Open Letter From The UFCW District Council to Stop & Shop on Contract Negotiations

Stop & Shop Workers Announce New Actions in Campaign for Fair Contract

Fight for a fair deal at Stop & Shop intensifies as profitable company demands cuts to grocery workers’ benefits

(PROVIDENCE, RI) – Today, the New England Council of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union announced a series of rallies in the campaign for a fair contract for 35,000 Stop & Shop workers in New England. Following a rally of hundreds of Stop & Shop workers, customers, elected officials, and community supporters last week, Stop & Shop workers will bring the same energy to five more rallies before the Easter holiday.

New England Stop & Shop workers are currently working under an expired union contract while the profitable company insists on cuts to hard-earned benefits. Stop & Shop’s parent company, Netherlands-based grocery giant Ahold, recently announced operating profits for last year in excess of $1.4 billion. Today, Ahold and Delhaize shareholders are expected to approve the merger of their companies, which will be completed later this year. Prior to closing of the merger, Ahold shareholders will receive a payout of more than $1 billion.

While paying out dividends to foreign shareholders, the company is demanding that workers accept cuts to longstanding benefits, decreasing take-home pay and cutting future retirement benefits despite a fully-funded and secure pension fund. The company is further demanding that future workers be given second-rate benefits and pay, transforming Stop & Shop’s once middle-class jobs into low-wage jobs.

“Stop & Shop’s proposals show that the company has strayed from its core values,” said Tim Melia, president of UFCW Local 328. “This used to be a company that took pride in offering the best wages and benefits in the region, and attracting the best workers. Our members are only asking for their fair share of the success their hard work has built.”

The hardworking men and women of Stop & Shop have been joined in their fight for a fair contract by Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts Treasurer and member of Stop & Shop’s founding family, Deb Goldberg, the combined 700,000 union members of the Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island State AFL-CIO Councils, and the 1.3 million members of the UFCW International Union.

Rallies will be held:

Wednesday, March 16th, 4-6 P.M.
Quincy Stop & Shop
65 Newport Ave., Quincy, MA

Thursday, March 17th, 4-6 P.M.
Dorchester Stop & Shop
1100 Massachusetts Ave, Dorchester, MA

Tuesday, March 22nd, 4-6 P.M.
Norwalk Stop & Shop
380 Main Ave, Norwalk, CT

Wednesday, March 23rd, 4-6 P.M.
East Hartford Stop & Shop
940 Silver Ln, East Hartford, CT

Thursday, March 24th, 4-6 P.M.
Holyoke Stop & Shop
28 Lincoln St, Holyoke, MA

Ahold, Parent Company of Stop & Shop, Earns Billions in Profit, but Refuses to Do What Is Right for its Employees.

Current Stop & Shop fruitbowl logo, shared with Giant-Landover (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ahold continues to ignore that hard-working Stop & Shop employees are the ones who make stores a success.

 (PROVIDENCE, R.I.) – The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) New England Council released the following statement responding to Ahold’s latest earnings report: “Ahold, the parent company of Stop & Shop should be ashamed. Despite their continued profita-bility, earning in excess of $10 billion in profit last year, they continue to demand cuts to their employees’ hard-earned wages and benefits.

“The truth is that the hard-working men and women at Stop & Shop are the key to the company’s success. It is their dedication and commitment to the customers and the communities they serve that provides Stop & Shop with a real business advantage. “It is absolutely absurd to think that such a profitable company would follow a shortsighted low-road, low-wage business model. Doing so is a recipe for failure - not success.

 “The reality is that customers want to support responsible employers that reflect their values and treat their employees with respect. Stop & Shop customers deserve better, our hard-working members deserve better, and the communities they serve deserve better.

“It's time for Stop & Shop to do what is right and provide a fair contract for the thousands of hard working men and women who make their stores a success.”

