Friday Morning One Liners...Teixeria joins movement for Employee Free Choice, Local 7 updates...

 "Now more than ever, we need a strong union movement to protect our jobs, our pensions, and our future. The Employee Free Choice Act simply guarantees a level playing field for all workers. It makes sure everyone plays by the same rules. That’s as important in the workplace as it is in baseball."

-  In a joint statement from Jimmy Rollins, Mark Teixeira, and 13 other MLB Players.

UFCW members rally at Fred Myer after the company called the police on union representatives.

UFCW Local 7

Supermarket News: More than a week after contract negotiations broke down again, union grocery employees of Safeway here are demanding that the United Food and Commercial Workers sanction a strike. But it was still unclear Thursday whether an OK was forthcoming.

The Colorado Gazette has more.

The Fresh Market on opening it's first Connecticut store, and first New York store (Troy) "...[We] hope the opening is a sign of continued growth in the Northeast."

Aldi announced two new store openings in Florida.

Current and former Wal-Mart employees in Ohio and 29 other states can now apply for a share of an $85 million lawsuit...Read more about the judges approval of the $85 million lawsuit.

Powering the NYC Economy with Good Grocery Jobs...

Costco has announced they will accept food stamps nationwide. 

Politics, Health Care, Elsewhere....

The House speaker, Nancy Pelosi of California, on Thursday unveiled an $1.055 trillion health care package that would provide insurance to up to 36 million people by broadly expanding Medicaid, the state-federal insurance program for the poor, and by offering subsidies to moderate-income Americans to buy insurance either from private carriers or a new government-run plan...The New York Times has more.

Newsday covers the Nassau County Executive debate between Suozzi and Mangano.

Living without heat in the Bronx, tenants put up signs outside of building asking for help.

More than 200 food vendors held a spirited noon rally on the steps of City Hall. They were protesting police harassment, a charge the NYPD denies.

New York's budget deficit continues to grow, this time $3.2B

And Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino and Mark Teixeira,  Heath Bell, Dave Bush, LaTroy Hawkins, Torii Hunter, John Lannan, Andrew Miller, J.J. Putz, Justin Verlander and Adam Wainwright have all added their names to the broad coalition to support the Employee Free Choice Act.