Portland, Oregon
Portland New Seasons grocery workers carried out an all-day strike in 10 area stores on Sept. 1. A crowd of strikers and supporters kept the pressure on management, turning away customers on a normally busy shopping day. Strikers formed two moving picket lines, blocking both entrances to the parking lot which remained empty all day.
Brian Berry (second from the left) was told by New Seasons management last fall to remove his pro-Palestinian button while at work. The incident inspired an all-day strike which turned customers away and emptied out the parking lot. “Now, we wear our Palestinian pins daily without harassment.” Credit:WW photo: Lyn Neeley
Brian Berry, a representative of New Seasons Labor Union (NSLU), commented that striking workers were “getting overwhelming support from the community, the Union and customers, who pledged they won’t be shopping during the strike.”
Alex, another union representative, explained that this struggle for a contract and the “high energy strike was the result of fighting for two years.” Alex went on to say that because of the ongoing United Food and Commercial Workers strike at Portland area Fred Meyers stores, supporters were “confused, but after some explanation, they ended up finding it to be a fun coincidence [that they] were striking at the same time.”
Berry said: “The Union has a fight ahead of them. Management has so far refused to enter into a process of good faith bargaining. But workers remain optimistic.” Workers walked proudly and made it clear that they create New Season’s wealth and will not put up with their attempts to bust their organizing.