Keep Stella D'Oro in the Bronx, Support Local 1776, Friday Morning One LIners...

"They wanted to take us back to the dark ages. We told them we weren't going there."

-Mike Filippou, on why workers at the Stella D'Oro cookie factory in the Bronx braved picket lines for 11 months, in yesterday's Daily News.

“Even if I go back for an hour, I’ll get satisfaction,” said Mike Filippou, 43, a union representative and a maintenance mechanic at the plant for 15 years. “They’re saying they’re going to close to get us to agree to whatever they offer, but we didn’t stay out 11 months for nothing. We’re going to fight it.” In Yesterday's New York Times

AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka yesterday announced his candidacy for president of the AFL-CIO to succeed the retiring John Sweeney. Trumka has served as AFL-CIO secretary-treasurer since 1995.

A supermarket owner who took $50,000 in public funds to renovate his store has been arrested and charged with fraud in relation to the award.

Acme and UFCW Local 1776 are nearing a contract deadline. Neither side seems willing to budge....Meanwhile Local 1776 officials yesterday accused Acme Markets of refusing to compromise as a midnight contract deadline approached, but they urged 4,500 area supermarket employees to report to work today and stay on the job until a membership meeting Wednesday.

Yesterday Whole Foods announced they will abandon plans to open a store in Gowanus, Brooklyn.

13 Dunkin Donuts in NYC turn into Tim Horton's. What??

BJ's Wholesale Club's sales continue to dip.

Citing unfair labor practices, Teamster employees at Hilton Suites on Chicago's Magnificent Mile have chosen to strike against the hotel, effective this past Friday.

Wal-Mart
A federal judge has given final approval to a $17.5 million settlement of a discrimination lawsuit that accused Wal-Mart Stores Inc. of not hiring black truck drivers.

The UFCW is appealing the decision in Canada which overturned the unionization of a Wal-Mart.


Politics

Labor leaders to meet with President Obama Monday.

If you missed the Working Families NYC Mayoral Forum, it's available online....Bill Thompson ended up getting the WFP endorsement.

Pope Benedict XVI advocates for more unions.

Pedro Espada is back, and now majority leader. Saying his actions led to a transformational change that will empower all senators, dissident Democrat Sen. Pedro Espada Jr. rejoined the conference he walked away from a month ago, and returned control of the state Senate to Democrats.

Maloney tells the Queens Tribune, "I'm Ready for Senate"

Trader John's is no more, Wal-Mart pays more fines....

Image via WikipediaThe South Hampton Press writes on grocery stores permitted to sell wine.

Wal-Mart's paying Minnesota $14 Million.

Trader John's is no more, after a court ruling yesterday, here's a photo of them covering the sign up.

More @ city life: Another defeat for Castamatidis. Lots of blogs are having fun with this story.


Wal-Mart, which used to enjoy good business despite the economic slowdown, is experiencing the bite of the ongoing recession on its sales, said outgoing Wal-Mart chief executive officer H. Lee Scott.

Lee Scott regrets not addressing his critics.


Wal-Mart & the American Labor Movement

• Can Labor Revive the American Dream? [The Nation]
  This simple amendment to federal labor law, which would, among other things, allow workers to unionize when a majority sign cards rather than requiring a bruising election, has galvanized the business community in a way even the $700 billion bailout couldn't. "I get the sense that this is more important to them than even taxes or regulation," says the AFL-CIO's director of government affairs, Bill Samuels. "This is about power. And the business community is not going to give up power willingly." Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott said as much to a meeting with analysts in October. "We like driving the car," he told them, "and we're not going to give the steering wheel to anybody but us."
  

• Passage of US Employee Free Choice Act is Key to Global Organising Drive [UNI Global Union (Switzerland)]
  Jennings on Tuesday chaired a meeting with leaders of US unions affiliated to both the AFL-CIO and the Change to Win federation, who are working together to get the legislation passed. UNI President and UFCW President Joe Hansen and AFL-CIO President John Sweeney spoke at the opening of the meeting, which also included representatives from the International Trade Union Confederation and trade union centres from around the world.

The Fresh Market to open first Connecticut store in Novermber.

Politics

Freshman State Sen. Brian X. Foley has landed a plum committee chairmanship as Democrats assume control of the Senate for the first time in 43 years

New Yorkers want Cuomo over Kennedy.

Here's more on Suozzi and seat.

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