Rite Aid Workers in Coronado, SoCal Urged to Back Strike Authorization

Rite Aid workers throughout Southern California, 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.

In Coronado,  is located on Orange Avenue.

Rite Aid workers represented by the UFCW will gather at dozens of locations between Kern County and the 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, said Marketwatch.com. 

In San Diego, local 135 is meeting  Thursday at the UFCW Meeting Hall  in Mission Valley.

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 the Claremont area); local 324 (Orange County and Long Beach); 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).

According to the San Diego Daily Transcript: 

For the 13 weeks ended June 2, the drugstore chain posted a $28.08 million loss on $6.46 billion in revenues, atop a $63.08 million loss on $6.39 billion in revenues for the like quarter a year earlier.

The company’s stock was trading at $1.19-per-share in midmorning trading. The stock has ranged from 85 cents to $2.12 during the past 52 weeks.

— City News Service contributed to this report.