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Fresh&Easy touts itself as a neighborhood market with affordable groceries (gasp! how un-American). One of the ways that Fresh&Easy maintains low prices is a non-union work force and an all self check-out procedure for payment. Caring little that folks have a low cost alternative for groceries, the grocery related unions have found a shill in Fiona Ma (D-SF) to launch AB183 which would ban alcohol sales through self-checkout stands. If adopted, this piece of legislation would effectively ban Fresh&Easy from selling alcohol and give the unions leverage in their efforts to get Fresh&Easy to “go union.” This move has been tried by the unions twice before, but with a liberal like Governor Brown in power they evidently think it is worth another try.
I hate Fresh and Easy.
I went to the new one that opened by Triangle Square in Costa Mesa. First off the “Fresh” part, everything is processed. They have these pre-made meals that aren’t big enough to feed my family, and God knows when they were prepared.Then you have a section in the cooler that had “mark downs” on meat and other items. It looked like my fridge when I clean it out and throw everything away and THEY WERE SELLING IT.
Now the “Easy” part. They don’t stock the shelves they just open the cases and stack them on the racks. At the end you have to use the self checkout, which is always fun behind senior citizens and immigrants with children.I guess it’s Easy if you work there, you don’t have to do anything.
These stores suck……they’re not going to be around long enough to “unionize”. They’re losing money hand over fist and the British company that is trying to put them in more locations than Starbucks is going to be hitting the wall some time soon.
gericault. The British are really into small portion sizes. Hence, the probable reason behind the mini meals in their refrigerated section. Watch Gordon Ramsay’s show “Kitchen Nightmares” some time and see how he blows a fuse over oversized portions and wasted food.
LOL
So Geoff, unions are un-American, then, according to your twisted logic. Have you any sense of history — about coal mines, sweat shops, child labor, workplace injuries, etc.?
Of course a non union work force means (sometimes) lower prices. That’s apparently some sort of Utopia for you, right? The race to the bottom in which all common folk make minimum wage, and no benefits. The corporate executive pay keeps on going up and up — what a country! And you like it!
Unions are not anti-American in the private sector. I think that unionism FORCED on the private sector by government is socialistic rather than capitalistic. I also feel that there is little need for public sector unions where the counterpressure of profitability does not keep the unions in check.
They may be out there, but I would love to hear about ANY examples where a union work force produces a less expensive product that a non union work force.
That last sentence of yours. Should that really be our overriding concern – how cheaply products can be sold – at the expense of the livelihood of American workers, environmental factors, etc?
I was responding to Rapscallion’s comment that a “non union work force means (sometimes) lower prices.” I am not aware of any time when non union meant more expensive. Yes, I think tha the cost of the product is a serious concern for most Americans who are working to make ends meet and for whom every dollar of lower prices makes a difference.
I’d rather shop at 7-11 or AM/PM than a Fresh and Easy. It has nothing to do with their workforce. The selection is scant to say the least.
If it really matters, I’d rather shop at a grocery co-operative. We had about 5 or 6 in the Cedar-Riverside area of Minneapolis where I used to live and their produce and meats (locally grown and raised before that became the uber-chic thing among hipsters and wanna be gourmands) were far superior to the big name stores. Plus, there was a greater equity when it came to distribution of profits among the workers and members which made the need for workers to unionize unnecessary. Unfortunately, there are none of types of stores in Orange County. The closest one with any resemblance is Co-Opportunity in Santa Monica.
Or you can take the time and grow your own food. It’s a little bit of work, but the rewards are greater when it comes to your health and savings. Urban farming has become quite the rage in the Bay Area. I’ve been doing it for a few months now and so far no visits from Boss Agran’s stormtroopers.