Wednesday News: BJ's Recall,

BJs Wholesale Club Recalls Ground Beef
A ground beef recall due to possible E.coli contamination includes distribution to BJ's Wholesale Club in eight states. Approximately 8,500 pounds of ground beef were recalled. 


BJ's May Close Store
WESTBORO, Mass-- After a more than 20- year presence, BJ's Wholesale Club in Westboro may close next year, when the company opens a bigger store less than 2 miles away. 


Seattle Times: Costco Bans Treatment of Veal Calves
Costco Wholesale decried the treatment of veal calves by a supplier in Ohio, saying the company did not know about it before seeing video taken by the activist group Mercy for Animals. 


Hannaford " Coming Soon" to Lake Placid


Whole Foods Keeps Promise to Buy Locally
"One of our goals is to have the fewest amount of miles between growers and stores- especially our fruits and vegetables"- Michael Sinatra, Whole Foods Market Northeast Public Relations Coordinator 

Monday News after Noon...

FDA Needs Help Inspecting Food Imports
SAN ANTONIO- As food safety legislation continues to be considered in the Senate, the Food & Drug Administration finds itself lacking resources needed for inspections of imported foods and other products. 


Wegmans CEO recognized by business association
Danny Wegman, cheif executive officer of Wegmans Food Markets, received an award for his lifetime contributions to the retail food industry. 


Wegmans of Collegeville Promotes Available Full-Service Catering Options
The local epicurean experts of the high-quality grocery outlet, Wegmans extend their invitations to assist area residents in all facets of summer entertaining


Kroger says it has deal to avert Michigan strike
Kroger Co. says it's reached a tentative three-year agreement with a labor union, averting a strike by 14,000 workers at 133 stores


Whole Foods Eyes Scotland Expansion


Canaan Elementary gets a helping hand from Hannaford
Canaan Elementary School Principal, Steve Swindells,recently received a $1,000 dollar check from Skowhegan Hannaford. Canaan Elementary School received the bonus for raising the most money for area schools through the Hannaford Helps Schools program. 


Cargo Workers Stage Job Actions
SEATTLE- Backed by Teamsters Local 117, workers at a several loading companies in the Puget Sound region where scheduled to stage job actions Friday at distribution centers operated by Safeway, Fred Meyer and Unified Grocers, among others. 

Foxwoods Bartenders Seek Labor Union Under U.S. Supervision

Bartenders at Foxwoods Resort Casino are trying to form a labor union under the supervision of the U.S. government after failing to organize under the rules of the Indian tribe that owns the casino. 

More: Foxwoods Resort Casino Faces New Demand for Union...[Daily Caller]



In China, Unlikely Labor Leader Just Wanted a Middle-Class Life
Tan Guocheng uis hardly a self-styled labor leader, but last month an hour into his shift at Honda factory in the southern city of Foshan, Mr. Tan pressed an emergency button that shut down his production line. "Let's go out on strike!" he shouted. 


Students Stage Walkout over MetroCard Elimination
About 1,000 students from 23 high schools in Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens met at a rally at City Hall Park, marched across the Brooklyn Bridge and briefly rallied at the Transit Building on Jay Street in Brooklyn to protest the planned cut

Tuesday News Before Noon: Riverhead Walmart back on? Obama Official Slams NY Food Stamps

UFCW files a federal suit against Arizona's Anti-Immigration Policy

The UFCW yesterday joined in a lawsuit filed in federal court challenging the constitutionality of Arizona’s recently passed immigration law, S.B. 1070. Other plaintiffs in the lawsuit include the Service Employees International Union and various civil rights organizations.  “We believe S.B. 1070 is unconstitutional, un-American and that it undermines our nation’s rich immigrant history. The law effectively legalizes racial profiling and sanctions harassment and discrimination. We are filing this suit to protect the rights of our members and all workers in the state of Arizona—and to uphold the values and ideals that make our nation strong.

More @ Supermarket News

Riverhead Walmart suit dismissed, plan back on track... {Newsday}

Riverhead Wal-Mart suit dismissed- Panel rules parties can't sue to block construction

A proposed Wal-Mart superstore in Riverhead is back on track, after a decision by an appellate division panel to throw out a lawsuit that had blocked the project.

Read the entire article here(without subscription).

Obama Official Slams NY Food Stamp Policy

A USDA executive says the city and state policy of fingerprinting Food Stamp applicants cost too much and is ineffective.

Whole Foods and Hannaford Bros are seeking answers:

Should supermarkets use a single-queue checkout system like that seen at aiports and banks?

