Judging from the grim faces of the cashiers, clerks and butchers picketing California supermarkets, you would think we were in a deep economic slump. Golden State grocery workers are on strike for the first time in 25 years, over a plan by Kroger, Safeway and other chains to shift a bigger chunk of the cost of health care to their unionized labor force of some 70,000. Under competitive siege from nonunion superstores like Wal-Mart, whose health packages for hourly workers are stingier, the grocery chains complain that they are paying 50% more on health coverage than they were four years ago....
If This Is A Boom Why Does It Feel Like A Squeeze?
The U.S. economy records a red-hot 7.2% growth rate-- fueling hopes for a sustained recovery. But many workers don't see any reason to celebrate. Here's why
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