Supermarket Strike Cuts Food Donations to Needy

Hundreds of nonprofit agencies that provide food to hungry people are being squeezed by the Southern California supermarket strike-lockout stalemate, which has cut off much of the surplus food normally donated to charity by supermarket chains.

Lacking their normal corps of Teamsters Union drivers, the seven chains affected by the strike have stopped making most routine deliveries of surplus groceries to a network of large food banks that feed smaller agencies, according to a variety of food bank officials.

Mathew Packard, director of the San Diego Food Bank, which provides food to 170 member agencies, said the absence of donated deliveries from markets has decreased his organization’s food supplies by 20% to 30%. Packard said he believes the chains have stopped their donations not only because of a shortage of drivers, but also because a clogged retail distribution system has meant less food on shelves and thus less damaged food available for donation.

As a result, representatives of several nonprofit agencies said they are having to choose between providing fewer Thanksgiving food boxes or maintaining their level of service by buying retail.

A spokesman for the Food Employers Council, which represents the market chains, said that logistical problems caused by the strike have affected donations of surplus food. Spokesmen for Ralphs and Vons, two of the chains being struck, said surplus food was still being made available to groups that could pick it up.

Meanwhile, no future talks in the strike by 12,000 Teamster drivers and 10,000 members of the United Food & Commercial Workers, which represents meat cutters, were scheduled.

Both unions are on strike against Vons and are locked out at six other chains--Albertsons, Alpha Beta, Hughes, Lucky (Food Basket in San Diego), Ralphs and Safeway.