Wegmans is the Wrong Fit for Brooklyn

Bruce W. Both, President of New York's largest grocery workers union, the 23,000 member United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1500 Union (UFCW), today released the following statement after the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation announced Wegmans will anchor the redevelopment plans for Admirals Row.

"Our communities surrounding the Brooklyn Navy Yard are in desperate need of a supermarket, one with a proven track record of providing healthy food, affordable food, and sustainable jobs for New York City. While the public spotlight is on the popularity of Wegmans to its upstate consumers, it's our responsibility to shine a light on the types of jobs they may bring to Brooklyn.

"Our communities need jobs with benefits in order to support and grow our families. Brooklyn deserves jobs which provide guaranteed raises, pay, benefits, and job security. But most importantly in the New York City food retail industry, our community needs a guaranteed set amount of working hours, to make it possible support our families and to balance a schedule between work and family life. Will Wegmans be offering this to the Brooklyn community?

"After all, it's about providing our Brooklyn community members with opportunities for stable and sustainable careers. Simply put, the company has no familiarity or understanding of providing good jobs and healthy food in New York City.

"The Brooklyn Navy Yard needed a responsible employer that our communities and families could count on to build a better Brooklyn. They needed a company that would help Brooklyn families attain the American Dream. What it didn't need was yet another out of town transplant to move into its neighborhood again. Brooklyn deserved better."

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United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1500, based out of Westbury, New York, represents 23,000 grocery workers in New York City, Long Island, Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess Counties. Members of Local 1500 are employed by Pathmark, Fairway, Stop and Shop, Gristedes, D'Agostino, Key Food, Shop Rite and King Kullen.
Stay up to date with UFCW Local 1500 on twitter @ufcw1500, facebook.com/ufcw1500, and at ufcw1500.org.

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Image via Wikipedia

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As the plans look now, Pier One would move out of the building it occupies and into the Fortunoff building, which would be expanded from 6,000 to 10,000 square feet. Its former building would be expanded to anywhere from 24,000 to 30,000 square feet to accommodate a supermarket.


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Monday Morning One Liners...

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The nation's first housing development to start construction with federal stimulus money is under investigation for cheating workers out of wages, the Daily News has learned.

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A Trader Joe's opened in New Jersey Friday on what was once a former Whole Foods site. 

Wal-Mart's India:
Wal-Mart opened their first store in India, Chairman Robson Walton met with Prime Minister Singh, and plans on opening 40 more stores throughout India, increasing the already dominant grasp the retail giant has on the global market.

Crain's: Growing the Market, a spotlight on Fairway Market.

The unemployment rate in New York City has been above 10 percent for months, but it's thought to be even worse within the city's 343 public housing developments.

Nassau Officials have started the recount for the Suozzi - Mangano race, putting Suozzi's future in limbo.

Elizabeth Benjamin asks if Bill Thompson's future could be in Washington, possibly challenging Gillibrand?

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Mayor Bloomberg broke ground on a $23 Million, 55,000 Square-Foot, Stop and Shop at the Rockaway Peninsula Saturday.  The Stop & Shop will bring union jobs and a long needed supermarket to the under-served community.

The state of Tennessee is considering the sale of wine in Grocery stores.

Meanwhile, two Giant Eagle stores in Pittsburgh were awarded licenses to sell beer.

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Image via Wikipedia

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Image by Paul Lowry via Flickr

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Monday Morning One Liners...

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

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Development:

4 stories, regarding a new supermarket within the development of the new Brooklyn Navy Yard, asking for a developer to include a 40,000 sqft market...One article argues bringing jobs to community members...

http://www.globest.com/news/1449_1449/newyork/179753-1.html

http://therealdeal.com/newyork/articles/proposals-requested-for-brooklyn-navy-yard

http://www.brownstoner.com/brownstoner/archives/2009/07/navy_yards_kick.php

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090709/FREE/907099976/0/NEWSLETTER

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