Eating Right and Big Investor Gains with Whole Foods Market

Lifestyles of Health and Sustainablility (LOHAS) Investors- Putting their money where their mouth is.  Moody's has boosted their rating.

Union: Safeway rejects pay raise for Wyo. workers

CASPER,Wyo.- The union representing Safeway workers at 10 Wyoming stores say the grocery chain has rejected to pay raise proposals.

HEB Unveils Grocery Concept Amid Naming Scuffle

One of Texas' best known and largest grocery chains is being challenged by Trader Joe's Co. in what could herald the West Coast grocer's entry into the state.

Price Chopper is joining the fight against Diabetes.

Earnings Preview:BJ'S Wholesale Club

BJ's, like other wholesale club chains, saw its popularity soar when the recession hit as budget-minded consumers shopped its stores for deals on food and other necessities. That popularity has continued, but shoppers are still staying away from nonessential purchases.

Layoffs for state workers remain unclear as budget snarl continues...

ALBANY-Gov.Paterson is, or is not, contemplating laying off thousands of state workers, depending on who is speaking for the administration

Former Penn Traffic Execs are sentenced....[SN]

Two former Penn Traffic executives who had pleaded guilty to artificially inflating the company's financial performance have been sentenced to 14 months in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York.

Monday News at Noon...

Key Food owner gives back to his community
D'Urso is both the owner of a Key Food on Lefferts Boulevard in Richmond Hill and a humanitarian who loves contributing to his community.


Key Food chain eyes former Shaw's New Haven site
The Greater Dwight Development Corp. is reportedly negotiating with Key Food, a chain of supermarkets in New York City, to fill the space left by Shaw's Supermarket on Whalley Avenue.


Unfair Fowl! Heights Key Food appears to have doctored 'sell-by' date on a chicken
A Brooklyn Heights Key Food was investigated last week after a woman alleged that store workers placed a new "sell by" label on her chicken- 11 days after the date


New York City's Larges Grocery Workers Union Endorses Francisco Moya for New York State Assembly
UFCW Union Local 1500, New York City's larges Labor Union representing supermarket workers, has announced its endorsement of Francisco Moya for New York State Assembly in the 39th Assembly District in Queens.


Hannaford prompts mixed feelings in Saranac Lake (NY)


Wegmans Warns of Check Scam
Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is cautioning consumers about a scam involving fraudulent checks with the grocer's name


30 Rock star Alec Baldwin talks about Wegmans
Wegmans appears to have a grip on one of the country's most famous actors and his mother...


California Wal-Mart Workers Win Settlement over Wage Violations


SEIU's Henry to "refocus" union
UFCW and SEIU jointly campaign against the abuses of Wal-Mart, and the monster anti-worker retailer.


Gov. Paterson threatens cutting 10k jobs
Albany-- Gov.Patterson has put massive state employee layoffs "on the radar screen" after being told the no-layoff pledge he signed with public employee unions is not legally binding


Trader Joe's Founder to Chair Cost Plus
Oakland,Calif- Cost Plus said Joseph H. Coulombe, founder of Trader Joe's Markets, has been named non-executive chairman


Roundy's Prepares to open Chicago- Area Mariano's
Roundy's Supermarkets is now hiring employees for its newest concept, Mariano's Fresh Market, expected to open in Alrighton Heights, Ill., next month


Retail Industry Hails Passage of Interchange Fee Amendment
The amendment enables merchants to offer discounts or incentives for customers to use competing card networks and for customers to pay by cash, check or debit car, as well as allowing retailers to choose to set a minimum or maximum amount to use a credit card.


Culhane Joins Tops as New Perishables Veep
Jeff Culhane has joined Tops Markets, LLC as its new VP of perishable marketing. In his new role at the Williamsville,N.Y.-based Tops, Culhane will be directly responsible for the marketing and merchandising of all of the perishable departments. 


The Food Emporium Offers Arty Bag for a Good Cause
The Food Emporium has teamed up with 3D pop artist Charles Fazzino on a special-edition reusable bag design that will be exclusive to the A&P banner's Manhattan stores.

Thursday News After Noon.....Safeway Offers Union Buyouts, A New Store for King Kullen??

Image via Wikipedia

Safeway East to Offer Union Buyouts...
Safeway is meeting with union employees from its Eastern Division stores this week to discuss buyout offers for certain long-time employees, Supermarket News reported this morning.  Safeway is offering voluntary buyouts that would provide a lump-sum payment, in addition to severance, of between $35,000 and $50,000 to eligible employees.

