While reading Marc Fisher's Washington Post column regarding labor difficulties at two Washington D.C.-area supermarket chains, I was reminded of my philosophical belief that selfishness, rationally pursued with an eye on the long term, counterintuitively results in what is usually regarded as altruism.
Giant and Safeway have been negotiating with United Food and Commercial Workers, the union which represents most of the workers in their stores, to reduce (admittedly quite generous) benefits for current employees, and reduce benefits and pay for new employees in the future. This renegotiation has resulted from increased pressure from non-union stores, such as Walmart and Wegmans, which are causing Giant and Safeway to lose both money and market share. [Ahem...when are you going to get to the point? — ed. I'm getting there, but folks have to understand the background.]
From Marc's column:
Giant and Safeway's only chance is to focus on superior service. Instead, faced with a struggle against non-union upstarts such as Wal-Mart, Wegmans, Fresh Fields and Price Club...the supermarkets fight back by making their workers' lives harsher, turning careers into mere jobs. The employer wins lower costs, and the workers . . . well, they just vanish into a disaffected mass.
I agree. The big corporations are turning to the quick and easy rather than thinking about what will help them the most in the long run. And Fisher dings the union bosses as well, with the same rationale: superior service by their union members will help them the most over the long haul.
And that's the way, in my experience, it tends to work just about everywhere. Looking at it from the negative side, the short term, me-first, selfish action will end up hurting you in the end. I maintain that my most altruistic actions are also my most selfish. They give me what I'm really looking for. I'll acknowledge that there seem to be some exceptions, but there aren't many. Helping others is almost always the best way to help yourself.
Update: As of this writing, Safeway workers have unanimously (yes, unanimously!) approved the new contract. Giant workers will vote this afternoon.
Update II: The Giant workers voted in favor of the new contract, too. All is well — for now.
