Union steps back from senseless strike

United Food Commercial Workers has a lot of money because the labor union has a lot of members, more than a 1 million nationwide. But the union wields less political influence these days in large part because of some bad strategic decisions in the past few years. As a result, the union can do at least as much harm as good for the hard-working people it represents.

But the union finally came to its senses Friday and called off a pending strike against the Fry's and Safeway grocery in Arizona that already had generated a public backlash and could have ripped the union apart.

Grocery strike averted as workers consider deal

Unable to organize grocery workers at Walmart supercenters, the UFCW routinely opposes government approval for construction of new stores. Walmart usually opens these stores anyway, while the union has left a terrible taste in the mouths of people who believe it's wrong to interfere with a business' right to use private property and make money.

Unable to organize employees at the Chandler-based Bashas' grocery chain, the UFCW waged a nasty publicity campaign intended to drive customers away and punish the company economically. The outcome, of course, didn't benefit the union or its members as the company has closed stores and sought bankruptcy protection.

Unable to find an acceptable compromise, UFCW launched a strike in 2003 against Safeway in southern California that also invoked a lockout by two other groceries chains. The strike lasted months and created widespread resentment in a union-friendly state as many people were still struggling to recover from the 2001 recession.

A similar pattern seemed to be developing here in Arizona after UFCW members authorized a potential strike in September. The main sticking point in negotiations was whether newly hired grocery workers (not existing employees) would be required to pay from $5 to $15 out of every paycheck for health insurance premiums.

It was hard to fathom why UFCW would put 25,000 jobs at risk when so many neighbors are out of work or can't afford health care coverage at all. Some union members didn't understand it either, and held protests Monday to demand a new vote on whether a strike should take place. Meanwhile, Safeway and Fry's had signed an agreement to work together on labor issues and were ready to fill thousands of temporary positions if any strike occurred.

The UFCW claimed Friday it reached a deal with Fry's and Safeway in the middle of the night, and the details of which might not be disclosed for weeks. But we suspect the proposed contracts won't be much different from what the union had previously rejected. As the strike deadline loomed ever closer, UFCW leaders realized they were heading into a disaster of their own making, and found the wisdom to avoid it.