What's News This Week: Walmart Kills Traditional Supermarket, Workers Strike Over Lack of Ebola Protection

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Walmart & Whole Foods Are Killing Traditional Supermarket

 

Specialty Markets that promote towards income, taste, exotic and finally, with grocery sites like AmazonFresh, Peapod and others constantly popping up, customers are increasingly turning to the web instead of the supermarket aisle. What does this mean for the traditional supermarket industry?

WHAT'S NEWS THIS WEEK   1. Workers Strike in LaGuardia Over Lack of Protection from Ebola, Diseases   SEIU 32BJ workers used their voice to strike against poor and unsafe working conditions after the first victim of Ebola died in the U.S. this week.   "'Sometimes you ask and they act like they don't know what it is, which is kind of bad,' said Alberto Grant, Jr., a terminal cleaner at JFK Airport. 'You end up cleaning it up with a spray bottle, a mop and you wipe it up with paper towels and pitch it in the garbage, instead of using the proper procedures.'"    Read more at USA Today   Read more at Business Week: Airport Workers Get Close to Bodily Fluids   2. America Works More Nights and Weekend than Anyone Else How many studies do we need to convince something isn't right in America.

3. Union Slams New CEO of Mrs. Green's Natural Market President calls CEO's comments "short-sighted"

4. Member Spotlight on UFCW Local 888 Member Towanda Carter Towanda Carter was recently recognized by UFCW Region 1 for her outstanding service as a union member and for helping her fellow workers, both at her own workplace and elsewhere

5. Costco Sets Expansion Plans for 2015

6. Walmart Cuts Health Benefits for Part-Time Workers, Wants to Become More Sustainable

7. Ikea Workers Gather Thousands of Signatures for Full-Time Jobs

8. Walmart Free NYC Event: Low-Wage-Rage Join us in NYC as we rally with our friends in community groups, labor and religious coalitions to make our voices heard against Low-Wages and poverty conditions the world's largest retailer promotes!

9. It was the Size of Manhattan, but 75 Minutes Later it was Gone, like Gone Gone. This terrifying video recorded in Greenland will amaze, frighten and shock you.

10. It's Fall- Jump on the Pumpkin Flavored Trendy Treats that are UNION-MADE   11. Register to Vote! We at the UFCW are pushing every one to get registered, and find your voting location now!

 

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Union Plus Benefits: You're eligible for discounts on cell phone bills, mortgages, gyms and more! Find out here.

 

This Month: Fight Cancer Weekend: Register for Breast Cancer & Light the Night Walks this October

Statement from UFCW International President Joe Hansen on Workers' Memorial Day

Image via WikipediaFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 28, 2011 CONTACT: press@ufcw.org STATEMENT BY UNITED FOOD AND COMMERCIAL WORKERS INTERNATIONAL UNION PRESIDENT JOE HANSEN ON WORKERS’ MEMORIAL DAY 

Today, on Workers’ Memorial Day, the UFCW will join workers in the U.S. and around the world to honor the thousands of workers who have been killed on the job and the millions of workers who have suffered from injuries, sickness or diseases in their places of work. This year’s memorial day marks the 40th anniversary of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the right of workers to a safe workplace, as well as the 100th anniversary of one of the worst workplace disasters to take place in our country.

One hundred years ago, on March 25, 1911, a fire spread through the cramped floors of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City. When the workers—mostly young female immigrants—tried to escape, they encountered locked doors and broken fire escapes. Rather than be burned alive, the workers began jumping out of windows and fell to their deaths on the street below as bystanders watched in horror. That terrible tragedy, which took the lives of 146 workers, served as a catalyst for major labor reforms and changed the way we work and live.

A century later, the fight to protect workers continues amid anti-union legislation that is sweeping though the country. Just three years ago, managers at the Imperial Sugar Company in Port Wentworth, Georgia—one of the few non-union plants in the industry—tolerated dirty and dangerous worksite conditions, and 15 workers without a collective voice died in a massive fire and explosion. Twenty years ago, 25 poultry workers at the Imperial Foods plant in Hamlet, North Carolina, were locked inside by their bosses and died in a horrible fire. Like the Triangle workers, they had no other voice to demand safety. Indeed, we just saw the worst mining disaster in 40 years, as the executives at the Massey coal mine in Montcoal, West Virginia, told their subordinates to put production first before any other job duties. Surviving workers testified to the rampant fear that effectively suppressed complaints in a company that had viciously opposed unions for decades.