Stop & Shop New England Members Have No Contract

—MESSAGE TO ALL OUR STOP & SHOP MEMBERS & THEIR FAMILIES —

RE: THE STATUS OF OUR New England negotiations

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As part of our great union family, we all have a responsibility to work together to improve and better the lives of all our incredible members – regardless of where they or we live. The simple truth is we know how hard you work, and it is because of your efforts that companies like Stop’n Shop succeed and our communities made better.

Secretary-Treasurer Tony Speelman sits in at
New England negotiations last week

Unfortunately, as our union family members across New England are witnessing, Stop’n Shop has decided to pursue a deplorable needless negotiation strategy that seeks to undermine the better life they have earned through your hard work.

As you may know, there are over 35,000 UFCW members in New England – represented by five Locals – who are currently engaged in contract negotiations with the Stop’n Shop Company. From the very beginning, these Locals have negotiated in good faith, and all we’ve asked of Stop’n Shop is to do what is right by our members and their families.

The simple truth is that Stop’n Shop is a success because of you and all our members who work there. It is because of your dedication and commitment to serving our amazing customers and the communities we love, that Stop’n Shop succeeds.

Instead of doing what is right, Stop & Shop presented contract proposals that were nothing short of a slap in the face to these men and women – people just like you.

Not only is Stop’n Shop refusing to respect the hard work of our New England members, they are proposing dramatic changes to these contracts.

Stop & Shop’s actions are wrong.

While your contract may not be involved, what the company is proposing is a threat to every member of our union family.

Make no mistake, Stop & Shop’s actions in New England – if unstopped – will set a lower standard that the company will use when YOUR contract is up for negotiation. This is an issue that MUST matter to all of us.

Join with us, and stand with our brothers and sisters in New England. Help them, and help all of us, fight for the better life and good contract we all earn through our hard work. 

So, here are the two things we’re asking you do.

First, call the Stop’n Shop Customer Service Number at 1 (800) 767-7772, and tell them to stop threatening our New England members and their families. Tell them that your and your local stand with our New England union family. Tell them, to do what is right.

Second, please tell your family and friends to do the same. Everytime Stop’n Shop hears us will send a clear message that we are a proud union family.
 

We stand together.

And, we fight for each other – no matter where we call home.

Thank you for all that you do, and for the privilege of serving you:

Richard Abondolo

President, UFCW Local 342

John T. Niccollai

President, UFCW Local 464-A

Harvey Whille

President, UFCW Local 1262

Sam Ferraino, Jr.

President, UFCW Local 1360

Bruce W. Both

President, UFCW Local 1500

John R. Durso

President, RWDSU Local 338

New England Locals Stand Together During Stop & Shop Negotiations

Our brothers and sisters throughout New England are negotiating with Stop & Shop. We've been with them during negotiations and have been attending regular meetings to pledge our support to the more than 35,000. The company has already taken up ads throughout local newspapers for replacement workers. Our UFCW brothers and sisters have been negotiating in good faith, asking for nothing but respect and to take care of the men and women who have made Ahold so successful.

It's very important to pay attention to these negotiations, as they will affect our negotiations with Stop & Shop.

Here's a message below updating progress on the New England Stop & Shop negotiations:

 A MESSAGE TO ALL STOP & SHOP MEMBERS & THEIR FAMILIES

RE: New England negotiations

February 23, 2016

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As part of our great union family, we all have a responsibility to work together to improve and better the lives of all our members – regardless of what town we call home.  Right now, more than 35,000 UFCW members in New England – represented by five Locals –are engaged in contract negotiations with the Stop & Shop Company. From the very beginning, these Locals have negotiated in good faith, and all we’ve asked of Stop & Shop is to do what is right by our members and their families.

The simple truth is that Stop & Shop is a success because of you and all our members who work there. It is because of your dedication and commitment to serving our customers and the communities we love, that Stop & Shop succeeds.

Instead of doing what is right, Stop & Shop presented contract proposals that were nothing short of a slap in the face to these men and women – people just like you.

Not only is Stop & Shop refusing to respect the hard work of our New England members, they are proposing dramatic changes to these contracts.

Stop & Shop’s actions are wrong.

