What Went on This Week: ACA, Fairway Openings, Walmart Struggles

1.  We've released another update on negotiations with Stop & Shop and King Kullen

2.  The amazingly delicious (and union) Fairway is opening up in Tribeca....And in Suffolk County in 2014.

3.  Fresh & Easy filed for bankruptcy, officially.  The details: Fresh and Easy owes their parent company, Tesco, $738 million.

4.  More Fresh: Fresh Direct has done the unthinkable, convinced customers to buy fish...over the internet.

5.  The Teamsters are back to work after rejecting the latest contract offer from Wegmans.  Around 900 workers rejected the offer.  The two sides are continuing to talk through the weekend, and expect to have a contract by Oct. 15.

6.  We hear a lot of bad things on the ACA for companies, but major drug stores have to a lot gain from health care reform.

7. The GOP Shutdown is not only hurting real people, it's hurting businesses: Business Week reports many companies can't hire new employees, and are finding it harder and harder to sympathize with their default business party, the Republicans.  Two videos to watch on the Shutdown, 1) John Stewart.  2) President Obama tore into Republicans on the shutdown, which is worth the watch.

8.  The march for Immigrant Respect & Dignity is tomorrow, UFCW will be there.

9.  Earlier this year Walmart struggled to stock shelves, now, they're cutting supply orders as unsold merchandise is piling up in stores. Which leads to the question media outlets are asking, are Walmart customers disappearing? And of course, Walmart's Bangladesh safety scheme is dividing the Democratic Party...

10.  In These Times asks: Is the Fast-Food workers' fight for $15 real?  

11.  The Food Marketing Institute is urging customers not to panic during the government shut down, and to use their SNAP allotment wisely.

12. A CNN poll shows, people in unions are happier. 

13. Disney World has promoted their Part-Time workers to Full-Time for Obamacare benefits.  And the question still looms, which is better, Obamacare or the Affordable Care Act?

Bonus: Check out our October Event Calendar.  

John Mackey on Healthcare, Friday Morning Read...

Image by JOE M500 via Flickr

Catsimatidis says in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle that the Myrtle Avenue development will be built, but depend mainly on the economy.

Former Tesco manager vows to take on Whole Foods.

ABC News reports that after John Mackey's Op-Ed in the Wall-Street Journal regarding Healthcare, more and more customers are vowing not to patronize their once favorite company and threatening a boycott.

The L.A. Times thinks Whole Foods is in a whole lot of trouble because of Mackey.

Must Read:
Produce Truck encourages Healthy Eating in Detroit: In a neighborhood served by 26 liquor stores but only one grocery, a community group is peddling fresh fruits and vegetables like ice cream.

Update on Wal-Mart's attempts to build a store on a Civil War battle field.

The price of sugar continues to increase, putting the US and food makers on alert.

Queens Crap: The end of Amish Market.

Boston pushes for paid sick days.

Long Island Immigrants are fighting for unpaid wages.

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.

Tesco will be the #2 Retailer in 2012, Wal-Mart uniforms linked to sweatshops, Wal-Mart admits to taxing illegally, Whole Foods files suit against FTC

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NYSUT and the state Labor-Religion Coalition are sounding the alarm over a recent report that links a popular school-uniform clothing line sold at Wal-Mart to a Bangladeshi factory that forces its workers to labor in extreme sweatshop conditions.

Wal-Mart has also finally come clean and fessed up to charging illegal taxes in Connecticut.

It keeps getting better for Wal-Mart Stores Inc., they were ordered to pay up to $54.25 million to settle a class-action lawsuit that alleged the discount giant cut workers' break time and allowed employees to work off the clock in Minnesota.

Moscow News picked up the death on Black Friday story.

The Seattle Times writes the audio accounts leading up to Damour's death.

Yet the shoppers don't stop, Wal-Mart, adding to its counter-trend achievements this year by posting the highest earnings among retailers, $13.7 billion. The profit is more than earnings projections for the next three companies' combined,

A new report says Tesco will become the #2 retailer by 2012

Whole Foods is suing the FTC.

Tom Souzzi wants to make LI green.

Vito Fossella was sentenced to 5 days in a Virginia jail.

Thursday morning news...

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Industry

The United Automobile Workers union said Wednesday that it would make major concessions in its contracts with the three Detroit auto companies to help them lobby Congress for $34 billion in federal aid.

Hannaford Bros. is asking for voluntary resignations at its 750-employee corporate offices in Scarborough, Maine.

The Greenwhich Times asked Local UFCW president Brian Petronella what will happen to the 80 union members' jobs from a closing 'Shaws'.

Sales of reusable canvas bags at Tesco-owned Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market have more than doubled since the grocer introduced them this past October

Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Markets opened its first two stores yesterday in Bakersfield, Calif., located about 150 miles north of Los Angeles.
Read more of this story

Sears posted a $146M Loss and will close 8 more stores.

JWJ is holding their annual "vote for the national grinch of the year"

Union workers at Safeway, Fry’s and Smith’s stores in Arizona represented by United Food and Commercial Workers Local 99 here have agreed to a contract extension through Dec. 15 as negotiators work on a new deal with employers.
Read more of this story

Chuck Schumer wants local Long Island farm produce in school cafeterias.

