Life on the line

Mike Swanson

Laguna Beach supermarket employees continue to struggle through a

strike that hit the 30-day mark on Tuesday, with some adding

part-time jobs at other grocery stores to stay financially afloat.

Despite their decreased incomes, strikers have no intention of

stopping without a deal that their union is happy with, said Susan

Bottassi, picket captain and 20-year Pavilions veteran.

“We’re in this until the bitter end,” Bottassi said. “We’re

fighting for working families and we intend to win.”

Bottassi and others are getting by on supplemental income provided

by the United Food and Commercial Workers union, which she said is

significantly less than her regular paychecks. She plans to continue

working as a full-time picket captain until she and her co-workers

receive contracts that include adequate health benefits and

retirement.

Some at the store, however, have taken part-time holiday jobs at

Costco, Stater Bros. and Wild Oats, Bottassi said, and others are

looking for extra work.

Brian Bible, a supervisor who’s worked at Pavilions for nine

years, started a part-time job at Costco on Wednesday, but will

continue working picket shifts as well.

“[Picketing] is the toughest job I’ve ever had,” Bible said. “It’s

not fun. I’m aggravated, frustrated and something needs to be done.

I’ve never been involved in something like this before, and it’s gone

on much longer than I expected.”

Bible echoed Bottassi’s sentiments that despite the difficulty, he

has no intention of stopping without the right deal.

“What they’re trying to do is break our union, and that’s just not

going to happen,” Bible said. “I don’t think 71,000 strikers can be

wrong.”

Talks began between supermarket officials, union representatives

and a federal mediator on Monday, Bottassi said, which is a step in

the right direction.

“At least they’re talking,” she said.

The mediator released a statement on Wednesday, however, saying

they had called a recess on discussion.

“We’re offering a contract that is more than fair,” Vons

spokeswoman Sandra Calderon said. “The issue is the rising cost of

health care.”

Calderon said she couldn’t comment on how soon she expected the

strike to end at the request of the mediator, and added that all of

their stores have seen a steady increase in customers as the strike

has lengthened.

A 64-year-old Pavilions employee who asked not to be named said

she’s been disappointed in the demographics of those who regularly

cross the picket line.

“The ones that are crossing are old and don’t want to be

inconvenienced,” she said. “We like to see people of principle, not

of convenience.”

Strikers at Pavilions and Albertsons start their strike shifts at

7 a.m. and usually work in eight-hour shifts until 10 p.m.