Monday Mornin' One Liners

Hope you all had a great weekend, here's some quick updates: 

A federal judge has ruled against the NLRB union posting,

UFCW Local 1776 members from Tops Market ratify a new 3-year contract.

Local 464a ratified a new agreement with Foodtown on Friday.

Walmart says they're ready for Target's competition in Canada.

Target is breaking ground on a new $103 million dollar food distribution center in Ohio.

A new study reveals that Walmart and other big-box stores are linked to the creation of hate groups.


Walmart CEO made $18.1 million last year.

Whole Foods is opening up in Detroit, vowing to supply the store locally.   The CEO also pledged to make the store, the 'best Whole Foods has to offer.'


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Afternoon News Recaps: 6/8/11

UFCW Contract Update: Southern California grocery struggle to preserve medical benefits.
 ....Authorizing strikes at major supermarket chains in San Diego.

UFCW urges shoppers to respect picket line in Southern California.

Congressional Republicans threatening to cut National Labor Relations Board.

Chronic unemployment worse than Great Depression.

The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. has hammered out a new money-saving agreement with its wholsale supplier.

A&P makes deal with major supplier to cut costs.

Protests in 10 cities to support FLOC.

Wal-Mart works with unions abroad, not at home.

Valley Stream Target vote being watched closely by other big-box retailers.

Sparks start to fly in Target fight 


Local 324 members of Southern California struggle to preserve medical benefits in new collective bargaining agreement.

Chronic unemployment worse than Great Depression.

Local 135 of San Diego can effectively srtike major supermarket chains.

The British Embassay in Washington, D.C., and consulates in nine U.S. cities were picketed by Union activists.

Wal-Mart works with unions abroad, but not at home.

Tuesday Morning One Liners: Wal-Mart's Newest NYC Push, Polling

Wal-Mart

Join the Wal-Mart Free NYC Coalition on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wal-Mart-Free-NYC/151784818201968

Crain's updates the 'Wal-Mart Comes to Town' hearing which was originally scheduled for today, and has been rescheduled to January 12.  More @ Brooklyn Eagle.

Walmart has yet to decide if it will send a representative to address the city council, but its director of community affairs, Steven Restivo, told Crains’s New York Business last week the company would do what it can to help inform the discussion but he did not see the need for a council hearing.

AP: Fail twice, try again [Walmart & NYC].

NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn told Walmart they're not welcome in NYC, citing underpaying their employees. 

NY Daily News: Wal-Mart may land in East New York, Community braces for Big Box retailer.

Wall Street Journal: Wal-Mart seeks Union Support for NYC Store.  Here's a WSJ Poll if Wal-Mart should open a store in NYC or not.

ABC News: Wal-Mart courts Building Trade Unions for NYC Store.

New York Times: Wal-Mart tries again for a NYC store.

Forbes reports that analysts love Walmart's potential expansion in and NY and that they're leaving Moscow.


Conveniently, Walmart (Wal-Mart) conducted a poll which found that 'small businesses want Wal-Mart'. NY Mag was the only media outlet to call Wal-Mart's poll out (for conducting their own poll).

Last night, Richard Lipsky from the Neighborhood Retail Alliance joined Neil Cavuto on Fox News to discuss Wal-Mart and NYC. [YouTube]

A&P

Supermarket News: A&P’s last-ditch effort for additional funding fell short when supplier C&S Wholesale Grocers refused to provide cost concessions, leading in part to the retailer’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, A&P said Monday.

Crain's is also reporting that A&P will likely retain their NYC stores.  Citing that their 58 city supermarkets are among their strongest and have always attracted buyers.

Bankruptcy puts 5,500 Philly jobs in jeopardy.

Bloomberg News summarizes details of the bankruptcy.

WHY IT HAPPENED: The company, which owns A&P, Pathmark, Super Fresh and other grocery stores, has struggled for years with heavy debt and sinking sales. Its problems were compounded when the recession hit and consumers cut back spending and competition among grocery stores, discounters and other retailers intensified. The grocer is also struggling with pension costs, leases for closed stores, a troublesome contract with a key supplier and a roughly $13 million payment for interest on a debt that is due Wednesday.

Progressive Grocer: A&P Files for Bankruptcy


Elsewhere...

UFCW Local 27 has been protesting a ShopRite in Bel Air.

BJ's in Red Hook and more top news....

Image via Wikipedia

Plans to bring BJ’s Wholesale Club, potentially the second big box retailer in Red Hook, sent a shiver of excitement and mild horror through the neighborhood this week.

 Worsening product price inflation -- with many food products exceeding 5% cost increases -- is making for a "painful" environment for A&P and its shoppers, Christian Haub, executive chairman of the Montvale, N.J.-based retailer, said in remarks at the Goldman Sachs Global Retailing Conference on Wednesday.
Read more of this story

 

Delhaize Group here on Wednesday released its first "Corporate Responsibility Report," highlighting the retailer's accomplishments in areas such as the environment and health and wellness.
Read more of this story

 

Wal-Mart Stores, Bentonville, Ark., said yesterday it has established a new regional headquarters for Asia here to oversee its operations in China, India and Japan and to identify new business opportunities throughout Asia.
Read more of this story

 

Wal-Mart unveiled a new Smart Network in-store TV system on Wednesday that it said will function as the first "shopper-intelligent network at retail.

Boeing Co.'s largest labor union voted to strike Wednesday night, but the union agreed to postpone a walkout for 48 hours after federal mediators urged both sides to return to the bargaining table in a last-ditch effort to reach an agreement.

Political

On the second consecutive night, a lot of the rhetoric at the Republican convention Wednesday evening seemed left over from the last cycle when the fight against terrorism dominated the race.