King Kullen Real Estate: New Southampton Village Project, a New Home for King Kullen?
New development has "ideal real estate" for a supermarket, from the East Hampton Star:

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.


Mr. Gray said he had been in talks with Waldbaum’s but they had not moved forward. He said a smaller grocery operation such as Whole Foods, Citarella, or Food Emporium would be ideal for such a space. If King Kullen did move into the space behind the Sunoco station in Tuckahoe, he said it would be an ideal place for a Wild by Nature store, which is owned by the same company. He said Trader Joe’s, a discounted specialty grocery chain, would not be able to afford the rent at that site. He said he had been told that any market would need at least 30,000 square feet to consider the site, even though Mr. Murphree said the town’s intention was to have a 24,000 to 26,000-square-foot building there.

Columbia Athletics Teams Up with Fairway Market for Shopping Event in Plainview, Long Island
Fairway Market at Plainview, Long Island is hosting a shopping event to support the Columbia Lions on Wednesday, May 19.

Hannaford to take over former Tops site in Lake Placid:
The Hannaford Supermarkets company announced Wednesday that it has signed a lease agreement for a store in the former Tops supermarket site

Wal-Mart Store to pay up to $86M to settle unpaid wages lawsuit
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has agreed to pay up to $86 million to settle a lawsuit alleging it owes workers in California vacation pay and other unpaid wages, according to court filings on Tuesday.  Walmart will pay a minimum of $43 million and up to $86 million, plus the cost associated with a third party to calculate wages due to the workers.

Bristol Walmart workers arrested in connections with eight bomb threats
Bristol, Va. Walmart employees were arrested Tuesday and accused of calling in at least a dozen bomb threats to the store over the past week.

Brooklyn Navy Yard Project gets $60M Injection
A federal initiative that allows foreign investors to finance development projects in areas of high unemployment, according to the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation.

The White House is calling for companies to stop marketing unhealthy foods to kids. [WSJ]
The recommendation is part of an 120-page report released Tuesday that outlines steps to fight the national epidemic. One in every three children ages 2-19 is overweight or obese, the report says. First Lady Michelle Obama has taken up childhood obesity as her signature cause.

UFCW Local 23 members rallied on Tuesday for good jobs in their community. This rally was all about showing solidarity and pride in being a member of their union--the UFCW.

Whole Foods is ahead of Earnings

USDA looks to reduce foodborne illnesses in poultry

UFCW: Arizona is Aiming to Punish Unions

Thursday morning news...

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Industry

The United Automobile Workers union said Wednesday that it would make major concessions in its contracts with the three Detroit auto companies to help them lobby Congress for $34 billion in federal aid.

Hannaford Bros. is asking for voluntary resignations at its 750-employee corporate offices in Scarborough, Maine.

The Greenwhich Times asked Local UFCW president Brian Petronella what will happen to the 80 union members' jobs from a closing 'Shaws'.

Sales of reusable canvas bags at Tesco-owned Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market have more than doubled since the grocer introduced them this past October

Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Markets opened its first two stores yesterday in Bakersfield, Calif., located about 150 miles north of Los Angeles.
Read more of this story

Sears posted a $146M Loss and will close 8 more stores.

JWJ is holding their annual "vote for the national grinch of the year"

Union workers at Safeway, Fry’s and Smith’s stores in Arizona represented by United Food and Commercial Workers Local 99 here have agreed to a contract extension through Dec. 15 as negotiators work on a new deal with employers.
Read more of this story

Chuck Schumer wants local Long Island farm produce in school cafeterias.

The owners of the two Saigon Grill restaurants in Manhattan were arrested Wednesday on more than 400 criminal charges, including violating minimum-wage laws, falsifying business records and defrauding the state’s unemployment insurance system.

Tesco's Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market locations that have been operating for several months "have now moved strongly into [comparable-store sales] growth," Sir Terry Leahy, chief executive officer of the parent company, said.
Read more of this story

Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart Watch released their official statement regarding the death of Mr. Jdimytai Damour

Here is Wake up Wal-Mart's statement.

Mr.Damour's family has filed a lawsuit against Wal-Mart.

Here's more on the suit.

There's a discussion on Craigslist on Local 1500's statement on Wal-Mart.

The NY Post writes on the events aftermath, quote from BWB.

Other

Rob Ecker's restaurant was featured in the Staten Island Advance.

Politics

Here is an update on the Frank Padavan race.

Vito Fossella may run again in 2010.

Patterson is supporting the MTA bailout plan.