While your contract may not be involved, what the company is proposing is a threat to every member of our union family.

Make no mistake, Stop & Shop’s actions in New England – if unstopped – will set a lower standard that the company will use when YOUR contract is up for negotiation. This is an issue that MUST matter to all of us.

Join with us, and stand with our brothers and sisters in New England. Help them, and help all of us, fight for the better life and good contract we all earn through our hard work. 

So, here are the two things we’re asking you do:

First, call the Stop & Shop Customer Service Number at 1 (800) 767-7772, and tell them to stop threatening our New England members and their families. Tell them that you and your local stand with our New England union family. Tell them to do what is right.

Second, please tell your family and friends to do the same. Every call will send a clear message that we are a proud union family.

We stand together. We fight for each other – no matter where we call home.

Thank you for all that you do, and for the privilege of serving you:

Richard Abondolo

President, UFCW Local 342

John T. Niccollai

President, UFCW Local 464-A

Harvey Whille

President, UFCW Local 1262

Sam Ferraino, Jr.

President, UFCW Local 1360

Bruce W. Both

President, UFCW Local 1500

John R. Durso

President, RWDSU Local 338

Negotiations Resume With Stop & Shop

Tony Speelman, UFCW Local 1500

December 4, 2013: Contract Update 19- 

The Federal Mediator's request for both Stop & Shop and our Union enter into temporary seven-day“cooling off” period is over.  We're resuming negotiations today with Stop & Shop.

This is the month we draw a line in the sand.  Throughout the last three-months we negotiated in good faith and hoped that Stop & Shop would bargain responsibly.  Unfortunately they have not and we are still nowhere near an agreement, especially with Pension and Welfare issues.  Stop & Shop is still proposing to withdraw from our multi-employer pension plan, put significant healthcare costs on all full time members and eliminate all part time medical benefits.  

The next week will be the ultimate test for you and our union.  We will not continue to give Stop & Shop the sweat off our backs for the rest of the holiday season while they refuse to propose a contract you can live with.  I urge you to be patient, strong and motivated during this process.  Our union's solidarity, strength and commitment will often be tested by Stop & Shop’s management team.  Negotiations are scheduled for the remainder of this week and early next week.  Just know that we are fighting every second of the day to try and secure not just "any contract" but the best contract we can.

Thank you for the overwhelming support, communication and solidarity.  We are grateful to our loyal customers, our local politicians, members of our communities, and all of the other Union’s that have already pledged their support. During this time we all need to stick together.  You must try to avoid buying into any management rumors or attempts to undermine this process.  Any attempts to separate our union membership must be met with a unified response that we are all together.  We need to support one another now more than ever, so again, thank you, for your patience and trust while we stand together and fight for a fair contract from Stop & Shop. Everyone should know that the last thing we ever want to do is to create an economic hardship for any of our members, your communities or your loyal customers.  

Thank you again, 

Tony Speelman

Lead Negotiator, UFCW Local 1500

Top News This Week

A Stop & Shop bagger from Mass. has won a grocery bagging competition, will head to Vegas for the National Championship and $10,000.

Trader Joe's pre-packed salads are linked to an E-Coli outbreak in 4 states.

Walmart dims their Q2 Outlook after soft sales....again.

Ahold, Stop & Shop's parent company, just sold a chain of stores in Europe for over $210 million.

You can now apply online for a UFCW Local 1500 scholarship.

A group of Managers from Tops Market (upstate NY) has bought out the company.

