Advertisement

Not just acting like they care

Share

Jackson Bell

Adam Gregor doesn’t think twice about taking time off from work to

support fellow union members.

Gregor, a member of the Screen Actors Guild, left a movie set for

a couple of hours Thursday to protest what he calls “greedy

corporations” at a strike rally outside of Pavilions on West Alameda

Street.

“They’re trying to take [health] benefits away from people and not

give them decent wages,” he said. “Health care around the world is

not thought about. Here, we have to fight for it because people need

it.”

Celebrities including James Cromwell and SAG President Melissa

Gilbert were among an estimated 250 union members and others who

gathered to back members of United Food and Commercial Workers who

were on strike or locked out of their jobs.

Unions represented Thursday included Teamsters, American

Federation of Radio and Television Artists, Service Employees

International, and International Cinematographers. The event also

featured musical performances from Lowen & Navarro and members of

Quetzal.

“We are here to support the union and to send a message that

hundreds of thousands of union members in Southern California will

honor the picket lines,” Gilbert told onlookers. “We will not shop in

your stores until you treat them with respect and dignity.”

Juli Grillo, a member of UFCW Local 770, said she hoped the rally

would create better public understanding of what her union is

fighting for.

“A lot of people have this misconception that we don’t want to pay

for medical benefits, which is not true,” Grillo said. “We just want

what is fair.”

Marcus Hubbard, who a member of Teamsters Local 572 in Carson,

said the eight-week strike has been hard on grocery workers.

“I’m here to support the cause because we all go through the same

struggles, and we all need to support this,” Hubbard said.

Advertisement