Local 1500 Applauds New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn on Food Policy Announcement and Expected Passage of F.R.E.S.H. Initiative by the New York City Council

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 Immediate Release: December 7th, 2009

New York State’s Largest Supermarket Union Applauds New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn on Food Policy Announcement and Expected Passage of F.R.E.S.H. Initiative by the New York City Council

United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1500, New York State’s largest grocery workers union, commended New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn’s speech today on a city wide food policy and for her leadership on the expected passage of the F.R.E.S.H. (Food Retail Expansion to Support Health) initiative this coming Wednesday by the New York City Council. Speaker Quinn, at an event today co-sponsored by United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1500 and the Good Food, Good Jobs Coalition, announced a progressive and comprehensive city wide food policy aimed at the entire food system network. She also touted the expected passage of F.R.E.S.H., an initiative aimed to bring more supermarkets to NYC’s low-income communities.

“Speaker Quinn hit the equivalent of a policy grand slam today and UFCW Local 1500 and its 23,000 members could not be more supportive,” said Bruce W. Both, President of UFCW Local 1500. “Good Food, Good Jobs, and Good Health will be achieved through Good Policy throughout all segments of New York City’s food system is the message I received today from the Speaker. Through the soon to pass F.R.E.S.H initiative and Speaker Quinn’s stated vision for moving forward, I believe all invested partners including labor, community groups and food policy experts left today’s event feeling that their collective voices have been heard and that Speaker Christine Quinn will be the champion of this very important issue, “ Both concluded.

United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1500 has been on the forefront advocating for the development of a City-wide food policy. Working with the Mayor, Speaker and Department of City Planning, UFCW Local 1500 and a coalition of community groups have spent almost two years developing F.R.E.S.H and targeting the City’s food deserts for supermarket growth. Through its innovative Building Blocks Project, UFCW Local 1500 believes that Good Food, Good Jobs and Good Health are the building blocks’ of all communities and that New York City's economy benefits when communities are built on this foundation.

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United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1500, based out of Queens Village, represents over 23,000 grocery workers in New York City, Long Island, Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess Counties and New Jersey. Members of Local 1500 are employed by Pathmark, King Kullen, Stop and Shop, Gristedes, Fairway, D’agastinos, Key Food and Shop Rite.