Top 15 things that happened last week:

1.  Victory for Change Walmart: Some Walmart workers are getting a Christmas gift...Full-Time jobs this holiday season. 2.  Wegmans clears up that they love their employees, even though their contract negotiations with the Teamsters haven't shown much love. 3.  Despite DC Mayor's veto of the living wage bill, polls show an overwhelming majority of public support of the bill. 4.  Walgreens is shifting health coverage for 160,000 workers due to Obamacare. 5.  Whole Foods is launching a butcher training program. 6.  Staples workers made history last week, becoming the first to win a contract in North America (Canada). 7. Amazon warehouse workers are suing the company for some outrageous security precautions. 8. 30,000 grocery workers may be going on strike in Washington. 9.  Ahold has made some changes to their supervisory board. 10.  47 million people rely on SNAP, cutting it is putting us on a dangerous road. Check out why at HungerCliff  add your voice on ThunderClap.  11. Tweet of the Week: @ASPEEL1500: "So proud of @UFCW1500 shop steward Debbie Gernand, receiving @ufcw Region 1's outstanding member award! pic.twitter.com/1wzjmHZMeL" 12. Check out Rep. Joe Crowley in a creative speak out against SNAP Cuts. 13. Typical American Family Makes Less Than it Did in 1989. Census buearu report unvieled this alarming data this week. 14. T-Mobile's CEO tried his hardest to intimidate workers from voting in the CWA...Too bad for him his workers were educated, organized and prepared for scare tactics and they voted 7-1 for the union.  Yes, read that again, the CEO of T-Mobile traveled to an 8 person union election.  Seems small but David beat Goliath.   15.  We've signed a contract extension with Stop & Shop and King Kullen; extending our CBA until midnight, October 12th.

Did we miss something? Let us know, reply to this message!

Stop & Shop's Parent Company, Ahold USA, Appoints New COO

The original Stop and Shop logo used until 2008. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Via Boston Globe: http://www.boston.com/businessupdates/2012/11/15/stop-shop-parent-appoints-james-mcann-chief-operating-officer-ahold-usa/20SznOGIqSnXvSe4LJFBNJ/story.html

Ahold, the corporate parent of such supermarket chains as Stop & Shop as well as the Peapod online grocery ordering and delivery service, announced the appointment of James McCann as chief operating officer of Ahold USA, effective Feb. 1.

McCann will succeed Carl Schlicker, who has announced his retirement.

Read the entire article here: http://www.boston.com/businessupdates/2012/11/15/stop-shop-parent-appoints-james-mcann-chief-operating-officer-ahold-usa/20SznOGIqSnXvSe4LJFBNJ/story.html

Related articles

• Stop & Shop parent appoints James MCann as chief operating officer of Ahold USA
• Supermarket operator Ahold says 3Q earnings down

What We're Reading Today:

Ahold has a new EVP of Marketing.

Local 342's credit union has merged with Bethpage Federal Credit Union. More @ Patch.

Judges are in no rush to make a decision on Walmart's bribery suit.

We joined many of our friends & allies yesterday at City Hall rallying for paid sick days in NYC.

Whole Foods opened their first store in Iowa this week.

Weeks End News Briefs: Walmart in LA, A&P Bankruptcy & Whole Foods in Brooklyn

Here's a round up of the top News from this week: 

The A&P Bankruptcy judge has OK'd the company's Chapter 11 exit plan.  A&P also announced, Sam Martin will remain as CEO.

President Bruce Both of UFCW Local 1500 has released a statement on Sam Martin's salary and bonus during bankruptcy.

UFCW President Joe Hansen was on the Bill Press show discussing: Walmart, Presidential Primaries & the political attack on workers around the country. Check it out on the UFCW Blog!

A 52,000 square foot Pennsylvania Pathmark, set to close within two months, has four potential supermarket retailers vying for the site. Hopefully they're union employers.

The Southampton Press has an update on a new King Kullen in Southampton.

Trader Joe's has finally signed the Fair Food Agreement with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, agreeing to pay a penny more a pound for tomato pickers in Florida, which is speculated to be nearly a 50% increase in pay for farmers.

With Whole Foods on pace to open 27 new stores this year, on Tuesday they won approval to build their first store in Brooklyn at the Gowanus Canal.

Walmart is trying to open a neighborhood market in LA, a 33,000 square foot store would be the first 'neighborhood market' in LA, and is proposed to be opened below a multi-floor senior citizen apartment complex. The project is being met with opposition from small businesses throughout downtown LA. Check out more @HuffingtonPost.

