the people" and our wishes.
Since the Obama Administration will foster in the Age of Plenty, it would have behooved the Union to settle now and await for a better contract next time when the economy will be humming like a Union/Steel Reserve-made Chrysler.
Oh no, I going to have to pay twice as much for my Organic food.I will just step down and go buy regular food like the regular folks Obama talks about.LOL!Â
 @Tacobender50 Now that was funny.... made me laugh...  :D)
It's ironic that the organic food drivers would be paid less, considering the prices on organic food are jacked up so high. Â That doesn't seem fair at all. Â It's like the writers of reality shows. They make a fraction of what regular sitcom writers make, but they're both writing fiction.Â
 @DT Those guys are paid well - it's the warehouse workers (who outnumber the drivers) that voted for the strike. The drivers are paid $20+/hr - a good living wage for a skilled job. Warehouse work does not require a CDL. It is not skilled - any yahoo can walk in off the street and fill out an application for warehouse work. But to be a driver requires skill, experience, licensing, and documentation.Â
 @DT Sure, but the slight difference is that all reality shows are complete drivel, but only SOME sitcoms are complete drivel and most are just stupid.Â
People need to chill out. Private businesses have labor issues. Nothing new. Just because these people want to be paid a little bit more doesn't mean you should demean them and ridicule them.Â
 @lakeview I agree. This is a labor dispute between a private company and its private employees. It's the public unions that should be prohibited from collective bargaining.
@lakeview I am not ridiculing them I think this is funny that this strike is going to hurt the hippies from the 60's who eat organic and the want a be greeners who think Organic is so much better for you Now they have to step down and eat the same food we do. hahaha!
@wynooheeman you know what, it may be hurting those so called "hippies" but you know who else is is hurting THE 165 workers and there families 2 weeks before christmas. these people were not asking to be at the top pay percentage they just want fare wages for the work they do to bring the company millons of dollars!! what you read on the news is not always true!!!
 @choliscott  @BLT The warehouse workers did, not the drivers. Most of the union was not even notified that a vote was being taken.
@BLT Who exactly chose for them to strike 2 weeks before Christmas?
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funny how 50k plus benifits is not enough but no one will say what they make or how good the benifits are and i am in 117
@armor Of course not. They complain on how many millions the CEO makes, but fail to mention how much work he/she had to do, to get that position.
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If they were given the opportunity, they say don't want to, but complain
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and no i didn't say all of them
It not about how much others make - that is irrelevant. It's about how much are YOU worth the YOUR company, compared to the cost of *replacements*.
Thank you Unions for helping send all of us over the fiscal cliff! If you don't like your job then go get another one! Unions are just another big greedy monster that says we know better than you, will take care of you and can syphon the greedy company that is feeding your big fat yapper! Â
 @ashell  Another brainwashed old fool.  The problem is NOT the unions which allow people to make what is actually a living wage now, in light of the costs for food, housing, school, medical care, and utilities.  That is NOT the problem.  The problem is the corporations in America.  I saw a job yesterday, asking for someone with an engineering background to assist customers via phone, on complex computer issues.  Want to guess the pay? with no benefits??  $9.50 an hour.  Who the hell can live on that?  Who can raise a family even on $16.00 an hour now?  The wages have stagnated, while the number of extreme wealthy has skyrocketed in America.  In America, the average CEO makes 475X the wage of the average employee, compared to 18x or 20x in nearly every single industrialized country in the world.  Seriously, not ONE other country is even in the hundreds...  it's all in America.  So this BS about this "plunging us off the fiscal cliff" is first WRONG, do you even understand that what term means?  It's the Republicans in Congress allowing tax cuts for the average worker, and other things that benefit the economy, to fall over a cliff in order to PRESERVE tax cuts on people like the Walton heirs, who are paying a nano-fraction of what they would have paid even in the 80s under Reagan.  You know, when we actually had school funding, and adequate police and fire, and libraries, and job training???  Yeah.  That.   So stop the ridiculous Fox News tactic if trying to blame the unions for the "fiscal cliff" when you obviously don't understand it.Â
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Just amazes me that you guys would sit around blasting American workers, when American corporations and vulture capitalists, are trashing American companies, putting millions of Americans out of work, in favor of sending the jobs to death trap operations in Bangladesh, or lame-ass call centers in India (yes, Microsoft, I'm talking to you!)  WHY??  SO that their top execs and top investors and vulture capitalists can wrench every last dollar out of the company.   It amazes me to see the economic ignorance here on these boards, every day.  You blame the workers for wanting a decent wage???  You want them to work for  $16.00 an hour so that the guys like Mitt Romney and the Koch Brothers can buy another estate while sending jobs to China????  WHy not just send all the jobs over there? Then America can become the republican billionaire's dream:  Haiti.  I would wish that your job would be shipped overseas to someone willing do do it for $1.00 a week, but I imagine guys like you are retired, and living on "entitlements" and "socialized" medicine. Â
 @DT  @ashell Some of the richest, most blatant "exploiters" of the workers are Big Dem supporters.
