Grocery Strike Averted
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If members of the United Food and Commercial Workers ratify a tentative deal, Ralph's, Vons, Albertson's and 54,000 employees will have dodged a bullet. Picket signs had been handed out before the agreement was reached this morning. We hear how the last strike and walkout changed the grocery business back in 2003 and 2004. What do the grocers have in common with GM, Ford and Chrysler? Also, why nobody knows how much cheating by teachers goes on in California public schools. Is it a consequence of accountability? On our rebroadcast of today's To the Point, how secure is Social Security?
Banner image: NAACP members participating in the NAACP's 102nd annual national convention join a rally in front of Ralphs grocery store on July 27, 2011 in Los Angeles. The delegates marched in a show of support for workers who are in contract negotiations and threatening to strike Southern California's three major grocery chains. Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
Main Topic
Grocery Workers Are Still on the Job ()
The grocery strike won't happen, assuming that union members ratify a tentative settlement reached this morning. Fifty-four thousand workers is more than the Bank of America is laying off nationwide, but it's the number who would be walking picket lines in Southern California if the United Food and Commercial Workers failed to make a deal with Ralphs, Vons and Albertsons.
Guests:
- P.J. Huffstutter: Los Angeles Times
- David M. Smith: Pepperdine University
Links:
Reporter's Notebook
State Doesn't Look for Cheaters on Standardized Tests ()
California schools and teachers are graded by the Academic Performance Index. Statewide, 22 schools have had test scores thrown out this year, two in LA Unified, because of irregularities, including cheating by teachers. It appears that the schools turned themselves in, and that's good as far as it goes, because it turns out that a budget cut eliminated the state team that used to analyze test scores to catch the cheaters. The cut, made in 2009, was $105,000.
Guests:
- Corey Johnson: California Watch
- Steve Addicott: Caveon Test Security
Links:
Main Topic
How Secure is Social Security? ()
Rick Perry has made Social Security a "white hot" political issue once again. In his deficit reduction speech today, President Obama said Social Security will have to be part of some future package -- but not right now. We hear about the financial and political security of the New Deal's most popular legacy.
Guests:
- David Lightman: McClatchy Newspapers, @LightmanDavid
- Frank Newport: Gallup Poll, @galluppoll
- Max Richtman: National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare
- Stephen Moore: Wall Street Journal
Links:
- Trustees' reports on the status of Social Security, Medicare
- Bernie Sanders' proposal to strengthen Social Security
- Lightman on Perry and Social Security
- Gallup on Republicans' views of Perry and Social Security
- NCSSM on Social Security, Medicare not being cause of federal deficit
- WSJ on neither Perry nor Romney helping the cause of Social Security reform
Underwriters
Which Way L.A.? is made possible in part by the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation, the Nathan Cummings Foundation, and the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation, which supports study and research into policy issues of the Los Angeles region.
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