Ahold (parent company of Stop & Shop) has bought the online retailer Bol.com for $470 million, in order to increase internet sales.

Ahold also had a huge fourth-quarter, announcing their fourth-quarter profit jumped 75% 

Britain's largest unions are threatening a strike during the Olympics.

American Rights at Work released a great report which reveals when employees come together, benefits go beyond the workplace.

In support of UFCW Local 5's negotiations, Local 5 members are dropping by stores asking consumers for support by signing pledge cards.

And finally if you hadn't heard, an over 15-year UFCW Local 1776 member and Diary Manager won a Grammy! Congratulations!

Thursday News Recaps @ Noon: Tengelmann A&P Exit Expected, New Fairway Markets

#A&P
Eight (8) former Superfresh stores (parent, A&P) were taken over by Fresh & Green's, some stores have already opened, while a few are still under renovations.

REPORT: Tengelmann Group to exit A&P in bankruptcy process...

A&P launched a new brand of organic local chickens....More @PhillyBlurbs.

#TargetChange
Target will offer groceries and fresh food in Canada. More @CTV.  The Wall Street Journal predicts their Canadian entry will affect other American retailers there.

Long Island Herald: Labor Board Reviews Target Valley Stream Union Vote.

Target told Valley Stream employees they couldn't afford to give raises to them...But they did find a way to spend $760,000 on lobbying in 1Q.

#WalmartNYC
Walmart cozies up to Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz.

The Brooklyn Rail: No Place for Walmart.

Walmart in New York City is far from inevitable. As one market analyst put it, Walmart needs New York City more than New York City needs Walmart, thus echoing the views of other company watchers. The company has grown desperate, but its urban growth strategy in still largely untested and unproven. So opponents feel that they can escalate their campaign and make it much harder for Walmart to come in.

Great Read: Bloomberg News: With Walmart's Sex Suit Win, The Jokes on Women.


#Elsewhere/Industry

Albertsons announced last week they'll be removing their self checkouts in order to focus on more customer service.

Fairway Market is making lease deals to open a store in Passaic County in New Jersey and another in South Shore in Nassau County next year. The grocery chain will also open a store in Rockland County in 2013.  Read more @ Wall Street Journal.

In Amityville, NY, a new Stop & Shop is currently being built, though the sign color scheme was not allowed according to a town law, the town's planning board has just OK'd the new color scheme. [Newsday]

Stop & Shop also debuted 'Scan IT! Mobile', allowing shoppers to complete their entire purchase on their iphone.

In the wake of two closing supermarkets in Greenburgh, NY, two more will open this year. [lohud]

Aldi wants to open up in Buffalo (NY), but some law makers are skeptical on it drawing business away from small, local shops.


Ahold has named a new pharmacy SVP.

Thousands of SoCal Union members are supporting grocery workers fighting for a new contract.

Here's an update on California UFCW negotiations....[KDAF] [LA Times]

An HBO Documentary of the Stella D'Oro strike is being released, telling the workers story. 

Via UFCW: MoveOn.org is launching a new effort--and they need our help. The goal is to help create a "Contract for the American Dream"—a people-powered plan for creating an economy that works for ALL of us. UFCW members and allies can play a key role in this effort: helping to choose the best ideas for fixing our economy.

Friday Morning One-Liners:

Study confirms: Bigger the Walmart, Fatter the Shoppers. Walmart makes you fat.

But wait, they're offering healthy foods now, right? BNET looks at why Walmart's "Healthy Food" campaign is doomed: 

That’s because  Walmart’s two-pronged pledge — 1) to reduce sodium, trans fat and sugar in its Great Value brand of packaged foods and 2) to somehow reduce the prices of fruits and vegetables — is a superficial solution to a deep-rooted problem. Read the entire article here: http://www.bnet.com/blog/food-industry/why-the-walmart-michelle-obama-plan-for-healthy-eating-is-doomed/2307

Eurasia Review is not happy about what's happening to New York City, Walmart coming may be the final straw.

