While grocery shopping this weekend, I was given a leaflet form the Teamsters Union against Giant, a longtime staple in the D.C. area. The leaflet is disguised as a guide to "Money Saving Shopping Tips." If you read through it, though, it's a protest tract against the company.

The flyer asserts that Giant is failing to respect the community somehow, without giving any details. As it turns out, Giant has earned their ire by outsourcing its warehouse operation, which caused several layoffs at facilities in New Jersey. While researching the nature of the dispute, I came across this wonderful quote from a union activist:

"We fought for the consumer, who deserves to have food that comes from union workers, warehouses and distribution."

Problem is, the food tastes the same without the union. And it probably costs less, too.

Most of Giant's workers in D.C. belong to the United Food and Commercial Workers' union, which is bitterly fighting Wal Mart's entry into the D.C. market. In fighting Giant's efforts to remain competitive against non-union Wal Mart, the Teamsters have probably found a good way of cutting their union brothers' throats.