Sticking Up for Union Contracts

Our own Assistant to the President, Pat Purcell, was a guest on Fox Business News' Cavuto Show last night, discussing the importance of union contracts.   On privatizing industries, Purcell had a great quote, paraphrasing Astronaut's Alan Shepard's line "What worries me is going to the moon in a rocket that was built by the lowest bidder."


Watch the entire interview here: http://www.foxbusiness.com/on-air/cavuto/index.html#/v/1768490902001/will-unions-help-improve-airport-security/?playlist_id=87065

Friday Morning One-Liners:

A&P will next week ask a bankruptcy judge to approve $1.76 million in payments to four of its top executives, part of a $6.8 million "key employee retention plan" that covers 146 non-union employees.  Read more @ WSJ.

NY Times: U.S. Economy adds 192,00 Jobs, Rate Falls to 8.9&

The nation’s employers added 192,000 jobs in February, after having added just 63,000 the previous month.  Find the latest statistics here.

Yesterday, Creditors, Unions (UFCW), Trustee Objected to A&P's Bonus Plan.  Calling the plan a "band-aid" retention plan.

More @WSJ: A&P will next week ask a bankruptcy judge to approve $1.76 million in payments to four of its top executives, part of a $6.8 million "key employee retention plan" that covers 146 non-union employees. 

Three days until California contracts expire covering 62,000 UFCW grocery workers. More @PressEnterprise.

Ahold's Q4 summary shows "solid" numbers.

Ahold, Looking for Growth: “We're actively looking for growth opportunities where we see a strategic fit, the price is right, and we can integrate smoothly,” Dick Boer, chief executive officer of Ahold, from today's Supermarket News.

Major LGBT groups say NO to Walmart in NYC.

John Castimatidis (CEO of Gristedes) joined Neil Cavuto to discuss rising inflation.

Target will pay $22.5M for illegally dumping Toxic Waste out in California.

NYPIRG has 2010's top lobbyist clients, 2010 broke records on $$ spent, with Beverage and Teachers topping the list.

#Wisconsin

Scott Walker, Governor of Wisconsin, says he will start issuing layoff warnings to public sector unions representing 1,500 employees on Friday, if his bill remained in limbo.  Read more @NYTimes

Walker's Budget extends attacks on Seniors, Children & Poor.

AFL-CIO Blog: Killing Workplace Rights is Un-American.  

Must Watch: Watch Congressman George Miller's speech on the floor: Attack on Middle-Class American's.

Must Read: The New Yorker, Union Blues. & Richard Trumka's Op-Ed in WSJ: Scott Walker's False Choice

Half of Wisconsin's workers want to recall Walker.

Friday Morning One-Liners: Unreleased Poll Reveals Opposition to Walmart in NYC

Metro: Walmart Butters up the Five Boroughs.

New poll shows that there is overwhelming opposition to Walmart opening in NYC.

The New York Observer analyzes the Walmart mailings.

NYC Public Advocate, Bill de Blasio, Fighting Walmart (NY Daily News) You can check out his report on Walmart with Hunter College here.


Report: Walmart moving to NYC would Kill Jobs.

Walmart, however, obviously isn't buying this report.

Crain's: The Story behind Walmart's Plans to get into NYC.

Local 1500 Assistant to the President, Pat Purcell joined the Neil Cavuto show on FOX Business News to discuss Walmart in NYC. [Transcript]  [Video]

WNYC: Financial 411, Walmart Eyes NYC.

In South Africa, where Walmart has purchased Massmart, the major retailer in South Africa, many are protesting and fearful of the acquisition by Walmart.


Target is expanding their fresh foods.


Price Chopper announced they'll be merging with a local pharmacy.

Trader Joe's announced they'll be open in the spring in Staten Island.

UFCW 1189 began negotiations yesterday in Minnesota.

Tuesday Morning One Liners: Wal-Mart's Newest NYC Push, Polling

Wal-Mart

Join the Wal-Mart Free NYC Coalition on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wal-Mart-Free-NYC/151784818201968

Crain's updates the 'Wal-Mart Comes to Town' hearing which was originally scheduled for today, and has been rescheduled to January 12.  More @ Brooklyn Eagle.

Walmart has yet to decide if it will send a representative to address the city council, but its director of community affairs, Steven Restivo, told Crains’s New York Business last week the company would do what it can to help inform the discussion but he did not see the need for a council hearing.

AP: Fail twice, try again [Walmart & NYC].

NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn told Walmart they're not welcome in NYC, citing underpaying their employees. 

NY Daily News: Wal-Mart may land in East New York, Community braces for Big Box retailer.

Wall Street Journal: Wal-Mart seeks Union Support for NYC Store.  Here's a WSJ Poll if Wal-Mart should open a store in NYC or not.

ABC News: Wal-Mart courts Building Trade Unions for NYC Store.

New York Times: Wal-Mart tries again for a NYC store.

Forbes reports that analysts love Walmart's potential expansion in and NY and that they're leaving Moscow.


Conveniently, Walmart (Wal-Mart) conducted a poll which found that 'small businesses want Wal-Mart'. NY Mag was the only media outlet to call Wal-Mart's poll out (for conducting their own poll).

Last night, Richard Lipsky from the Neighborhood Retail Alliance joined Neil Cavuto on Fox News to discuss Wal-Mart and NYC. [YouTube]

A&P

Supermarket News: A&P’s last-ditch effort for additional funding fell short when supplier C&S Wholesale Grocers refused to provide cost concessions, leading in part to the retailer’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, A&P said Monday.

Crain's is also reporting that A&P will likely retain their NYC stores.  Citing that their 58 city supermarkets are among their strongest and have always attracted buyers.

Bankruptcy puts 5,500 Philly jobs in jeopardy.

Bloomberg News summarizes details of the bankruptcy.

WHY IT HAPPENED: The company, which owns A&P, Pathmark, Super Fresh and other grocery stores, has struggled for years with heavy debt and sinking sales. Its problems were compounded when the recession hit and consumers cut back spending and competition among grocery stores, discounters and other retailers intensified. The grocer is also struggling with pension costs, leases for closed stores, a troublesome contract with a key supplier and a roughly $13 million payment for interest on a debt that is due Wednesday.

Progressive Grocer: A&P Files for Bankruptcy


Elsewhere...

UFCW Local 27 has been protesting a ShopRite in Bel Air.