The right to a safe workplace was won after decades of struggle by workers and their unions. On Workers’ Memorial Day, we honor and pay tribute to the men and women who died at Imperial Sugar, Imperial Foods, Massey Energy and all the other dangerous workplaces. In their memory, we renew our commitment to preventing such tragedies by supporting workers who are struggling to protect their basic rights--including safe jobs, workplace fairness, collective bargaining, freedom from discrimination and favoritism.

### The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) represents more than 1.3 million workers, primarily in the retail and meatpacking, food processing and poultry industries. The UFCW protects the rights of workers and strengthens America’s middle class by fighting for health care reform, living wages, retirement security, safe working conditions and the right to unionize so that working men and women and their families can realize the American Dream.

Friday Lunch Time News: Walmart Paying Millions to get out of a 7K Fine....

Walmart Spending Millions to Avoid $7 Million Fine

On the day after Thanksgiving, a Wal-Mart employee was killed after shoppers trampled temporary employee, Jdimytai Damour in 2008 in New York. After an investigation of the Long Island incident, the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined Wal-Mart $7,000 for the incident, but instead of paying the fine the world's largest retailer has spent at least $2 million to fight the fine, the New York Times reported Tuesday.

UFCW Statement Regarding Department of Justice Challenge to Arizona Immigration Law

Congratulations to our brothers and sisters in UFCW Local 791 who settled a 4- month strike at the Shaws Methuen Distribution Center: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view/20100708shaws_reports_methuen_strike_is_over_new_contract_reached/srvc=home&position=recent

NLRB Orders Union Election at Tribal Casino in Connecticut
The United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local 371, filed a petition for the election covering about 375 bartenders, beverage servers, lounge hosts and bar porters. 


"Scabs Go Home" Say MCGEO Workers:
Responding to recent attempts to raid UFCW 1994 MCGEO members


Interesting Stats about Walmart
Walmart is the largest company on the earth revenue. Here's one info-graphic displaying some amazing figures and statistics to demonstrate to you how big and enormous Walmart is!


Moon Supervisors Give Preliminary OK to Wal-Mart Plan
PA- Wal-Mart got preliminary approval for its Moon Township site from township supervisors early Thursday.


Strikers at Mott's Pick Up Nationwide Support
Support from around the country is coming in to 300 striking workers at the Mott's apple products plant in WIlliamson, N.Y. 


Whole Foods Market Starting to Grow Its Own
A Whole Foods Market in Short Pump, VA., has taken over an acre of land for development of a community garden that will help to supply vegetables for its local store there. 


Mom Banned From Whole Foods foe Life After Accidentally Shoplifting


Suburban Whole Foods Sells for $11.6 Million
A Phoenix investment firm continues to snap up local single-tenant properties, paying $11.6 million for a Whole Foods Market in the western suburbs. 


Wegmans Temporarily Closed Following Fire
There were no injuries related to the roof fire at the West Taft Road store in Liverpool, NY. There were challenges as firefighters battled the flames and heat and employees now work to clean and reopen the store. 


East Ave. Wegmans Expansion Moving Foward
Rochester, NY-- A flyer arriving in mailboxes this week details the latest on plans to expand the last remaining Wegmans store within Rochester's city limits. 


Developer: ShopRite Won't Build in Hyde Park
HYDE PARK- ShopRite is no longer interested in building a supermarket on the land due south of Saint Andrews Road and across Route 9 from the Culinary Institute of America. 


ShopRite Owners Appeal Zoning Variance
The decision would allow 78 fewer parking spaces at the shopping center and permit an expansion of Wal-Mart. 


ShopRite Store in Southbury, A Former Shaw's, to Open Wednesday


Costco Opens in Rego Park Mall
15th New York store will feature kosher bakery as well as a pharmacy and 1-hour photo


Bison E. Coli Recall Widens; Retailers Listed
Las week's recall of Rocky Mountain National Meats' bison products has grown, and retailers are now being named. Albertsons stores are on the list, along with Giant Foods, Hannaford's, King Scooper's, Kroger's, Market Basket, Price Chopper's, Stop & Shops, Super Valu and Whole Foods.