TJSGA's commentary during the California's supermarket strike

Álvaro J. de Regil

There is tremendous potential to tap on consumer support for good corporate citizenship. Nonetheless, the three national grocers involved in the strike chose to join Wal-Mart's famous Darwinian robber baron business culture and contribute to make it the standard in U.S. supermarkets. After nearly five months, despite the heavy toll that workers and grocers suffered, the three chains ended up achieving their goal, which was to significantly undermine the labour endowments of their workers both short and long-term. This will hurt everyone and not just the workers involved. Profiting over people is a very despicable behaviour that threatens the sustainability of communities. Unfortunately, many modern robber barons of the likes of Wal-Mart have made it a core strategic element of their business. Now Kroger, Safeway and Albertson's have become new members of the robber barons club.

However, consumers wield the power to stop them and force them to be good corporate citizens, for as members of our communities it is our responsibility to stop them from profiting over us. And our consumption wields all the power to achieve it.