INSIDE
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Vol. CXIJV, No. 31
Thursday, October 9, 2003
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PART FOUR OF A FIVE PART SERIES
Expanding USC: University Village
Grocery workers will likely strike
Protest. United Food and Commercial Workers march in support of a
strike.
Employees at several major chains will picket if vote to strike approved.
By ZACH FOX
Contributing Writer
By as early as Friday at midnight, workers from Albertsons, Ralphs and Vons grocery stores may strike for an indefinite amount of time in an effort to maintain their health and pension benefits.
The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 770 voted on the offer at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena Wednesday night The
members rejected the contract with 11,676 refusing the contract, 193 accepting it and 50 void ballots. The vote also authorizes the president to issue a strike. The vote was only one of several going on among in Southern California, but the Local 770 is the largest local union, said Kathy Finn, director of Research and Collective
‘I would imagine (the employers) would want to avoid a strike," Finn said. “Hopefully the message we’re sending tonight will change their minds.”
The workers’ contract ran out last Sunday and the employers’ new contract offer drastically cut benefits,
union members said.
“It is the worst offer ever presented to the union members in 60 years,” said Diane Bertell, a union representative. “Were expecting a major rejection by the union members.”
A manager at the Ralphs located on Vermont Avenue and Adams Boulevard refused to comment but did say that the store will remain open.
There are seven local union chapters throughout Southern California, and they will need until Friday to count those votes. Should the employers’ offer be rejected as Bertell expects, a strike is not automatic.
The union and the employers have I see Strike, page 31
Gloom marked the mood at the Biltmore Hotel downtown
» ■< • ;
following pass of historic recall, which ousted the governor.
By AMELIA NEUFELD
Staff Writer
Throughout Tuesday night at the Millennium Biltmore in downtown Los Angeles, the mood at Gov. Gray Davis’ campaign party was one of
gloom.
A few minutes before 10 p.m., tlie beleaguered governor took the stage to concede the recall election to Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger.
“1 accept the people’s judgment" Davis told supporters at the Democratic Party headquarters.
“We need to put the chaos and division of'the recall behind us and do what’s right for California.”
Some of the governor’s staffers cried and others hugged as those in the Davis administration prepared to make way for that of Governor-elect Schwarzenegger
“You can only prepare so much for
this,” said Carol Damon, a Davis staff person. “We are all numb and very shocked."
Yet some at the party appeared determined to make the best of the election results. California Assembly Speaker Herb Wesson, a Democrat expressed a desire to go forward.
“I am disappointed in the results naturally,” Wesson said. “But it is my job as speaker to work with the new governor and to carry out the people’s will.”
For some, the results were not a surprise. Various media polls had pre-l see MmsH, page 171
More
inside
Analysis of the defeat of
Propositions 53 and 54.
See page 15.
Started as part of an effort to bring retail to the area, University Village struggles to attract brand name stores such as the Gap
By NICOLE BIUMEW
Contributing WrtUf
The University Village shopping center has seen stores and owners come and go, but the probability of bringing more recognizable companies into the center is something students may not want to l>et on
The product of a mission to rebuild the surrounding community, University Village opened in 1975 as part of a redevelopment project to bring convenient retail stores to the community, said Carolyn Webb de Macias, vice president of external affairs. The village filed for Chapter
11	bankruptcy several times before the university purchased it in 1999 Since then, officials have sought to bring high-end retail stores to the shopping center, said Gwen Louchouran, manager of University Village
Although chains such as The Gap and Abercrombie & Fitch have been approached in the past to open
stores in the shopping center, most have chosen not to, she said.
‘ Those companies just will not come into this area," she said.
Many of these stores do not want to take a financial risk by
bringing their businesses into the surrounding community, Louchouran said
The decline of students in the area during the summer and Christmas season is an issue that may deter many of these companies, she said.
‘Students are only here nine months out of the year,” she said “Most students aren't here during tlie holiday season, which is a critical time for many stores.”
Though university students would indeed bring a substantial amount of business to many of these stores, tliat simply is not enough, Ixiuchouran said.
“Take a store like The Gap. They look at the median income, traffic patterns, whether the community as a whole can support the store," she said.
The median family income of the area is $23,917 per year, while the median family income for Los Angeles County is $4M52 per year, according tothe 3000 U.S. Census.
The median household income for the area is $17,644 per year while the median household income for Los Angeles County is $42,189 per year.
I see Village, page 13 I
Browsing. The USC area s low socio-economic status and the absence of students dunng summer and winter breaks are possible reasons that popular chain stores, such as the GAP have not opened up locations in University Village. Neighborhood residents Karen Corona and Morgan Leivo said they were not shopping in the village, but simply ‘kicking it.*