Hundreds of workers at Rite Aid’s
distribution center in San Pedro, Calif., won a new contract May 1.
If approved by union members, new workplace safety measures will be
instituted limiting the company’s ability to force employees to
work in heat that exceeds 100 degrees F or perform tasks at a
dangerously fast pace.
Paul Olney of the International
Longshore and Warehouse Union attributed the victory to
“Perseverance, national networking, and mobilizations.”
(labornotes.org, May 6) During the negotiations, demonstrations were
held in dozens of cities across the country during several national
days of action in solidarity with Rite Aid workers. The company is
also facing a strike by store employees in Ohio that could spread
throughout the Midwest.
The achievements of the ongoing
struggle at Rite Aid demonstrate the power of working-class
solidarity and collective action. When workers are united and refuse
to give in, even multi-billion dollar corporations can be forced to
give up concessions.
