LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Olde Town Grocery in Jeffersonville, Indiana, is offering 10% off to Ford employees if they can show their ID.
"I know there's a couple of them not paying their cellphone bill just to make ends meet, and I figure 10% off—something's better than nothing," Joe Clapp, the store's owner, said. He has friends and family who work with the company.
Clapp said they want the United Auto Worker's (UAW) strike at the Kentucky Truck Plant to be over.
The union's strike is on its sixth day in Louisville. It's hobbled the operation at Louisville Assembly Plant because they provide parts like doors.
Keith Kamenish, co-owner of Bearno's on Hurstbourne, brought pizza to the picket line over the weekend. He grew up in a union family and saw his father make financial sacrifices when LG&E workers went on strike.
"You eat a lot of leftovers. You wear your older brother's clothes," he said. "So we had to tighten the belt throughout the strike and then were able to let it out a little bit once the strike was over."
Other Americans have had to tighten their belts too. The US Department of Agriculture said grocery prices increased 3% from last August to this August and that they rose 9.9% overall in 2022.
It's an economic reality striking workers face as they rely on strike assistance—$500 dollars a week.
According to Ford's job posting for KTP, the lowest weekly pay for a full-time employee is $666 and 80 cents, leaving a deficit of nearly $170.
Tanner Vanhorn, a local strike captain, said UAW Local 862 members will see their first strike assistance check on Oct. 27.
"I gotta manage my money between now and then," he said, talking about providing for his dog, Jager, during the strike. "Dog food's gotten really expensive. Used to be $45 dollars, now I'm probably paying $70 dollars for him. Whatever the vet bills are, those have gotten a lot more expensive too."
Olde Town Grocery said they will offer the discount until at least Oct. 26, but will consider extending it if the strike continues. Kamenish said he plans on returning to the picket line to bring more food.
Last week, UAW Local 862 president Todd Dunn speculated whether layoffs would occur at the Louisville Assembly Plant as a result of the ongoing strike.
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