A Safeway insider has tipped us off to a serious and highly volatile issue that has transpired in recent days among Safeway employees, their union, and Safeway management. Word on the street is that Safeway is encouraging checkers to ask customers to donate to one of four charities. OK, that's nothing unusual. We're all used to this type of annoyance. However, Safeway employees have checked with their union and confirmed that they are not, in fact, required to ask customers to donate. OK, this sounds normal to us, too. However, Safeway management caught wind of their employees consulting the union and have retaliated against employees who refuse to ask customers for donations. Said employees have been transferred to less than desirable Safeway locations with less than desirable hours. Employees with reasonable stature and seniority have been relocated with no warning and not even a chance to say goodbye to former coworkers or loyal customers.

What's up with that?

We're also wondering what the big deal is with these donations. If they're donations, and go to charities like March of Dimes and Easter Seals, what would it matter to Safeway if their checkers were asking for donations or not? Hmm.

Something stinks. We're not sure if it's their Rancher's Reserve or the way they treat their employees.