Afternoon News Recap: 3/18-3/21

The Washington D.C. Council is considering Walmart curbs, forcing retailers over 75k sqft and over $1 billion annual sales revenue, to sign a Community Benefits Agreement.

Sam Martin outlines his 5 steps for A&P's turnaround in Forbes. (link updated)

A judge in Wisconsin filed an injunction to block Scott Walker's collective bargaining law.

John Castimatidis is unsure if he'll run for Mayor of NYC.

Walmart announced they'll be opening 6 new stores in Chicago.

The NLRB has upheld UFCW Local 371's organizing victory of 400 workers at Foxwoods Casino.

BJ's Wholesale Club is looking to open a new store in Lansing, NY and Amherst, NY.

Friday Morning One-Liners: A&P Losses Deepen....

A&P Losses Deepen; Marshall Launches Strategy
MONTVALE, N.J. — Work has already begun on Ron Marshall’s plan to revive A&P, although the chain’s struggles only intensified during his first months as the company’s chief executive officer.

More @ The Progressive Grocer: A&P’s Q4, Full-year Sales Dip, Loss Widens
SN: Strike Continues as Shaw’s Considers Outsourcing
Striking workers at Shaw’s distribution center here this week said the retailer is seeking to outsource its meat and deli operations to C&S Wholesale Grocers.

President of Shoprite Supermarkets Explains Appeal of Walmart Case
"Currently, the ShopRite of Ellenville employs 180 associates; these are union jobs with competitive wages and generous benefits — the same cannot be said of our competitor."

Walmart plans smaller version of Supercenters
Walmart is planning to open a smaller scale version of its successful Supercenter store format in the Los Angeles area

Walmart in Catskill gets break on tax bill
The Town Board has agreed to reduce the assessment on the Wal-Mart property by $1.67 million to $13.5 million, covering the years 2010 through 2012.

Wegmans Helps Honor Mom
In recognition of Mother’s Day, Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is offering a range of events over the upcoming holiday weekend to enable kids to show their moms just how much they love them.

Whole Foods Market Opens New Flagship Store in Tarzana(CA)
New Store Offers Natural, Organic and Local Foods That Bring the Unique Flavors of Tarzana to Life

Civil Rights and Labor Organizations will boycott Arizona to protest unjust Immigration Law Washington, DC—Today, leading civil rights and labor organizations gathered at the headquarters of NCLR (National Council of La Raza) to call on people of conscience throughout the nation to join them in boycotting the state of Arizona.


Wal-Mart to Pay $27M in Waste Case
Wal-Mart Stores on Monday said it would pay $27 million as part of a settlement with environmental groups in California, which sued the retailer for improperly disposing of hazardous materials ranging from fertilizer to nail polish.

Guilford(CT) ‘rock pile’ site eyed by Costco
Since the economy has derailed plans for a shopping center at the site, called Guilford Commons, a Costco discount store and gas station may be built instead, town officials said this week.

And, CONGRATULATIONS TO LOCAL 371! Local 371 was successful in winning a hard card check yesterday at the Food Bazaar in Bridgeport,CT, with a unit of 166 employees.

Monday Morning One Liners....Local 371 protests Fresh Market, more....

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

UFCW Local 371 is protesting a new Fresh Market.

Ray Venezia, a third-generation butcher and meat director for Fairway Market explains how to carve a turkey to FOX 5 here in NY. [video]

Police say a fire broke out in Wal-Mart's Christmas tree section outside their store in Westbury, Long Island.

Canada's top court has ruled in favor of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. in a dispute over union organizing efforts at a store in Quebec. Read More: [Bloomberg], [Marketwire] [Investor]

AP: Year after Stampede, Black Friday gets a makeover.

Newsday says that Security outweighed customers at Walmart in Green Acres mall.

DA: Walmart, peaceful this year on Black Friday.

NY Times Blog: Trader Joe's confirms it is coming to the Upper East West Side.

Apple growers upstate NY are leaving more fruit on trees than usual.

UFCW Local 7 members have began voting on their final contract proposal from Safeway, King Soopers, City Market.

U.S. retail shoppers spent about $41.2 billion over the four-day Thanksgiving weekend, up slightly from $41.0 billion last year, according to the National Retail Federation

Delahize closes on a Greek banner.

Penn Traffic Co. has informed the New York State Department of Labor that it could shutter most of its stores on Feb. 15, although reports said the company is still hoping to find a buyer by that time.

BJ's inks a deal in Flushing, Bye Bye Bye to Balducci's, Miami Wal-Mart may organize soon, Tuesday Morning One Liners...

Image via Wikipedia

BJ's Wholesale Club inks another lease in the NYC Metro area.

BJ's to take 170,000 sqft in Canarsie, Brooklyn.

An 89 year old widow is suing BJ's Wholesale Club in an age biased firing.

Balducci's

Village Voice: Bye Bye Balducci's

New York Times: A quiet exit for Balducci's

A U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge here yesterday declined to void the labor contract that Bruno's Supermarkets has with its employees as the company prepares itself for auction this week.
Read more of this story

The end of Bruno's Supermarkets, LLC in its present form could begin as early as this week as a bankruptcy court auction scheduled for Wednesday gets under way, according to a published account. The auction is expected to result in some stores being sold off and others shuttered.

A&P establishes a new age policy for purchasing alcohol and tobacco.

A California UFCW Local may be absorbed by 2 others.

UFCW Local 371 approved a contract with A&P.

More detailed look at the newly approved contract from the Advocate.

King Soopers and Safeway have agreed tentatively with the United Food and Commercial Workers Local No. 7 to include more preventative health care in the new contract.

Costco last week agreed to settle a lawsuit over the sale of "hot gasoline,” -- gasoline above 60 degrees Fahrenheit that expands but is not accounted for at the pumps, resulting in consumers receiving less gasoline than they pay for.

Miami may be the first Wal-Mart to unionize in the United States.

Walmart Workers for Change, a new campaign claiming to represent thousands of the Bentonville, Ark.-based mega-retailer’s 1.3 million associates across the United States, the campaign has employees in over 100 stores in 15 states who have signed union representation cards, alleging a lack of respect from the company, in addition to low wages and inadequate benefits as reasons to become unionized.

Check their new video here.

Chicago's Wal-Mart super-center is now back on the table.

Bashas' plans to cut under performing stores.

The Fresh Market will expand to Philly.

Trader Joe's will open a new NJ store this summer.

A new Sam's Club will be opening in Edison N.J.

Fresh Direct responds to the anti-idling law.

Ruben Diaz Jr. is officially a borough president.

Bruno's to close 38 stores, UFCW Local Authorizes strike, Manhattan gets a Costco...

Image via Wikipedia

Bankrupt Bruno’s Supermarkets Inc. has informed the state that 38 of its 60 Alabama stores may close by mid May, affecting nearly 2,200 employees.

UFCW Local 371 has authorized a strike at 15 A&P locations.

Two UFCW locals have merged into UFCW Local 75.

Looks like Manhattan will be graced with its first Costco.

Reeling from the real estate downturn in the city, construction unions and builders are edging closer to an agreement that they say will reduce labor costs and enable at least some of their projects in Manhattan to proceed despite the weak economy.

Younger shoppers use more online coupons.

NJ Star Ledger: the Employee Free Choice Act, backbone for a strong economy.

Labor leader Denis Rivera praised Mike Bloomberg.

The Daily News looks at Local 1500's early endorsements for the New York City Council.

Bigger Better Bottle Bill is in the new state budget.