Letters to the Editor

' As a Redwood Heights resident and a supporter of the community-building Metro, I want to address a major issue in the ongoing Farmer Joe's dispute—stable middle-income jobs here in Oakland. '

When I moved to Oakland over 30 years ago, I was a retail food clerk who had worked part-time while pursuing a teaching credential back in Philadelphia. Local 870, now a part of Local 5, was based in East Oakland at the corner of Foothill and Havenscourt near Frick Junior High. There were many Safeway and Lucky stores in the flatlands. A high school graduate could become a retail clerk apprentice and expect to receive a truly livable journeyman wage with paid health benefits and a secure pension.

' Now, the lack of unionized food-store jobs in Oakland lowers the standard of living. Chain stores such as Wal Mart, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's are non union and depend on constant employee turnover to increase their profits at the expense of a stable middle-income population in our community.

' Farmer Joe's could easily sign a contract at its two stores with Local 5/UFCW and distinguish itself positively from the out-of-towners. If the Tams did so, I bet their business would increase, as union supporters like my family would return to both the 35th Avenue and Fruitvale locations. Until then, however, I'm sticking with the union and encourage the Metro readership to do the same.

points of view and stories and articles from the community. Certain guidelines apply, including coherence, relevance to the MacArthur Metro geographical readership area, and, generally, a limit of 500 words. For more information about writing or to submit a story, send a query to the editor at metroreaders\@earthlink.net.