It’s tough times for everyone

Gabe Houston

Regarding “Hitting Home” (Oct. 16) in last week’s issue concerning

the supermarket strike, I think it is time to prescribe a dose of

reality to the striking workers. The most striking quote from last

weeks’ article was that from Susan Rakarich. “We all have families,”

Rakarich said. “We’re not asking for anything, we just want to keep

what we have. All we want is to keep it the same.” Welcome to western

capitalism, Rakarich. Everyone wants to keep what they have when they

have an economic advantage. Take a look at the past three years in

America alone. I personally am a victim of a declining market in my

own industry. If I could have it back the way it was, I would take it

in a heartbeat. But I can’t. Neither can the members of the United

Food and Commercial Workers Union. Markets change and only those

firms that can adjust to market volatility can afford to stay in

business. Nothing is stagnant in corporate America and the foundation

of capitalism depends on innovation to compete. Your job, Rakarich,

is no different than the rest of ours.

Today’s use of automation promotes the ability for the supermarket

to easily and quickly replace many of the striking workers. In fact,

barring their return to service, we all should support this position.

I would rather the corporation pay their worker’s the fair market

wage of today and keep all of our grocery prices as competitive as

possible. Maybe we should ask the former produce-clerk from Alpha

Beta or Lucky’s what their opinion on this strike is? Would they have

taken a fair market wage in return for their company’s continued

existence? I fear a world where Wal-Mart is my only selection. I fear

monopolistic pricing and practices much more than a relatively minor

wage adjustment. As for the argument for health care coverage, once

again, welcome to the new world order. In case nobody has noticed,

the cost of healthcare has risen over the past 24 months for all who

currently have coverage! Costs have risen and coverage has declined

as a result of poor financial market performance. Forcing the

supermarkets to flip the bill and continue antiquated coverage

policies and premiums will surely force them out of business. Or

worse, will force them to keep prices higher than their competition

leading to a slow and painful demise.

I think the past week has proven more than enough time to settle

their dispute. My preference would be for the workers to return to

their jobs. However, should the need arise, the supermarkets should

feel free to hire, on a full time basis, those temporary workers who

willfully replaced the picketers. In today’s economy there are an

absence of jobs and an abundance of worker’s willing to take work at

the fair market wage. I applaud the decision of the supermarkets to

lock-out the workers who threatened mass strike against the

corporation. I cringe at the fact that they then hired an attorney to

sue based on being locked out for failing to give workers advance

notice of the lockout. Our litigious society has gotten out of hand.

People need to learn to take responsibility for their actions and

maybe the striking members of the union should take a hard look at

standing in line. Pretty soon they could be standing in line for an

unemployment check or possibly some food stamps. Who do they think

they were collecting food stamps from all those years? They were

collecting them from people much like their future selves. The only

difference is those people never chose to be out of work.

* GABE HOUSTON is a Huntington Beach resident. To contribute to

“Sounding Off” e-mail us at [email protected] or fax us at (714)

965-7174.