We've talked a bit about the supermarket strike at work. The pile of undelivered market packages is steadily growing. It made me curious to see what the whole thing is about.
Supermarket workers in Southern California average about $12 to $14 and average 30 hours a week. Under the employers' proposal, after three years, an average worker would earn about $12.30 an hour, that's $369 a week before taxes are taken out or about $19,173 a year. In order to maintain their current level of benefits an employee would have to pay:
$40 per week during the first year of the contract.
$70 per week during the second year of the contract.
$95 per week during the third year of the contract.
The $15/week co-pay being offered to the union workers is for benefits worse than Brendi gets now. Yep, that's bad. The employers' cuts in health care benefits would mean new and current employess would have to pay $95 per week ($412/month, $4,940/year) in the final year to maintain their current benefits .
That amounts to nearly 25% of their yearly income before taxes.
The crazy part is combined operating profits for these conglomerates have gone up 91% since 1998. Can you imagine making 91% more than you did 5 years ago? If you made $8 per hour then, you'd be making over $17 per hour now. Not a bad raise, eh?
Even though health care has gone up, profits for the employers have increased ten times faster than health care costs.
New hires get the shaft with $1.35/hour max toward benefits throughout the life of the agreement.
Oh yeah, 85% of eligible union members voted. 97% voted to strike. If only my union could be that active.
Hell, imagine if 85% of registered voters actually voted? What would the country be like now?