Arnold just recorded another
$15,000 from Safeway, the supermarket, on top of $16,200 registered
five days before and another $5,000 from Safeway President Steve Burd.
That’s a total of $36,200. We knew Arnold believed in the free
market… but the supermarket? Safeway may just be playing it safe in
its labor dispute over the size of workers’ health care benefits by
recruiting a celebrity negotiator and spokesperson to its cause.
You see, labor leaders tell us Safeway’s last offer to its workers
included fewer health care benefits for new workers and dependents than
would be required under recently-enacted Senate Bill 2 — which
mandates that employers pay for health coverage . Yesterday the Chamber
of Commerce announced it had collected enough signatures for a
referendum to overturn SB 2 and, for the first time, Arnold endorsed SB
2’s referendum. With the Terminator hawking Safeway’s line, workers
don’t stand a chance. Under Gray it was pay to play, now it’s pay to
pitch.
