Catherwood LibraryILR School

The United Food and Commercial Workers Union locals of Southern California, broke and in disarray only a few years ago, have come back to life with a vengeance. In 2004, the Union was forced to give heavy concessions and instead of falling apart, chose to view the chaotic strike, lock-out and subsequent losses as a wake-up call. Over the last year and a half, the union has won back most of the concessions they were forced to make after the disastrous strike, and have negotiated contracts for workers at two dozen Southern California supermarkets. The Union?s next plan is to organize workers at the British company ?Fresh and Easy Neighborhood Market,? which plans to have 200 stores open by February. The Union believes unionization at the stores would be a high profile victory, as well as conducive to furthering progress in Southern California.