Join Us on June 6th: Food Workers & Food Justice Conference!

It's right around the corner! Register today for this great event we're co-sponsoring with our friends from Food Chain Workers Alliance and Align!  Register here: http://foodworkersandjustice.eventbrite.com/

Tuesday Afternoon One Liners: New Poll Shows Americans Oppose Weakening Bargaining Rights

A NYTimes & CBS Poll  reveals that a majority of Americans oppose weakening of collective bargaining rights, backing Public Sector Unions.  More @ AFL-CIO.

A&P Stock hits another new low, under $0.86.

Target projects sales will hit over $100 billion on Canada stores.  Meanwhile their sales are up 3%.

Gristede's goes wireless.

Poll: Walmart's U.S. Sales, Long Road to Recovery.

"I think Wal-Mart has lost their way," said Howard Davidowitz, chairman of Davidowitz & Associates Inc., a retail consulting and investment banking firm in New York. "Wal-Mart focused on this fancy remodeling program and fancy apparel, and it's totally off track with their whole business." 

Walmart is countering Unions with a "Pro-Labor" PR Blitz

In San Diego, Fresh & Easy stores are being picketed.

Farmworkers demand better pay from Trader Joe's,  The Coalition of Immokalee Workers, a Florida-based workers' rights group is only asking for a 0.35 cent pay raise for every 32 pound bucket of tomatoes they pick, and Trader Joe's (everyone's favorite friendly grocer) refuses. Read more: @ DNAinfo

More @ Gothamist.

Progressive Grocer covers the protest at the Upper West Side Trader Joe's.

Disney workers approved their union contract with UFCW.

#Wisconsin:
UFCW Member Trish Hawkins "We Are Wisconsin!"

U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis: "Collective Bargaining is the cornerstone of democracy, part of the solution."

NBA Union backs Wisconsin workers.

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.

Monday Morning One Liners...

Image via Wikipedia

A campaign to organize Wal-Mart in Minnesota is picking up steam...

Wal-Mart also announced that the weak economy has slowed the expansion of 'Marketside', their small-store format banner.

PriceChopper opens a 'Green' store.

King Kullen amongst several businesses that will hire Veterans.

The working class has learned Governor Ritter (Colorado) is no friend to the working class.

Safeway and grocery employees agreed Thursday to extend their work contract until June 26.

Whole Foods Market said last week that Lady Moon Farms and Alderman Farms are the first Florida tomato growers to sign agreements with the natural food retailer in support of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers' (CIW) "penny-per-pound" program, which is designed to boost tomato harvesters’ pay. Both farms are long-term partners of Whole Foods.

And the jobless rate jumped to 9.4%.

Rudy Giuliani joined Sarah Palin for a Yankees game.

Is Palin running for president?

Just a reminder Local 1500's General Membership meeting is this Wednesday, you can RSVP on Facebook.

Event Update: Coalition of Immokalee Workers

Image by Getty Images via DaylifeCome hear Florida Tomato Pickers Speak Out!

UFCW Local 1500 & The Building Blocks Project welcomes the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to New York City, where they will speak out about working conditions and their campaigns to get fast food chains to pay a fair price for the tomatoes they pick.

Join us on Wednesday, December 10 at 7.30 pm at the Church of the Holy Trinity 316 E. 88th between 1st & 2nd Avenues.

Download the Flyer here.

For more information head here.

Fresh & Easy, Whole Foods does the right thing for Florida workers, Thursday Morning One Liners...

Image via Wikipedia

Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market here said yesterday it plans to introduce more than 200 additional private-label products by the end of the year.
Read more of this story

 

Whole Foods Market said it will work with the 4,000-plus member Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), the Florida-based farm worker organization that is promoting the Campaign for Fair Food, to help improve wages and working conditions for Florida tomato pickers.

JBS Swift fires about 100 Muslims for 'violation' of union contract

 Wal-Mart said it is celebrating Hispanic Heritage month through a national campaign that provides information and resources for the pursuit of higher education. 

More trendier small-box stores: The Market, a 14,000-square-foot grocery store its developers say is a "state-of-the-art" store taking advantage of the trend toward smaller stores specializing in fresh foods and essential groceries, is set to open here next week, published reports said.
Read more of this story

 

Walgreens in Illinois, is challenging the legality of a recently passed San Francisco ordinance that will ban sales of tobacco products at pharmacies there beginning Oct. 1, according to published reports.
Read more of this story

 

Thousands of grocery store workers throughout Saskatchewan are taking a strike vote to pressure their employer to ante up in contract talks.

Developer Bruce Ratner said he will break ground on the $4 billion Brooklyn Atlantic Yards project in December.

Political

Election Shows the Power of Working Families Party

Mike Tomasky wonders if the truth will "catch up" to McCain-Palin.

 Upstate primaries may help topple State Senate majority Three primaries in the Buffalo area yesterday could help determine whether Democrats take control of the State Senate in January for the first time in more than 40 years

The Daily Dose of Palin:

"I am a liberal but I love Sarah Palin."