Amber Sparks

Grocery Workers Speak Out on Health Care

Ask any American about their concerns, and health care will probably come in somewhere near the top of their list. It's no secret that health care in this country is in critical condition, and that the number of Americans without health care coverage is steadily increasing.

United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) members have been on the front line for years, fighting for quality, affordable health care for all Americans. But their companies are steadily ratcheting down wages and benefits, claiming that competition with Wal-Mart and other non-union retailers has rendered them powerless to do otherwise. Grocery workers are being forced to choose between health care coverage and paying for rent, food, and other necessities.

In yesterday's post, I gave some background on the situation with Kroger workers' contract negotiations in North Carolina. Today, I'd like to let the workers do the talking. Meet Khadeeja Mulland and Nina Tilley, of UFCW Local 204 in North Carolina. Nina has been with Kroger for 12 years, and Khadeeja for nine. I talked with them about rising health care costs, wage increases, and Kroger's attacks on health care in North Carolina during ongoing contract negotiations.

What do you see as the biggest problem with the proposals that Kroger has made so far?

Khadeeja: Kroger claims that we're getting increased wages and a modest contribution. But what they fail to mention is that our contribution will be over half of our wage increase, and that's not even keeping up with the cost of inflation. And I'm lucky--I'm single. I can't imagine how people with a family will pay for the increased contributions.

Nina: Sure they're proposing this wage increase, but it's not even enough to cover what you have to pay extra, just for the health care. I don't have to worry about it, because I'm retiring next year. But I'm going to fight for all of these younger folks, who've got children and families and won't be able to afford to take their kids to the doctor.

How do you think these things affect the community?

Nina: A lot of people work at Kroger, and if they can't afford the health insurance, that's a lot of people that can't afford health insurance, a lot of families without it.

Khadeeja: It's unfortunate that cutting wages and benefits is such a growing trend, because more and more of your neighbors, community members, work in retail jobs like Kroger. Retail jobs are some of the fastest growing in the whole country. And Wal-Mart has pushed the envelope in cutting health care, in cutting wages, so other retailers follow suit. It hurts everybody.

What do you think it will take to get Kroger to agree to a fair and equitable contract?

Nina: I think Kroger will agree when they see the support we have all over the country.

Khadeeja: Kroger will agree because all of us, community and workers, are standing up to corporate greed across the board, and we will win.

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Posted at 10:01 AM, Sep 21, 2006 in Labor
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