Monday Morning One Liners....Local 371 protests Fresh Market, more....

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UFCW Local 371 is protesting a new Fresh Market.

Ray Venezia, a third-generation butcher and meat director for Fairway Market explains how to carve a turkey to FOX 5 here in NY. [video]

Police say a fire broke out in Wal-Mart's Christmas tree section outside their store in Westbury, Long Island.

Canada's top court has ruled in favor of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. in a dispute over union organizing efforts at a store in Quebec. Read More: [Bloomberg], [Marketwire] [Investor]

AP: Year after Stampede, Black Friday gets a makeover.

Newsday says that Security outweighed customers at Walmart in Green Acres mall.

DA: Walmart, peaceful this year on Black Friday.

NY Times Blog: Trader Joe's confirms it is coming to the Upper East West Side.

Apple growers upstate NY are leaving more fruit on trees than usual.

UFCW Local 7 members have began voting on their final contract proposal from Safeway, King Soopers, City Market.

U.S. retail shoppers spent about $41.2 billion over the four-day Thanksgiving weekend, up slightly from $41.0 billion last year, according to the National Retail Federation

Delahize closes on a Greek banner.

Penn Traffic Co. has informed the New York State Department of Labor that it could shutter most of its stores on Feb. 15, although reports said the company is still hoping to find a buyer by that time.

Obama visits Kroger, Wine in Grocery stores gets another push in NY, Thursday One Liners...

President Obama spoke about Health Care with UFCW membes at a Kroger in Virginia yesterday.

Here comes another push for wine in grocery stores here in New York:
Legislation has been introduced in both the New York state senate and assembly to allow wine in grocery stores, after a similar proposal was cut from the state budget last spring amid complaints from liquor store owners, according to published reports.

A Chicago City Council committee today voted to kick the controversial plan for a South Side Wal-Mart store to another committee.

Wal-Mart has filed an injunction against the UFCW Canada, alleging the UFCW should not be permitted to use the word Wal-Mart!?

The suit would force the UFCW to stop using words like "Wal-Mart alone or with other words...in a color scheme of blue, white and gold" which is similar to that adopted by Wal-Mart Canada. The injunction seeks to bar the UFCW from using such words or symbols on its website, business cards, flyers or advertising. The company has included in its injunction "an oval, circular or semi-circular design that adopts the essential characteristics and color scheme of Wal-Mart's Rebranded Indicia

Read the entire article by Al Norman here. The UFCW Canada has denounced the suit,:(press release)

“Walmart’s response to the success of www.walmartworkerscanada.ca is just another outrageous example of how the largest retailer in the history of the world will use its bottomless legal budget to manipulate the collective bargaining process and do just about anything to discourage its ‘associates’ from joining the union.”

A new report released yesterday revealed that retailers are paying large fines for labor violations, now more than ever.

The Food Safety Enchancement Act of 2009 failed to pass in the House.

Eight organizations who united in Pennsylvania to fight obesity were recognized.

A new report surfaced revealing that obesity costs the United States about $147 Billion annually.

Farming: Northeast Tomatoes have been lost, will Potatoes be next?

Are Starbucks and Whole Foods Union Busters? An inside look behind closed doors at anti-union meetings.

The CSEA here in NY has backed Gillibrand.

David Paterson says people should be focusing on government, not his poll numbers.

Thursday Morning One Liners..

al-Mart is sparing no expense on their frugal attempts to enter the south-side of Chicago, now they're planning on sponsoring a 'farmers market' in a weak pathetic attempt to be welcomed into the graces of the Chicago citizens. Wal-Mart + Local Famers Market=???

UFCW Local 371 held a Wal-Mart rally.

Displaced Wal-Mart workers fear for benefits.

Wal-Mart got another property valuatinon cut, this time for $1.2 million.

Gaming workers at Bally’s and Caesars casinos in Atlantic City voted overwhelmingly over the weekend to authorize a strike if they are unable to reach a contract agreement with management.

Great editorial: "No excuses left on EFCA [Employee Free Choice Act'"

"Raising the minimum wage is one of the easiest things we can do to give working people a leg up. It's an instant economic stimulus for the people who need it the most."-Dan Cantor, WFP Executive Director, on today's ten cent increase in the minimum wage, in Newsday.

