Regardless on how you feel about the Vons strike... read on. This week I just could not believe my ears! For fear of retaliation when the strike is over, I only go into the Vons, which I have been shopping at for over six years, to get my prescriptions filled. The first day I was there, the strikers were telling the customers that the pharmacy was closed! Not cool. It gets worse, much worse.

The next time I went in, a few of the pharmacy assistants came back to work to help the pharmacist (who was all alone the first time went in). After talking to her for a few minutes, I learned a few very disturbing things:

• All the people that work in the pharmacy are in the union, even though they are on a different contract, they are ruled by the same people.
• The pharmacists that decided the break the picket line and provide medicine to people like myself have to pay $100 per day fine!
• The assistant that spoke to had two choices, if she wanted to help the pharmacist, she either pay the $100 per day fine or sign away all her rights in the union. This means she cannot vote and they will not help her in any way during this period. Since she does not make all the much money and has a student loan bills to pay, she chose the latter. In addition, she might have to pay $200+ to get back into the union when this is all over! Huh?

I cannot believe any reasonable person would even think of denying any fellow American access to medication that in many cases is necessary for the health of that person. Well, this is that the union is doing. It seems with the fining of the pharmacy workers, they are discouraging them to work to provide this care. This is just unacceptable and should not be tolerated!

If I could afford it, I wish I could go purchase every worker at the pharmacy at the Vons where I live (there are only two pharmacies in my area) a dinner at Outback Steak House or something like that… just to show them that I care and appreciate everything they are doing for us.

Grocery Strike Talks. Nov. 10 - For the first time since contract talks broke off a month ago, striking workers and supermarket officials are meeting with a mediator.