Walmart is also asking the Supreme Court to protect them from Wage Discrimination cases, what!? Check out the informative story at the Huffington Post.

Poverty in America looks at Bill de Blasio's report "Walmart in NYC would lower retail wages"

UFCW Local 1776 rejected Acme's contract offer. More: 'Acme Workers Don't Want Buyouts'

Ahold reported 'Strong Q4' numbers. [Progressive Grocer]

Ahold USA, fourth-quarter net sales were $5.6 billion, a 6.0 percent rise when compared with adjusted fourth-quarter 2009 sales. 

Washington Post looks at why Supermarket Stocks are slumping.

Weeks End One Liners: BJ's Wholesale Club to Raise Membership Fees

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

BJ's Wholesale Club announced they will raise membership fees.  They recently reported sales gains of 4.8%

Sheepshead Bites wonders if Walmart should come to the five boroughs.

Working in These Times also blogs about the potential Walmart in NYC.


Mike DeBonis of the Washington Post explains, it looks like Walmart is finally going to open in Washington D.C. with their 'urban' format stores.

Wall Street Journal and Washington Post report that Walmart plans on opening four stores in the DC area.

A tentative agreement has been reached between Albertson's and the UFCW in New Mexico.

The Teamsters said they'll honor grocery picket lines if UFCW Local 21 strikes.


Bottom Dollar Food Store is taking a vacant former Pathmark site in Trenton. NJ.com says Bottom Dollar is looking to expanding across the state.


Ahold doesn't meet sales expectations, says sales in U.S. are strong.

Baseball's, Levi's, Converse & Dell Computers, see what else made the list at Yahoo! Finance: 18 Iconic Products that America Doesn't Make Anymore.

Tomato Workers Sign Historical Agreement in Florida:

After more than 15 years of struggle, justice may be just around the corner in the Florida tomato fields. In what workers call a “watershed moment,” the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) and the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange (FTGE) yesterday signed an agreement that will extend the CIW’s Fair Food principles to more than 90 percent of the Florida tomato industry.

Migrant workers in Canada bargain historic contract:

A group of seasonal workers in Abbotsford have won what their union says is a precedent-setting contract that includes higher wages and benefits like overtime pay and statutory holidays.

NYC & Greater Area

Bloomberg "trims" thousands of jobs to cut budget.

New Jersey, due to an unclaimed property law that was recently passed, unused gift card balances were being sent to the State after two years of inactivity.  This would of course help the budget deficit that the State faces.  The Jersey Food Council won an injunction to put an end to the State collecting the revenue.

New Stop and Shop Built with Taxpayer Money May Diminish Community’s Economic Growth

New Stop and Shop Built with Taxpayer Money May Diminish Community’s Economic Growth

Stop and Shop Supermarket Breaks Their Promise of Good Jobs to Rockaway, Queens Residents

In October of 2009, Stop and Shop Supermarkets received $16 million dollars in taxpayer funded Federal Stimulus money. The money was for a brand new, 55,000-square-foot Stop & Shop supermarket, located on Rockaway Peninsula. Once they received the money, they said “We are proud to be part of the economic resurgence of this community.” Unfortunately, pride has quickly turned into greed.

Stop and Shop is currently negotiating a new Union contract with UFCW Local 1500, which represents Stop and Shop employees throughout the metropolitan New York area. They are aggressively seeking to lower the quality of those jobs. Under Stop and Shop’s current proposal, employee wages would suffer, health benefits would be slashed, and employees would be stuck having to pay more for health care while pension benefits would be cut. Any new employees would be treated “second-class” workers. With these outrageous proposals, the workers at the new Rockaway supermarket would make far less than all other Stop and Shop grocery workers. The message Stop and Shop is giving is clear: they’ll take the taxpayer money, but won’t invest back into the community. It’s clear they just want to take advantage of the New Yorkers who financed their new store in Rockaway.

THIS IS NOT WHAT THE RESIDENTS OF

ROCKAWAY PENINSULA WERE PROMISED!

