Rite Aid Workers Urged to Back Strike Authorization

Rite Aid workers throughout Southern California, including those in the Los Angeles Westside and South Bay, were urged Thursday to reject their employer’s latest contract proposal and authorize union leaders to call a strike.

“A strong vote against the proposals will give union leaders authority to call a strike if a labor action becomes necessary to negotiate a fair contract with Rite Aid,” said a United Food and Commercial Workers statement.

Rite Aid workers represented by the UFCW will gather at dozens of locations between Kern County and the Mexican border through Monday to learn about Rite Aid’s proposals, then vote on whether to accept them, the statement said, accusing Rite Aid of seeking 34 concessions, including “devastating cuts in health care benefits.”

“A vote to reject the proposals and authorize a strike would push Rite Aid’s management toward negotiating an agreement the workers can ratify,” it said.

Results of the voting will be announced on July 31, according to marketwatch.com.

The call for a rejection of the company’s proposal was directed at workers represented by seven UFCW locals—local 1442 (Santa Monica, Westwood, El Segundo and South Bay); local 1428 (Pomona and Claremont area); local 324 (Orange County and Long Beach area); local 1167 (Inland Empire); local 135 (San Diego and Imperial Counties); local 770 (Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Ventura and Los Angeles Counties); and UFCW 8-Golden State (Northern and Central California, plus Kern, Inyo and Mono counties).

Rite Aid posted a $28.1 million loss on $6.46 billion in revenues in Q2 of this year, compared to a $63.1 million loss on $6.39 billion in revenues for Q2 of 2011, according to the San Diego Daily Transcript.

—City News Service contributed to this report.