Strikers out in the cold
By Jesse Phelps

It has gone from the late summer scorch to winter chills and still they stand on the cold sidewalks outside their erstwhile place of business, signs in hand.

Nearly six weeks into their stand, the striking Ojai Vons workers have coffee, a mascot and a utilitarian propane heater for these colder nights. There's a feeling of permanence about their circumstance, but they insist they believe things will eventually turn in their favor.

"We can see the light at the end of the tunnel," said Dawn Clark late Monday night, as she and her fellows huddled around the heater for warmth.

The strikers say it's difficult to subsist on the $225 per week, or in the case of courtesy clerks, or baggers, $125, that they are receiving from the union. Clark said that because her boyfriend works at Vons in Ventura and she has three kids to feed, the strike makes things even harder on her household.

Despite these concerns, the chill and the fact that it's been well over a month without solid steps forward, the strikers are making the best of the rough conditions. They even have a sense of humor about their predicament. Clark said she doesn't want to train any of her fellows to work the coffeemaker she brought because, since they don't know how, she's become indispensable in her new position.

"There's no coffee without Dawn. We don't know how to work it," said AdrianaOrtiz.

"This'll keep me around longer," said Clark.

The heater is another story. It's on every night, especially as the weather continues to turn toward the bitter. "It was brought in by one of night crew," said Clark. "They stay out here all night long and it gets very cold out here."

"We've got to wear layers of clothes," said Ortiz, who is attempting to raise two small girls on a combination of her striker's salary and a side job in photography.

Other strikers haven't been as lucky as Ortiz in their efforts to find supplementary employment, even temporary seasonal work.
"Some places that I have gone in and put applications in won't hire us because we are on strike," said Clark. "They don't want to hire striking people because they think thatwhen when the strike's over, we're just going to quit."

"I just haven't got called back on any of my applications," said Mitzi Everitt. "I've put out four."

And, they say, it's no picnic doing the work of a striker. A van the strikers said contains a constantly running surveillance setup is the lone vehicle parked on the Vons end of the lot on this night. It speeds away as it is approached with camera and voice recorder.

The strikers say there is no love lost between themselves and the scabs, or workers who have crossed the line, either. There have been harsh words "both ways," admits one of the strikers.
Samson is a large dogowned by striker Andy Zahn. The dog serves as the group's mascot, decked out in striker regalia. He's cute and friendly but vary big. One gets the sense that he's watching over and protecting the night shift from strange vans and strange folks.

"You don't feel totally safe. No one wants to stand around outside a store in the middle of the night," said one striker.
But things could be worse. Their spirits bolstered by thrice-weekly visits from union representatives and the hearty support of many in the community, the workers say they appreciate the good intentions exhibited by those around them.

"I want to tell the community thank you for all their support and there are angels out there and we could not do it without them," said Clark. "We need their support. It's getting to the holidays and ifpeople start coming in here and shopping, we're going to be out here until who-kowns-when. We appreciate all the support we're getting from everybody."

They say that there are "little groups" of people who cross the lines but that, for the most part, the flowinto the store has been minimal.

Lyn Beck is one shopper who has been taking her business elsewhere. She shops for a household of five people and several pets andsaid she misses the convenience of shopping at Vons, which is three blocks from her house.

"The grocery store is like my second home, I'm there so much," she said. These days she shops at Starr Market and, occassionally, Ralphs in Ventura.

Beck said she likes supporting the local grocer and recognizes the effort of Starr to stock more items at reasonable prices on its shelves. Beck said it's a tough issue but feels that if the strike ends, she'll return to Vons as her primary store.

At the Ojai Vons, a scab crew of less than a couple dozen has replaced a usual employee roster of over 100, say the strikers. And the stores, while receiving some stock from scab drivers who cross the lines, are getting emptier and emptier.

The union representatives, meanwhile, have been providing free groceries to the strikers, in addition to their morale-boosting visits.

"We need someone to keep us motivated," said Clark. For now, however, the strikers maintain a united front and a sense of optimism despite trying circumstances. "We're willing to do this, we believe in what we're doing," Clark said.

Zahn said she hopes the union succeeds, not just for the sake of the strikers, but for the sake of workers everywhere, union and non-union alike. "It's like they're trying to take candy away from a baby but they're not succeeding," said Zahn, who works in the Ojai Vons deli.

"They want the rich to be real, real rich and everybody else to be extremely poor. (The supermarket executives don't) want us to help people like Wal-Mart employees come up to a standard of living where they can actually feed their families and keep a roof over their heads."

Negotiations between the two sides began again on Tuesday with an independent arbitrator. "He took a break, was gathering information and he's bringing them all back to the table tomorrow," said Clark.

The strikers are hoping resolution comes soon. "I want it to stop," Clark said. "I don't want to be out here through the holidays. I don't want my kids to have nothing for Christmas."

© 2003 The Ojai Valley News

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