If the employees at the Big 3 go on strike, I will gladly heed the call, "clean up, aisle 3."
I had my job interview yesterday. The only question they asked me was, "Do you have a problem crossing the picket line with angry employees and customers." That was it. They'll take anyone with a pulse.
With an unemployment rate in CA of 12.1% (real unemployment in the 20s) for every person going on strike, there has to be 10 people ready and willing to do their job for less.
Why am I going to be a temp? I have some questions: Who are these Big 3 employees? What do they do that necessitates a union that the employees of Trader Joe's across the street DON'T do?
And who are the temp workers? Are they unemployed? Is this their second job? Why are they willing to work for $10 an hour with no benefits to replace someone who made $14 an hour with benefits?
I think the most interesting fact of the day is, according to the LA Times, in 2003 the Big 3 had a 60% market share in Southern California. Today, 23%. The Big 3 are nearly irrelevant as it is. If the unions keep increasing the price of labor so they don't make any profit, the stores will just leave completely and be replaced with Target and Sprouts and other non-union stores. We talked about this at 6:00 and 7:00:
http://media.worldnow.com/kfmbam/podcast/the_mike_slater_show_5382.mp3
http://media.worldnow.com/kfmbam/podcast/the_mike_slater_show_5383.mp3
The profit margin for SuperValu (Albertson's) last year was 0.67%. The profit margin for Safeway (Vons) was 1.43%*. And the unions keep telling us about greedy corporations? As if ONLY the corporations are greedy, right?
We talked at 8:00 about the TRUE purpose of business, and - contrary to popular belief - people don't go into business to employ people:
http://media.worldnow.com/kfmbam/podcast/the_mike_slater_show_5384.mp3
*For some perspective, the profit margin of Apple is 41.4%.
So, what do you think? Is this possible strike the fault of greedy corporations or greedy unions? And, (bonus question) I'll be probably be fired in a few days, but...for doing what?