5 New York Democrats holding up Healthcare.

An estimated 123,000 New Yorkers will get a raise on Friday.

City
Ikea slaps a $5 fee for an allegedly "free" water taxi.
More at the Daily News.

A Cancer awareness group is suing Nathan's Hot Dogs.

UFCW contract updates, ACME settles, Stella D'Oro fights to stay open, Amish Market in Glendale not popular anymore?

Image via Wikipedia

Good Morning on a Friday!

Workers at Stella D’Oro are filing an NLRB charge alleging that a private equity company is illegally closing the plant to avoid the union.

BJ's aims to take business from supermarkets during recession:
BJ's Wholesale Club Inc. , the No. 3 U.S. warehouse club operator, is focused on taking business from grocery stores as consumers look to save money on food in the recession.

Staten Island residents are more than pleased that Pathmark is returning to New Dorp.

Contracts
Fresh & Easy suppliers have a union election tomorrow (Friday) in California.

UFCW Local 1776 approved a contract with ACME yesterday.

Here's the letter that ACME president sent to all UFCW members....More at the Progressive Grocer.

Congratulations to workers at Swift meatpacking plant:
UFCW Local 711 reached a contract agreement with JBS a meat packing plant, a negotiation which took a little over eight months. The first contract for workers at JBS Swift & Co. will result in a 4.6% increase in the 1,100 employees at the plant.

Denver-area Safeway and King Soopers workers agreed Wednesday to extend their contracts with the grocery chains until Aug. 15...
The latest news is that negotiations are moving towards equal pay.

Must Read:
The Gotham Gazette: An Outer Borough Drought.
The Gazette looks at the supermarket drought throughout the five boroughs, a topic which we've been lobbying and arguing for the last year with our Building Blocks Project.

Developments:
Gourmet Garage opens up in the Upper West Side.

Rumors continue to arise regarding a new Trader Joe's or Gourmet Garage in the SOHA (South Harlem) building between 117th and 118th Street on Frederick Douglass Boulevard.

Food Lion will build it's first 'Green Supermarket' in southern California.

Hannaford, here in the North East, will unveil their first 'Green Supermarket'.

Atlas Park: Craving a supermarket not an Amish Market.
“The community of Glendale is crying out for a supermarket to move into their neighborhood, and we have just the location for you,” the prepared materials read.

One prospective tenant, Western Beef, has already turned down Atlas Park over parking access.
Read more at the Queens Tribune.

Wal-Mart:
In a long five year battle, UFCW Local 1400 (Canada) is appealing a decision by Court of Queen's Bench Justice Peter Foley, who ruled last month that the certification of a Wal-Mart, in the town of Weyburn, was wrong.

Workers in foreign factories that supply Wal-Mart can't blame the company for their alleged sweatshop conditions, despite the retail giant's code of conduct that's supposed to hold its contractors to decent labor standards, a federal appeals court ruled Friday.

Wal-Mart Stores here will discuss the development of a new index that measures the "social and environmental impact" of its products at a press conference today, reports said yesterday.
UFCW responds to Bashas' bankrupcy.

Whole Foods/Trader Joe's:
Greenpeace vs Trader Joe's in the sustainable seafood war.

Whole Foods Market is promoting the fact that one of its own lives in Alaska for the summer to ensure that the best salmon is carried in its stores.

Whole Foods Organically Certified:
Whole Foods Market yesterday announced that it each of its 273 U.S. stores has been individually certified organic by CCOF, a non-profit, U.S. Department of Agriculture accredited third-party certifier established in 1973.

Politics

The NY Mets, everyone's lovable losers, owe New York City more than $2 million due to 'underreported profits'

Texting banned while driving in NYC.

The NY Senate gives more power to the minority.

Carolyn Maloney has an edge over Kirsten Gillibrand in a Rasmussen poll.

BJ's inks a deal in Flushing, Bye Bye Bye to Balducci's, Miami Wal-Mart may organize soon, Tuesday Morning One Liners...

Image via Wikipedia

BJ's Wholesale Club inks another lease in the NYC Metro area.

BJ's to take 170,000 sqft in Canarsie, Brooklyn.

An 89 year old widow is suing BJ's Wholesale Club in an age biased firing.

