A&P to close 5 stores, Wakefern cuts wages of pro union employee, Thursday Morning One Liners..

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A&P to close 5 SuperFresh stores.

Joe Sorrentino, a worker at a Wakefern PriceRite Supermarket in North Providence, Rhode Island, has been punished (pay cut) for standing up for a union at his workplace, according to charges filed by UFCW Local Union 328 with the National Labor Relations Board.

A spokeswoman for Wakefern Food Corp. told SN Wednesday that the retailer demoted a Rhode Island worker for violating company policy, and not for speaking at a pro-labor rally, as a local union alleged.
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Here's the story on UFCW filing the charge.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission said on Wednesday it would extend settlement talks 
with Whole Foods Markets Inc  for a month in hopes of resolving an antitrust case
against the upscale grocery chain.

A piece of Gov. David Paterson's plan to plug a $13 billion budget deficit appeared to fall out Wednesday when union leaders rejected his ideas of scrapping a pay raise for state workers and having them work five days without pay.

Aldi selects a new Ad Agency.

Another death at Wal-Mart?

Wal-Mart in the midst of a magazine battle.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc reported a better-than-expected 2.1 percent rise in January sales at U.S.

Costco Wholesale Corp. here yesterday said it expects it earnings for the second quarter, which ends Feb. 15, to be below analysts' consensus estimates of 70 cents per share, largely because of slow sales in nonfood items, heavy markdowns, weaker margins in fuel sales and soft international results against a strengthening U.S. dollar.
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Fresh & Easy’s produce sales have increased more than 11% since January, when the company introduced its new 98-cent produce packs, the company said yesterday in a release.
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The future of NYC (Slide Show, Crain's)

About one hundred protesters burst into a Midtown Manhattan hotel ballroom, and interrupted Mayor Bloomberg as he gave a speech about the city's economic outlook.

Andrew Cuomo accepted an invitation to speak to the Conservative Party, speculating more rumors.

Patterson to limit subway fare and toll increases.

Gillibrand to visit Brooklyn school who lost a student to gun violence.