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By the way, the Koch brothers employ about 50,000 here in the US. Of course, those Obama pals at MS, Google and Apple, wouldn't THINK of shipping jobs to China. Friggin' hypocrites. All of you.
 @DT You'll never get through to them.
 @DT  @ashell So, do you shop sales, or do you always pay full price? If you shop sales, then YOU are saying you understand that you should not have to pay more than necessary for a good or service.
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Corporations are in the same position when shopping for labor. Why are corporations off-shoring? Because LOCAL labor is to expensive for what it's worth, in many cases, because of unions, minimum wages laws, and regulation. You want to keep jobs here? Then make it profitable to create, keep, or move them here! Make them non-competitive, and the companies that provide jobs will fold, move, or quit hiring. Simple econ 101. Companies are suppose to make a profit, not run a jobs programs.
 @RN1  @MoonDragonWitch  @DT  @ashell The Big Irony, RN1, is that their Pension DEPENDS on profits of those Big Mean Corporations to fund their retirement. I have always encouraged a healthy private sector in order to pay for my upcoming (sometime next decade, barring we get past 12/21) PERS2 retirement.
 @MoonDragonWitch  @DT  @ashell And where does the money for expansion or coverage for a "rainy day" come from, hmmm? Profits! Small profits means that the money can be better invested / employed / deployed elsewhere. Profits are a GOOD thing, contrary to your government-school education.
 @MoonDragonWitch  @RN1  @DT  @ashellÂ
"Top quality work?"
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 Yes, those American cars in the '70's and '80's and '90's were prime examples of Union made quality.
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 "Hey, you guys wanna go to the park and get lit up on our lunch hour?"
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If you want to "bring back" manufacturing here, how about exempting it from corporate taxes for 20 years?
 @RN1  @DT  @ashell Yet despite all that the company is raking in RECORD profits. I could see them looking for cheaper labor if they were actually hurting, but most of these places aren't, they just want to triple their profits and screw over the people who do the actual work. Also, cheaper isn't always better, just look at the defects and issues with products coming out of some of these countries. Sad to think that we used to be a top manufacturing country, with top quality work, but companies got greedy and moved overseas for cheaper, substandard labor.
 @RN1  @DT  @ashell You and your pesky "Econ 101."
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And why is it the Blue People call for increased wages while simultaneously favor importing surplus, unskilled labor?
 @ashell Well Stated.
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Bad timing. They're easily replaced. In addition to all the unemployed local drivers,  how many OTR (over the road/ long haul) drivers do you think are out there that are just itching to take these jobs? They'd love nothing more than a new job, home for the holidays and every night thereafter w/ their families.... and w/ a 2 day weekend.
 @bagsofdirt OTR drivers probably make more money than these drivers do. First I think these drivers just use pickups or vans to deliver so I'm guessing they only make $10 an hour or so. Can't raise a family on that, can't even hardly keep a roof over a single person's head for that. OTR drivers can make $60,000 a year before they expenses if they know how to play the game.
 @Blindman  @bagsofdirt WRONG. It was the warehouse workers that voted for the strike. The drivers drive TRACTOR-TRAILER trucks - they are skilled workers, and are paid $20+/hr.Â
My husband works for this company - in a non-union DC - and we have no complaints, They treat us well.
My husband also did OTR - and we were lucky to make $1,600/mo less taxes. It's hard to live on that...and he was gone all the time. It put an unbelievable strain on our marriage.
 @bagsofdirt Most OTR's are OTR for a reason, The pay is way better. Don't think many of them would trade that for a local route.
@DarkParty Um, no, you are factually incorrect. Not to mention that an otr driver is literally on the job 24/7, works 12-16 hrs/day (despite log books). And lives in a box w/ a small duffel bag of stuff, never getting home for a minimum (average) of 3-4 weeks.
 @DarkParty  @Rockberry OTR is very hard on families. Those guys (and gals) LIVE in their trucks. Often, owner-ops would love to take a local route - but they CAN'T, because of the MONEY PIT they call a truck. Metal shavings in the oil pan? Can't afford a new engine? Tough luck, buddy - it's headed for the scrapyard. Also, they often have to pay for their own medical insurance  - which isn't cheap. They can't cut a deal like someone that works for a local company.
Where does my experience come from? I and my husband LIVED it. It's not easy for two people to survive on $1,600/mo less taxes. It put an unbelievable amount of strain on our marriage.Â
 @DarkParty I was a diesel mechanic.... Freightliners... OTR makes more money.... Takes more effort thus creating more pay.....
 @Rockberry Where does your experience come from? And yes I did know what my OTR Driver's were thinking, most of them came once a week, And I knew them very well.
 @DarkParty The pay is not way better. In fact the pay is the same or less and you're away from home most of the time. Even if the pay was way better, you're still away from home most of the time and living in a box like 'bags' said. What kind of life is that? Plus, working in a warehouse for 11 years doesn't mean you know what these OTR drivers are thinking when it comes to their career.
 @bagsofdirt Funny, I worked in a warehouse that that received both local and OTR, And not one of the OTR's was ever looking for a local route. (11 Years) How am I factually incorrect?