North East Los Angeles

Community Strike Support Network

Co-Organized by UEPI and Silverlake/Echo Park Neighbors for Peace and Justice, the Community Strike Support Network worked to mobilize community members in support of the grocery workers during their 4 month long strike and lockout.

The Network organized two major rallies at area Vons and Albertsons, held screenings and distributed copies of the UFCW educational video about the strike and healthcare issues, encouraged Working Assets to develop an online petition in support of striking grocery workers, passed out educational materials at farmers' markets and other public events, and hosted a post-strike forum entitled, "After the Strike, What's Next? Labor, Wal-Mart and Halthcare in LA." The forum featured Josh Kamensky, Field deputy for Councilman Eric Garcetti, speaking on the Wal-Mart resolution in the City Council; John Grant, Vice-president of UFCW 770, speaking on the recent supermarket strike; Doris Isolini Nelson, Director, Health Care For All, speaking on SB921 (Healthcare for All Californians Act); Abbey Hudson, Organizer, Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees (HERE) speaking on upcoming contract negotiations.

Following the stike, UEPI released a report, Thinking Outside the Big Box: Food Acess, Labor, Landuse, and the Wal-Mart Way, that touched on some of the issues such as healthcare and the pressure of megacorporations like Wal-Mart that surfaced during the strike.

Students from Eagle Rock High School and Occidental College support the grocery strike.