At age 16, the first actual job I held was as a neighborhood box boy at a Von's Market in west Los Angeles. The work was good, the pay was great and the hours were flexible.
How Did It Get This Good?The only hitch--it was a "union shop," which meant I was required to join the Retail Clerks union and pay something called "dues." I originally thought this was like a tax, just to work there. Good hourly wages,
an 8-hour day, a 40-hour workweek with overtime pay at time and a half.
Yeah! Pretty good deal for a kid in the go-go, mid-1960's. I never gave it much thought then, but I learned later the
simple working conditions I took for granted were the result of nearly a hundred years of American workers' efforts to achieve them. Many were beaten, run out of their homes and
some were murdered.
The grocery strike of last year--the largest in history--brought all this into perspective for me. It’s only when the going gets tough, do we see who we really are. Did you respect the striking workers by shopping elsewhere? Did you think about it? Do you think unions get results for their members?
Price To Be Paid When Fighting For RightsI read letters to the editor complaining of the inconvenience brought about by the strike. But I also read letters praising the courage of those willing to stand up for their position. Clerks and box persons were outside the door holding signs and explaining why they were on strike for some 140 days. These workers lost real income and endured personal hardship.
What was the inconvenience for me? I changed my shopping habits and learned something new. My significant other and I tried to shop at Lompoc stores not involved in the strike, a difficult goal to achieve. Foods Co (Kroger) has a current labor agreement, so we shopped there.
As I paid attention to the story in the papers, Internet and tv, I learned Kroger also owns Ralphs, one of the stores that locked out employees. Hmmm.
Whatever happened to the mom-and-pop grocery store of my youth? Gobbled up by bigger competitors, who merged and formed even larger corporations, which try to trim overhead expenses. Now, these companies wanted to cut their share of employee health care costs.
Why Unions ExistJust what could a single person say to the "boss" of a company that size? Not much. Only by banding together can workers--in a union--get the clout that gets attention at a bargaining table. They also get results for the membership, who approved a new contract.
Since Labor Day last year, I have had two part-time jobs, for which I am very grateful. Each one is a learning experience about the job requirements and about myself. It may not be fair, but a man often judges his own self-worth by whether he's employed or not. Work well done provides its own dignity.
I hear two songs from my dj days: "
Salt of the Earth" by the Rolling Stones from their 1968 Beggars Banquet lp, and "Working for a Living" by Huey Lewis.
Next year, while the sun shines on the first Monday of September and the barbeque burgers are sizzling, these tunes will be on the boombox at the park when we celebrate "Labor Day." I’ll raise "my glass to the hard working people" and give three cheers for the salt of the earth.
It was what could be called a small birthday party, but it meant more to me than ever. In fact, all birthdays mean more to me than they ever have.
My sweetie, Deborah, planned a great party with my sister Margo, Deb's friend Carla and my two other buddies, Mark and Jim (whom I have known for 35 years).
