Giving Back...

Throughout the last month, UFCW Local 1500 members and staff have been dedicating their time, money and resources towards helping New Yorkers recover from Hurricane Sandy.

Yesterday, President Bruce Both, Secretary-Treasurer Tony Speelman and Assistant to the President Pat Purcell joined Smithfield Foods, and NewYork City Harvest, to donate over 250,000 pounds of protein.

Additionally, the UFCW International is currently accepting applications from UFCW/RWDSU members affected by Hurricane Sandy.  To apply and to learn more, please click here.

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• Affected by Hurricane Sandy? Apply for the UFCW Relief Fund ASAP

UFCW Local 99 Settles contract, Local 1360 authorizes strike, Local 7 gets 'best, final offer'...Monday Morning Read

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ShopRite puts specials on iPhone Application.

UFCW Local 99 averted a strike by coming to terms with Phoenix Supermarket Operators.

South Jersey UFCW Local 1360 had a strike authorization vote.

KYW News has more.

Meanwhile UFCW Local 7 will recieve Safeway's "last, best and final offer."

Last week Joe Sitt and NYC inked the Coney Island deal.

UFCW and Smithfield Foods launched a Feed the Hungry program in NYC last week.

King Kullen is accepting water bottles at all 52 of their stores for recycling at their redemption centers.

Lee Scott, former Wal-Mart CEO, joins a private equity firm.

Wal-Mart also announced they'll be restructuring their Asada ownership.

Meanwhile there are new Black Friday rules that retailers must oblige by.

Wal-Mart Stores here said they increased productivity and improved inventory management resulted in a better customer experience and contributed to improved financial results for the third quarter, which ended Oct. 31.

Target settled their expired baby formula lawsuit.

BJ's Wholesale Club executives to speak at Morgan Stanley Global and Retail Conference.

A study has found that just one in 10 union members is in manufacturing, while women account for more than 45 percent of the unionized work force. Read more from Steven Greenhouse, NY Times.

NY Times; Union Members becoming more educated.

The first Costco opened in NYC last week.

Trader Joe's leases property on sixth avenue.....The Real Deal has more on the move.

A&P family of supermarkets teams up with City and Island Harvest to feed the hungry.

WFP BLOG: For many ill with the flu, staying home isn't an option

Newsday: Sometime this morning, teams of lawyers for Thomas Suozzi and Edward Mangano will begin opening and counting more than 7,000 absentee ballots in the race for Nassau County executive.

Hillary Clinton says she is not planning on running for NY Governor. 

Lou Dobbs abruptly quits CNN.

WORKERS AT WORLDS LARGEST PORK PLANT RATIFY FIRST-EVER UNION CONTRACT

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 1, 2009

WORKERS AT WORLDS LARGEST PORK PLANT

RATIFY FIRST-EVER UNION CONTRACT

Deal raises Tar Heel workers’ wages and brings up benefits and

working conditions to union standards

(TAR HEEL NC)—Five Thousand workers at the world’s largest pork processing plant have their first-ever union contract, after a majority of workers ratified the agreement over a two-day vote. Members of UFCW Local 1208 will join more than 10,000 other Smithfield workers, and more than 240,000 others who work in the meat packing and food processing industry who have a UFCW union contract.

The new contract includes:

* Wage increases of $1.50/hour over the next four years.

* Continued company-provided affordable family health care coverage.

* Improved paid sick leave and vacation benefits.

* Retirement security through protection of the existing pension plan.

* Continued joint worker/management safety committee, including company funded safety training for workers.

* Guaranteed weekly hours that protect full-time, family supporting jobs in the community

* A system to resolve workplace issues.

* 24 hours of paid funeral leave following the death of immediate family members.

“This contract will completely transform our workplace,” said Orlando Williams. “This is the biggest four-year wage increase Smithfield workers have ever had and it will make a real difference for our families and in this community. We could never have gotten that increase without a chance to bargain with the company. We will finally have a sense of security on the job because through our union we can make sure we have a safe place to work, and that everyone’s treated fairly.”

UFCW members who work at Smithfield's other locations all over the country were paying close attention to the negotiations in Tar Heel. "I know the difference having a union contract makes, said Jim Olson, a steward at UFCW Local 304A and a 35 year veteran of Smithfield's John Morrell Plant in Sioux Falls, SD. "The more meatpacking workers who join our union, the more power we have to raise wages and benefits—in our own local unions, and for everybody who works in this industry. That’s what being in the UFCW is all about.”

This is the first contract covering the hourly production and maintenance workers at the Tar Heel facility and will take effect July 1, 2009.

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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.

Smithfield workers in NC ratify first union contract, Thursday One Liners...

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Workers at Smithfield Foods Inc.’s largest plant, in Tar Heel, N.C., have ratified their first labor contract with the United Food and Commercial Workers, the company and union announced yesterday. More from the AP.

A company that recently became the largest kosher meat producer in the United States, Alle Processing, was found by the National Labor Relations Board to have illegally intimidated its employees before a union election with the UFCW last fall.

BBC: 'Tesco's Labor Relations under fire"

As Bashas' [Arizona] closes a staple store, says more store closures to come soon.

K-Mart is offering discounts to the unemployed in Michigan.

National
Unemployment reaches 9.5%.

Franken's Victory Bolsters Democratic Grip in Senate

After nearly eight months of waiting, almost 20,000 pages of legal briefs, and millions of dollars in election costs, Al Franken emerged Tuesday as the next United States senator from Minnesota, ending one of the most protracted election recount battles in recent memory. Mr. Franken, 58, a former comedian and author, could be seated in the Senate as early as Monday, leaders there said, providing Democrats with something they had long hoped for: 60 votes, and thus at least the symbolic ability to overcome filibusters

Democrats in the NY US Senate Race.

Citarella to Long Island East End, Gourmet Garage recalls peanuts, Wal-Mart pays $49,000,000 in back wages....

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A former IGA in eastern Long Island will become a Citarella.

More from the South Hampton Press on Citarella.

The Gourmet Garage has recalled peanuts.

Smithfield Foods has announced plans to close six plants and shed 1,800 staff.

Another poll concluded that New Yorkers want an income tax hike for the rich.

Gristedes buys Jefferson Market.

Changing of the guard at Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart outpaces a weak economy.

Wal-Mart in South Carolina pays $49,000,000 in back wages.

Albertsons to close 9 stores.

Comparable-store sales fell 4% at Whole Foods Market here in the first quarter, the company said yesterday. Net income declined 17.4%, to $32.3 million, on flat sales overall of about $2.47 billion.
Read more of this story

Stop & Shop here will partner with Willard Bishop, Dr Pepper Snapple Group and Modiv Media for a series of in-store marketing tests to measure the effectiveness of Modiv’s promotional delivery systems.
Read more of this story

Economist: Wages don't reflect increased productivity.