Greetings,

 On March 5th, the current contract between Southern California's grocery workers and major supermarket chains in the region expired. As negotiations continue, it is very important that all of us stand with the grocery workers. 

After the last lockout/strike, the supermarket employers forced a controversial "two-tier" program onto Southern California's grocery workers. This program pays workers hired after March1st 2004 cosiderably less than those hired before that date, and essentially eliminates health care and pension benefits. In fact, less than 8% of the 44,000 second tier workers have health insurance.

Now the UFCW and its members are trying to eliminate the "two-tier" system and get equal pay for all employees with fair benefits.

And they are making progress: in their negotiations with the fourth largest Southern California market chain Stater Bros, they signed a contract that eliminates the two tier wage and provides funding levels that would secure fair health insurance benefits.

Now they need our help to pressure Ralphs, Safeway, and SuperValu/Albertsons to do the same.

This is not just the grocery workers' fight: an assault on any employees by profit-hungry corporatons is an attach against all working people. Please go to http://oclabor.org/images/docs/ADOPT-form.doc to sign-up to adopt a store near you.