Tuesday Morning One Liners: Fresh Direct Won't Cross a 32BJ Picket Line, D'Agostino's New Ad Campaign

Progressive Grocer: Tackling Obesity; A Blueprint for Sucess. 
For the first time, government, the food and beverage industry, parents, and other stakeholders  share the same goal in tackling Obesity.

Stop & Shop Promotes their Green ways, gives away a Hybrid:
As a way to mark Earth Day this week, Stop & Shop is drawing attention to such company-wide green initiatives as the incorporation of sustainable product on shelves, the implementation of energy-efficient lighting in stores and a policy of encouraging customers to use reusable bags. Additionally, this month, the Ahold USA division plans to give away two Honda Insight Hybrids.

The NY Times looks at D'Agostino's new witty, creative advertising campaign: "Managers Gone Wild!"
The specials, on groceries, meat, poultry, produce and baked goods, are peddled with one-liners not often found in the stodgy world of supermarket marketing.
“Somebody slap me, please,” Bob Fonti, the meat manager, says about a sale on Shady Brook ground turkey.
The produce manager, John Vasapoli, declares: “I’ve gone mad! Mad, I tell you!” in pricing broccoli.
You can check out the TV spot here.

Crain's checks out a Park Slope Food Coop that is 'running up more profits and members than it knows what to do with'

New York Times looks at buying in bulk in NYC a look at Costco in Manhattan: 30 Pack of Charmin, but Where to Store It?
When Costco opened its first Manhattan outpost last November, in a soaring East 116th Street shopping complex with river views, management did not know precisely who or what to expect: Would customers stream in from East Harlem and Washington Heights? Or would the aisles be flooded with Upper West Siders stocking up on San Pellegrino? How much demand would there be for kosher meat? Costcos nationwide sell some 57 million rolls of Charmin per month: would people living in cramped apartments go for those 30-roll packages?

Retailwire: Costco's Manhattan Project (Free Subscription Required)

The Journal News: Fairway's Grand Opening in Pelham Manor

The Westchester Magazine checks out Fairway's Grand Opening in Pelham Manor

The Bronx News has great photos of the grand opening

32BJ Contract

"We are ready to walk out if we need to. We all have families to support and rents to pay."
- Santiago Gonzalez, a doorman on the upper East Side and SEIU 32BJ strike captain, in today's Daily News.


Fresh Direct Won't Cross 32BJ Picket Line: Fresh Direct will refuse to enter buildings whose doormen are on strike. The unionized drivers of Local 348S want to show solidarity with building workers, and will make anyone who orders groceries to those buildings meet them on the street and carry the boxes themselves. Union leader Eduardo Cordero said “We will not be putting our members in any kind of danger or any situation that would provoke trouble... At the same time, the company still has to provide a service."


NY Times: If Doormen Strike, Residents must pick up the Slack

Business Week: NY Doorman Strike May Trash Men of Luxury Residents

Politics
NY Post: Gillibrand can't crack the 50% barrier

Voters in Washington could see an initiative this year to break up the state government monopoly on liquor sales [NY Times]

Elsewhere
And finally, Danny Glover a great friend to the UFCW and Labor, was arrested in a food protest.

Seattle says no to plastic bag tax, Boycott Whole Foods reaches 12,000 on Fbook, Wednesday Read

Image by gezellig-girl.com via Flickr

The city of Seattle voted down a referendum that would put a 20 cent tax on all paper and plastic bags at most retail stores in the city.

The Wall Street Journal looks at supermarkets failure to upgrade their (queues) line system, .

Target's "P-Fresh" (essentially moreover a Target with more floor space for groceries)is expected to be opened in Philadelphia.

Everyday there is a new story on Whole Foods customers boycotting due to John Mackey's comments, today CNN Money and the Washington Post joined in...

If you head to Facebook, you’ll find more than 12,000 people have signed up for the new Boycott Whole Foods group.

The NY Times has more on the on again off again Whole Foods wine store in NYC.

UFCW Local 700 won an election this week at Scott's.

Despite the recession, more than 30% of 137 large retailers throughout NYC have expanded, according to the Center for Urban Future released report yesterday.

Kiss [the band], sells out...again.

Pension funds in NYC

And City Council Member Kendall Stewart lies about his endorsements.

Friday Afternoon One Liners...

Image via Wikipedia

Wal-Mart "confident" on defeat of Employee Free Choice.

Should America expect more from Wal-Mart? [Bloomberg]

Report: 20 members fired in Arizona for "Union Activity".

Wal-Mart plans a new 'Hispanic' supermarket format.

Duane Reade has some successful 'fresh food' taste tests.

Save Mart Supermarkets in California said it has eliminated a handful of corporate and support staff to eliminate redundancies left over from its 2007 acquisition of 130 Albertsons stores.
Read more of this story

Public outcry on Food Safety and Sanitation increases.

Bruno’s Supermarkets has asked U.S. Bankruptcy Court here to void parts of its contracts with the United Food and Commercial Workers union, saying that successor agreements in the deals are an “impenetrable barrier” to a potential sale and survival of the chain.
Read more of this story

Aldi spends millions to expand to Texas.

Politics

NY Times on Jon Stewart and Jim Cramer, "Economic Meltdown is no laughing matter"

Anthony Weiner takes a step back from the Mayoral race, for now.

Patterson pushes the expansion of COBRA benefits.