Posted by thebiggerpicture, a resident of the Old Mountain View neighborhood, on Nov 6, 2012 at 8:53 pm

Ok, I’ll be the first to post a comment; I have been shopping at the Mtn. View Nob Hill store since it opened. I like the Post Office, US Bank, Self Service check out, and Deli. What I don’t like is having to cross a “picket line” just to be able to use these services. So let’s take a small look at UFCW currently picketing there. According to this article, The UFCW has a $60 million strike fund setup for its 7,500 strikers and is paying them $200.0 per week, (or $5.0 per hr) which comes to 1.5 million per week for all the strikers.This will only last 40 weeks before the UFCW runs out of money; in those 40 weeks, there goes Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year, Birthdays, etc, all the way to 4th of July, 2013. Personally, I wish they go the 40 weeks and run out of money. During that time Nob Hill will have trained Non-Union employees and will start to lower their prices in time for the holidays. Then I hope the 7,500 strikers will go out and use there Butcher, Baker, Cashiering, Postal, etc skills to start their OWN small community business and take some of the customers that shopped at Nob Hill with them. In turn, this should help the strikers from feeling like victims and take charge of their OWN income, insurance, health, 401K, tax breaks, and retirement plans, and not be dependent on the UFCW to speak for them. That way the strikers will get the true American way of doing business in a free world. You never see the people who stand on the street corner “picketing”. Everybody wins, I love small personal businesses. Good Luck.

Posted by Won't Cross, a resident of the Cuesta Park neighborhood, on Nov 7, 2012 at 1:38 pm

I shopped at the MV NH store each and every weekend. I really enjoyed the experience. The atmosphere was very pleasant compared to Safeway and I became friends with the checkers and baggers...really nice and fun people. Hopefully they end the strike soon because as of now I'm not even activating my "Something Extra" rewards. Get to the bargaining table and BARGAIN. I on't cross a picket line made up of my friends.

Posted by claudiac1, a resident of another community, on Nov 7, 2012 at 7:25 pm

I think Nob Hill Foods has had a tradition of the Best employees for any grocery store chain. They are happy people and treat their customers with the highest respect. I have been shopping at Nob Hill Foods since I was a kid at the Morgan Hill Store, then in the 80's they opened the store in Watsonville. I started shopping there. I even worked there for 5 years. I can say that these stores make money, The Capitola store in the 90's made over 100k a week on a slow week. The stores in this area are full of customers, happy customers. But right now at the Watsonville Store they are lucky if they get 20 customers in 1 day. They are even closing at 8PM. I say, support these employees. They deserve to have their Holiday pay and their Sunday Pay. While we are home they are working. DONT CROSS THE PICKET LINES!

Posted by Steve, a resident of the Sylvan Park neighborhood, on Nov 8, 2012 at 8:36 am

Sorry to see the strike. I too use Nob Hill as my grocer of choice, due entirely to the friendly staff and pleasant shopping experience. But it's tough to be sympathetic with their plight, when they're being paid well for doing a basically simple job, on which they can readily be replaced. The union tactic of 'give us what we want, or we'll ruin your business' is simple extortion, and should be recognized as such.

Posted by Customer for Fair Treatment, a resident of the North Whisman neighborhood, on Nov 8, 2012 at 8:46 am

I have been a 30-year Nob Hill customer, beginning with the Cupertino store. I frequently shop for groceries for other families as a part of my job, and I have always used Nob HIll as my main store. I have seen the same employees for decades, and it is a big draw for my connection to the store. That Raley's corporation now places so little value on these loyal and long-time employees is a mark of corporate greed. They are attempting to take away Sunday and Holiday pay as well as health care benefits and driving workers to go on strike. That Raley's has hired outside professionals to break the unions is inexcusable. There is plenty of money at the top, and priorities have to be set straight. Employees are not a commodity. I am currently taking my business to Safeway or Lucky, where workers are unionized. I will not shop at Nob Hill again until the strike is over, and workers have a fair contract.

Posted by Shopper, a resident of the Rex Manor neighborhood, on Nov 8, 2012 at 8:48 am

I agree. No more Nob Hill Foods for me.

Posted by George, a resident of the Old Mountain View neighborhood, on Nov 9, 2012 at 2:24 pm

The picketers were nice and polite when I went to NHM to buy some groceries last night, at least. I'll continue to shop there, and do not support unions and don't believe they are useful in the modern economic model.

Posted by Don't Cross!, a resident of the North Whisman neighborhood, on Nov 10, 2012 at 11:57 pm

Another example of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer...what a state this country is in...nothing but corporate greed! Don't cross the picket lines, stand up to GREED!