Canada Safeway locks out UFCW Local 401, Food Stamps at all time high, NYC needs Paid Sick Days, Tuesday Morning Read

"For many Americans, Labor Day has become better known as a holiday to mark the end of summer rather than a celebration of the many contributions workers have made to our society -- from the weekend, to safer jobs, to paid vacations and health care. America's unions helped create the middle class, and today, America's unions are essential to our economic recovery. "

-Tom Woodruff, Director of Change to Win's Strategic Organizing Center, in an editorial in The Huffington Post.

Canada Safeway has served notice to the UFCW that it will lock out more than 300 workers at its Edmonton Distribution Centre and Lucerne Ice Cream plant starting at 6 a.m. Today.

More at the Edmonton Sun. And the Calgary Herald.

East End Long Islanders want a Trader Joe's: Southhold residents have created a “Trader Joe’s Riverhead, NY Location Request Group," on Facebook

BJ's reports August sales were down.

The Times says "Middle America has come to the South Bronx"

Food Stamps: More than 35 million Americans received assistance in June through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as the food stamp program — the highest number of recipients ever — according to the Food and Nutritional Service of the Department of Agriculture.

The state of Michigan is offering tax incentives to companies that develop or expand grocery stores in underserved areas.

Target's new billboards in Times Square are turning heads.

New apples in the Big Apple?

The number of union workers rises in Alaska.

Labor Editorials

New York Times: Infighting is Blunting Labor's Clout.


New directions for a labor movement in decline.

Politics

With Swine Flu threat looming, NYC needs paid sick days.

Will Pedro Espada pass the farm workers bill?

And the Naked Cowboy drops out of the mayoral race.

Tuesday Morning One Liners...

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Spartan Stores, a grocery supplier to independent grocers and operator of 99 retail stores throughout Michigan, offering GM workers and UAW workers who lost their jobs discounts on gasoline and groceries.

Rite-Aid workers and union supporters will rally in Times Square on Thursday before a shareholders meeting...workers in Lancaster have been struggling over one year to negotiate their first union contract.

A national Ad group has told Wal-Mart Stores yesterday that it should stop running TV ads claiming customers can save $700 a year by shopping its stores. This is not the first time Wal-Mart has been told to stop making claims like these in advertisements.

Wal-Mart has also named a new diversity officer.

Wal-Mart is also having yet another 'sales tax mishap', overcharging customers, this time in Missouri. If you remember this was previously an issue in Connecticut.

Lee Scott, the former chief executive officer of Wal-Mart Stores, called on attendees at the CIES World Food Business Summit here on Friday to join the Global Social Compliance Program to help ensure that suppliers are adhering to local wage and environmental regulations.

A&P store in Midland Park, N.J. next Saturday morning will have a Jonas Brothers day.

Price Chopper has announced they will analyze their labor costs.

Hyde Park Stop & Shop update: voting waits on traffic light location.

Another study has confirmed, lack of nearby supermarkets takes years off life.

As reported by the Chicago Sun-Times, adding a supermarket to a neighborhood could, collectively, mean a gain of up to 15 years of life for those suffering from diabetes; 13 years for those with liver disease; 58 years for people with diet-related cancers; and 112 years for people with cardiovascular disease.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn unveiled an agreement with the Bloomberg administration last Thursday on a trifecta of measures geared toward making it easier for small businesses in the city to launch and prosper.

The city of Philadelphia has rejected a measure that would ban plastic bags.

USA Today: For immigrants, living the dream is getting tougher.