Balducci's

Village Voice: Bye Bye Balducci's

New York Times: A quiet exit for Balducci's

A U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge here yesterday declined to void the labor contract that Bruno's Supermarkets has with its employees as the company prepares itself for auction this week.
Read more of this story

The end of Bruno's Supermarkets, LLC in its present form could begin as early as this week as a bankruptcy court auction scheduled for Wednesday gets under way, according to a published account. The auction is expected to result in some stores being sold off and others shuttered.

A&P establishes a new age policy for purchasing alcohol and tobacco.

A California UFCW Local may be absorbed by 2 others.

UFCW Local 371 approved a contract with A&P.

More detailed look at the newly approved contract from the Advocate.

King Soopers and Safeway have agreed tentatively with the United Food and Commercial Workers Local No. 7 to include more preventative health care in the new contract.

Costco last week agreed to settle a lawsuit over the sale of "hot gasoline,” -- gasoline above 60 degrees Fahrenheit that expands but is not accounted for at the pumps, resulting in consumers receiving less gasoline than they pay for.

Miami may be the first Wal-Mart to unionize in the United States.

Walmart Workers for Change, a new campaign claiming to represent thousands of the Bentonville, Ark.-based mega-retailer’s 1.3 million associates across the United States, the campaign has employees in over 100 stores in 15 states who have signed union representation cards, alleging a lack of respect from the company, in addition to low wages and inadequate benefits as reasons to become unionized.

Check their new video here.

Chicago's Wal-Mart super-center is now back on the table.

Bashas' plans to cut under performing stores.

The Fresh Market will expand to Philly.

Trader Joe's will open a new NJ store this summer.

A new Sam's Club will be opening in Edison N.J.

Fresh Direct responds to the anti-idling law.

Ruben Diaz Jr. is officially a borough president.

King Kullen to close in Staten Island, Friday news...

Image via WikipediaHere's Obama on the Employee Free Choice Act.

King Kullen in New Dorp, Staten Island to shut doors next month.

Supermarket News covers the story.

"We are extremely concerned about our members who work in that store and will do everything within our power to minimize the effect this store closing has on them and their families," said Bruce Both, president of Local 1500.

Revenue at some Long Island City establishments is down as much as 70 percent, in large part due to recent weekend No. 7 line service interruptions and the closure of nearby Borden Avenue Bridge for repairs, according to several business owners interviewed by the Queens Chronicle this week.

Canada Wal-Mart asks High Court to dismiss store closure suit.

Stop & Shop Supermarket responds to the peanut butter recall.

Another New Jersey Wal-Mart opens [AC].

The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. here said yesterday it would sell a line of "stylish, reusable" lunch bags at all its banners: A&P, The Food Emporium, Pathmark, SuperFresh and Waldbaum's.

Long Island lost 21,600 private-sector jobs in the 12-month period ended in December, compared with a year ago, marking the weakest local job market in 16 years, according to data released yesterday by the New York State Labor Department.


Politics

Patterson picks Gillibrand for Senate.

Rep Carolyn McCarthy knocks Patterson's selection.

Suozzi's future is in Albany.

Court to rule on Wal-Mart's unionized store closures, Peanut Butter recall, Politics politics politics...

Canada Wal-Mart workers vs Wal-Mart in the Supreme Court begins today.

Top Court to rule on Wal-Mart store closure today...

In response to the news that Salmonella was found in a package of Austin Quality Foods Toasty Crackers with Peanut Butter, manufacturer Kellogg Co. in Michigan has activated its sales force of several thousand employees, and engaged the help of a third-party retrieval company to rid retailers’ shelves of recalled Kellogg’s products.
Read more of this story

Politics

A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says Hillary Rodham Clinton was not confirmed as secretary of state Tuesday because of a single senator's objection.

While Gov. David Paterson said Tuesday he had reached a decision on whom to appoint to Hillary Clinton’s Senate seat and will make the announcement by Saturday.

The Daily News has much more on his pondering.

Mayoral hopeful Bill Thompson returned a $500 donation to real-estate scam artist and Brooklyn developer Isaac Toussie, who was pardoned and then quickly unpardoned by then-President George Bush, campaign records revealed yesterday.

While Anthony Weiner though received $9,900 and has yet to return it.

Liquor store owners uniting against plan to let grocery stores sell wine.