Workers Win Union with ILWU Despite Rite Aid Anti-Union Drive
18th March 2008
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The nearly 700 workers at Rite Aid’s distribution center in Lancaster, Calif., overcame a vicious two-year anti-union campaign to gain a voice on the job after voting for International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 26 last week.
The workers began seeking a union in 2006 to put an end to punishing production quotas and mandatory overtime piled on 10-hour shifts. They endure working in hot desert summers with no air conditioning in their work areas, and no job security.
Says Ignacio “Nacho” Meza, a member of the workers’ organizing committee at the warehouse:
I am so happy right now. We had to make sacrifices, but we showed that if we stand together, if we speak up, we can make changes for ourselves, our families and the people who come after us.
The workers prevailed despite Rite Aid's all-out effort to squash their organizing drive. For example, Rite Aid fired Meza in January 2007 for his support of the union, but rehired him six months later as part of a settlement with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The labor board charged Rite Aid with 49 labor law violations, including disciplining, demoting, suspending and firing union supporters; threatening that people would lose their raises if they voted for the union; and publicly disparaging union supporters. The company settled in May 2007 rather than go before an NLRB judge.
March 21st, 2008 at 8:54 pm
As an employee of the Rite Aid Distribution Center (Lancaster, CA.), the organizing committee wants to thank all of our new brothers and sisters who helped us out by showing us their support throughout all this. It has been a long 2 years and we came out victorious! With time, we hope to show those who opposed the Union that ILWU means “I Like Working Union!”
Some managers at Rite Aid are acting like sore losers…poor babies! They brought it on themselves by treating us like garbage, and they are now showing everybody that we were right! Even my 17 year old daughter asked me (when I was telling my wife about their recent attitudes), “Why are they having a temper tantrum?” Now I hear that THEY are afraid of who Corporate is going to blame for the Union winning the election…someone’s bound to get the axe.
It’s a new era here!!!! RIGHT ON!!!
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April 23rd, 2008 at 9:57 am
Right on brother Chico!! Congratulations to you and everyone else at Rite Aid for this Victory!
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