Questioning Analysts’ Influence on Grocers

So stock analysts are egging on the supermarkets’ effort to push their workers from the middle class into the ranks of the uninsured working poor, most likely setting off a chain of wage and benefit cuts as “Wal-Mart-ization” spreads across the country (“Wall Street Is Chains’ Not-So-Silent Partner,” Dec. 22).

Have they thought about the possibility that rising health-care costs and large increases in the number of uninsured Americans will hasten the day when employers and voters both demand some form of national health insurance?

Some of us don’t consider that a bad thing, but I doubt that Wall Street would agree.

Jeanne T. Black

Culver City

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The grocery market industry has changed. No longer can stores and their employees expect an easy and comfortable collaboration.

The aggressive competition from non-union chain operations forces the major food retailers to alter their compensation packages and the way they do business. Albertsons Inc., Safeway Inc. (parent of Vons and Pavilions) and Kroger Co. (parent of Ralphs) have faced the reality that without these changes they will be replaced and the jobs they provide for union workers will disappear as well.

Grocers have accepted reality. The investment community understands the new forces in the market.

It’s time for the unions to realize that too and accept reality.

Robert M. Brower

Irvine

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So Wall Street analysts are supporting the supermarket chains’ efforts to win wage and benefit savings from their union employees.

I look forward to when Wal-Mart Stores Inc. goes into the stock analysis business and seeks to force the same kind of concessions on that profession.

Maybe then the geniuses on Wall Street will change their selfish, short-sighted views. Wake up, America. The majority’s quality of life is being threatened by a minority’s endless pursuit of increasing the bottom line.

Do we really want to be a Third World economy?

Scott Herbertson

Burbank