Re: Strike One, Strike Two...

From: toughslush <meurtre_at_earthlink.net_at_hypermail.org>
Date: Sun, 26 Oct 2003 01:14:50 -0000

Um. Lenny. How exactly am I supposed to wrap my mind around
the idea that you are shopping at Gelson's, but "can't afford"
Trader Joe's, which is much cheaper? Gelson's is second only
to Bristol Farms in its high prices.

Also--have you looked into the teacher discount at the Pioneer
Bakery, which is about two feet from your front door? Twenty
percent, Baby. They have lovely bread, rolls, and breakfast
pastries.

> Living practically next door to Pavillions, you can imagine how
the market
> strike has affected me...I can hear the horns honking in
support of the
> picketers, and the strikers cheering back.
>
> Based on my friendly personal relations with the people at
Pavillions, and
> the fact that I am a member of a union myself, there is NO WAY
IN HELL I
> will cross a picket line.

I would if I had less sympathy for the union position, as I do with
the MTA strike. I think they are out of line, and it kills me that they
are punishing the working poor with what they are doing.

But WRT the grocery strike, I'm with the workers. I think
management is trying to get them to give up too much. (It's not
simply, as I understand it, a matter of having them kick in a few
bucks for health insurance.)

> I have been doing most of my shopping at Cook's Family
Market in Pt. Dume
> where several of my kids work) and Gelsons in Pacific
Palisades, neither
> affected by the strike, and both on the way home from work.
>
> Sorry, but the Trader Joe's and Wild Oats places are too
expensive. Also, it
> seems that those specialty stores are great for exotic parties,
but totally
> impractical for everyday stuff...( as someone said...Have you
ever tried to
> buy Tide at Trader Joe's.? )

Well, if you must have the Tide brand soap, then you are SOL,
but I rarely buy the name brands of anything, and I'm not brand
loyal anyway. Trader Joe's has its own brand of laundry
detergent which is environmentally sound--and cheaper than the
name brands.

What I wonder is whether the Big Three supermarket chains
realized we'd all figure out we could get along without them. They
may think they can afford to do without us for a month, but how
many of us are discovering even more places--ethnic markets,
farmers markets, local butchers/ bakeries and so forth--that will
serve our needs, often at lower prices?

I think they are taking a big gamble. Though I have to admit I'm
always re-balancing among price, convenience, and quality.

--Q.M.
Received on 2003-10-25 18:14:55