The owners of the two Saigon Grill restaurants in Manhattan were arrested Wednesday on more than 400 criminal charges, including violating minimum-wage laws, falsifying business records and defrauding the state’s unemployment insurance system.

Tesco's Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market locations that have been operating for several months "have now moved strongly into [comparable-store sales] growth," Sir Terry Leahy, chief executive officer of the parent company, said.
Read more of this story

Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart Watch released their official statement regarding the death of Mr. Jdimytai Damour

Here is Wake up Wal-Mart's statement.

Mr.Damour's family has filed a lawsuit against Wal-Mart.

Here's more on the suit.

There's a discussion on Craigslist on Local 1500's statement on Wal-Mart.

The NY Post writes on the events aftermath, quote from BWB.

Other

Rob Ecker's restaurant was featured in the Staten Island Advance.

Politics

Here is an update on the Frank Padavan race.

Vito Fossella may run again in 2010.

Patterson is supporting the MTA bailout plan.

Morning Briefs...

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FutureScripts senior vice president Paul N. Urick, R.Ph., announced today that the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1776 and its Participating Employers Health and Welfare Fund have agreed to and implemented a three-year agreement to offer its members pharmacy coverage through FutureScripts. UFCW Local 1776's new contract with FutureScripts provides pharmacy benefits to more than 17,000 union members and their families in southeastern Pennsylvania.

A&P here yesterday said it has converted two more stores in the Philadelphia area to its price-impact Pathmark format.

Fresh Grocer here is planning to expand its “urban fresh” format to Wilmington, Del., with a grand opening Nov. 15. The 45,000-square-foot store, formerly a Great Value location (also owned by Fresh Grocer), will be the first Fresh Grocer location outside Pennsylvania.

Costco Wholesale yesterday posted negative comparable-store sales for October — the first time the retailer has ever done so, according to some observers — as retailers overall had their worth single month in decades.

Wegmans Food Markets has lowered prices on hundreds of products — including its private labels — for an extended period of time to help cash-strapped consumers through the economic storm, the company said. The new prices cover the bakery, meat, produce, deli and grocery departments, and could save shoppers $40 to $60 a month.

Bloomberg announces a plastic bag tax.

Must Read:

With Barack Obama's election as president and Democrats controlling Congress, retailers and industry trade groups are bracing for a fight on Capitol Hill next year against legislation that would make it easier to unionize workers.

The American economy lost another 240,000 jobs in October, the government reported Friday morning, the 10th consecutive monthly decline and a clear signal that an accelerating slowdown is assailing households and businesses. The unemployment rate climbed to 6.5 percent , the highest level since 1994 and up from 6.1 percent the month before.

Obama called 9 world leaders yesterday.

HISTORIC VICTORY FOR WORKING FAMILIES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 05, 2008 CONTACT: press@ufcw.org

HISTORIC VICTORY FOR WORKING FAMILIES OBAMA ELECTION OPPORTUNITY TO REBUILD AND STRENGTHEN MIDDLE CLASS

WASHINGTON – The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) endorsed President-elect Barack Obama’s candidacy in February because his run for the White House was based on renewing hope for the middle class—on restoring the American Dream for America’s workers. UFCW members nationwide were excited and energized by Barack Obama’s message. And that excitement and energy unleashed an unprecedented nationwide mobilization and outreach effort that reached millions of working families across the country to help secure Obama’s historic victory. “We pounded the pavement, worked the phones and went door-to-door,” said 22-year-old Samantha Miskevich, Fish Department manager at an Acme Supermarket in Limerick, Penn., and member of UFCW Local Union 1776. “I’ve never worked so hard or talked to so many people. This election was about saving the middle class.” The UFCW’s efforts were comprehensive, focusing not only on traditional battleground states, but also in expanding the electoral map in key states, including Virginia and Colorado, where UFCW members turned out in record numbers to change the direction of our country. “This election was about getting America back on track,” said Teresa Ransone, a UFCW Local Union 400 member and Kroger supermarket cake decorator in Roanoke, Va. “What inspired me was Senator Obama’s position on affordable education and health care,” continued Ms. Ransone, who put in extra hours volunteering to phone bank and canvass for Obama in southwestern Virginia. “He proved time and again why he was the best candidate.” UFCW local unions across the country were critical to countering misinformation, informing voters about the issues that matter to working families and ensuring that successful get-out-the-vote operations were in place. While the hard fought election is now over, the UFCW efforts to rebuild our ailing economy and strengthen our middle class have just begun. The UFCW looks forward to working closely with the Obama Administration and Congress to restore good middle class jobs to our communities. “We know change cannot come overnight,” said Ransone. “But working people are ready to support President Obama and our other elected leaders to put economic policies in place that work for the middle class. Electing Senator Obama was the first step, but there’s more work to be done. We’re ready and committed.”

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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. 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. Paid for by United Food and Commercial Workers International Union Active Ballot Club, which is responsible for some content on this page. This page is not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.