Well, this is fun:
As we’ve followed the buildup to the present labor dispute between King Soopers, Safeway and Albertson’s stores and their United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) employees, we’ve taken an interest in technological and other developments since the last big strike that might change the game. In particular, we’ve found the efforts of a local liberal advocacy group to inform consumers about alternative shopping locations they can patronize in the event of a strike to be rather innovative–as we’ve said we can’t predict what the outcome will be, but ubiquitous dissemination of information online is a factor that didn’t exist back in 1996.
[...]
Those retailers, according to an early view of the group’s website locator map, tend to be stores where unions are not represented, such as Target, Costco and Whole Foods.
So as a defense of the union (and the picket line), they are directing shoppers to go to non-union stores instead, with some number potentially shifting their shopping habits in the long term (perhaps due to the lower price or the lack of union bullshit hassles). Sure, it could make the particular store chains see the risk and concede, on the other hand, it could convince them that the best strategy is to not have unions.
Listen, I know the valuable role unions have played and still could play, but as often as not they just come off completely tone-deaf or ridiculous. I mean, we are in the midst of a major recession with sky-high unemployment. All those with no jobs are not likely to be very sympathetic to those who do have jobs whining because of this or that benefit.
No comments:
Post a Comment