TELL STOP AND SHOP TO BARGAIN A NEW UNION CONTRACT THAT GIVES YOUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS THE WAGES AND BENEFITS THEY DESERVE!

Call Stop and Shop at 631-834-1476 or email them at: echacemarino@STOPANDSHOP.COM

And tell them your tax dollars should not fuel

Stop and Shop’s Greed!

A message from the 23,000 members of UFCW Local 1500

www.1union1voice.com

Media Advisory: Grocery Union Urges Consumers to Use Caution When Placing 4th of July Food Orders

News from UFCW Local 1500

Grocery Union Urges Consumers to Use Caution When Placing 4th of July Food Orders...

Picket Lines and Staff Shortages Would Affect Service

QUEENS VILLAGE, NY (06/18/2010)(readMedia)-- United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1500, New York State's largest grocery workers' Union, is urging shoppers to exercise "caution" as they begin to place their food orders for the upcoming Fourth of July holiday. The "Consumer Alert" is part of the Union's campaign to notify the public of a potential strike that could affect over 150 supermarkets and 16,000 workers. With contracts set to expire Saturday, June 26th, any potential job action could affect the 4th of July weekend for tens of thousands of customers. Companies involved in the negotiations are Stop and Shop Supermarket, King Kullen Markets and Pathmark, which is owned by A&P (Great Atlantic and Pacific Company).

"Due to the potential of a strike over the Fourth of July weekend, we urge shoppers to consider alternatives when placing their food orders at Pathmark and the other two companies," said Patrick Purcell, spokesperson for UFCW Local 1500. "Customers have a right to know what is happening. In the event of a labor dispute, no matter what "contingency plans" the three companies will try to implement, no shopper should feel comfortable putting their deli, bakery, floral or produce orders in the hands of a Supermarket whose workers are on strike."

"The area that would be affected is home to over one million union households" Purcell explained. "Those families will never cross a picket line. Nor will the friends and neighbors of the workers who are on strike. Should there be a strike or the continued threat of a strike at Pathmark and the other Supermarkets, the best solution for everyone would be to seek other shopping options till the dispute is resolved."

Greg Pasqual, a Stop and Shop worker from Dutchess County, explained the problem. "You can't replace 80% of your workforce expecting to deliver the same quality products and customer service shoppers demand from Stop and Shop and the two other Supermarkets."

"Even if they [Stop & Shop and Pathmark] transfer help from Connecticut and New Jersey into the striking stores, that would just hurt customers who shop at those Supermarkets in New Jersey and Connecticut. King Kullen does not even have that option and would face massive staff shortages. We need to avoid this strike so no one, especially our customers, will have their Holiday weekend ruined," Pasquale concluded.

For consumers, the Union has sent up a web address that will lead them to public updates about the potential strike. The website is www.nysupermarkets.com.

United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1500 is based out of Queens Village and represents 23,000 grocery workers in the Metropolitan New York area.

Permalink: http://readme.readmedia.com/Grocery-Union-Urges-Consumers-to-Use-Caution-When-Placing-

Supermarkets and wine, Ahold (Stop & Shop) doing just fine, Tuesday One Liners..

Image via Wikipedia

Virgin Megastore will be closing it's doors for good.

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Wal-Mart is closing Canadian SAM'S CLUBS

Newsday will start charging Internet surfers for content on its Web site. But exactly when that will happen and how it will work is still anybody’s guess.

What's the future of the Southhampton King Kullen project?

Price Chopper is urging customers to support the wine expansion.

The New York Post has a great synopsis of the supermarket wine battle.

Editorial:Uncork the wine at the supermarket.

The Fresh Market was to have closed its store in Michigan Sunday, signaling its exit from the Michigan market, published reports said. Read more of this story

A repositioned Ahold is holding up well in a difficult economy. The retailer here on Monday reported increases in sales and net profits for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended Dec. 28, with U.S. chains Stop & Shop and Giant-Landover each posting their best quarterly identical-store sales in five years.
Read more of this story