I’d really hate to stop patronizing the new Super Giant on Columbia Pike in Arlington, Virginia. I remember when they first opened and I asked one of the VP’s about the union at Giant. He actually sounded positive in his answer when he told me that all Giant’s were unionized.
There is a brewing conflict between the union local (UFCW Local 400) and Giant and Safeway management over getting a new contract in place. It seems that management doesn’t want to bargain in good faith.
Noting that the two supermarket chains control nearly 60 percent of the Washington, DC, area grocery market and earn healthy profits, McNutt said, “For the past 30 years, our members sacrificed to make Giant and Safeway the leaders in our area and now, all we ask is for the companies to share the fruits of our labor. In response, we get a boot heel on our back. But our members are standing tall. We will not bend or buckle no matter what management does.”
They’re trying to extract concessions when both companies seem to be doing rather well. As the current contract’s deadline approaches on March 31st; Giant and Safeway have begun to advertise for scab labor. UFCW Local 400 feels that they are trying to provoke a strike or lock these workers out.
The really weird thing is that they have begun to wage a terror campaign on employees who use social media. They have enacted a policy that disallows these employees from saying anything on social networks about their situation. Are they actively patrolling Twitter and Facebook?
When March 31st arrives, if there is no contract in place for these workers—I will have to shop elsewhere!
