New York's Largest Grocery Workers Union Slams Newly Appointed CEO of Mrs. Green's Natural Market

Calls comments "short-sighted" and a "disappointment"

United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1500 President Bruce W. Both released the following statement regarding the appointment of Pat Brown as CEO of Natural Markets Food Group, the parent company of Mrs. Green's Natural Market:

"We and the workers from Mrs. Green's eagerly awaited new CEO Pat Brown's statements on the future of Mrs. Green's Natural Market, and we were all equally disappointed.

"Like his predecessor, Mr. Brown failed to take advantage of an opportunity to address the serious labor management problems at Mrs. Green's Natural Market; declining to acknowledge any of the hardworking men and women who have been instrumental in emerging Mrs. Green's from a small chain of stores in one state, into a rapidly expanding international market.

"Brown's comments are short-sighted for a company that was been charged with and settled over 20 labor violations in the last 15 months with the National Labor Relations Board. Under Brown's predecessor's leadership, the company was charged with illegally firing eight longtime workers from its Mt. Kisco store for supporting the UFCW union. Those workers were left on a picket line for over 6 months in front of the store, until the company finally succumbed to community and political pressure to rehire them. Ignoring these problems will not make them go away.

"Mrs. Green's is plagued with worker unrest because their 'core mission' doesn't include workers. The company needs to acknowledge and respect the men and women who help them achieve their "core mission", every day."

For more information on the workers at Mrs. Green's Natural Market please visit www.mrsgreeds.com.

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United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1500, based out of Westbury, New York, represents over 23,000 grocery workers in New York City, Long Island, Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess Counties.

Stay up to date with UFCW Local 1500 on twitter @ufcw1500, and at www.ufcw1500.org.

Contact UFCW Local 1500 at info@ufcw1500.org.

8 Unlawfully Fired Workers Heading Back to Work with Pay at Mrs. Green's Natural Market after NLRB Settlement

After being federally charged by a NLRB Regional Director with unlawfully terminating 8 employees in January 2014 for "supporting a union," the Union has settled with Mrs. Green's, after agreeing to rehire workers with back-pay

United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Union Local 1500 announced it has assisted eight unlawfully fired workers from Mrs. Green's in getting their jobs back with back-pay, after a Regional Director of the National Labor Relations Board charged Mrs. Green's Natural Market with unlawfully terminating them because "they supported the Union."
"Mrs. Green's did everything possible to avoid unionization, including firing eight longtime workers who gave a combined over 50 years of service to the company," said UFCW Local 1500 President Bruce W. Both. "We joined the brave workers, along with the Mt. Kisco community, on a picket line in January, fighting for what we all deserve, respect at work, and today justice prevailed."
The settlement between the union and company comes days before a NLRB hearing in which Mrs. Green's faced federal charges for unlawfully threatening and intimidating workers, and ultimately firing workers who supported Local 1500.

"Our fight has been long, but it is not over," said David Ramirez, an unlawfully fired worker who worked at Mrs. Green's for nearly 10 years, "We ultimately want and need protection at work, so we and all our coworkers don't have to work in fear that if we ever stand up for our basic rights, we will be fired and on a picket line for 6 months, fighting for what we all should be guaranteed at work. Nobody in this country deserves that."

Union President Bruce W. Both, noted that, although the settlement has put workers back to work, their struggle is far from over. "In November 2013, Mrs. Green's agreed to cease their anti-union conduct, promising to provide a safe, intimidation-free work environment for the workers. We all witnessed how Mrs. Green's took that responsibility; they illegally fired eight loyal longtime workers and put them on the streets during a frigid winter, fighting for their jobs back. Now, we're here, 6-months later, and nothing has changed; the workers are still fighting for the protection on the job they need, want and deserve."

For months, the Union urged the company to reinstate all unlawfully fired workers and to spare the workers and community the expense and strain of a hearing. The evidence that Mrs. Green's acted in violation of the law was overwhelming and the NLRB Regional Director found that these workers were not fired for their job performance but simply for standing up for their basic rights at work. The Union also extended their appreciation to the Mt. Kisco community along with the politicians who stood with the unlawfully fired workers during their struggle.

When asked about returning to work, Ramirez said, "We're happy to return to serve the community that stood with us during our struggle. We want respect, protection and security at work once we return."

Visit www.mrsgreeds.com for more information.

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March Event Calendar

March 2014

Spring is almost here! Below you'll find the latest news and some upcoming events our Union is holding throughout March.

— LATEST NEWS & EVENTS — General Membership Meeting Wednesday, March 12, 20147:00 PM @ UFCW 1500 HQ Get involved at our first General Membership meeting of the year.  Have your questions on contracts, health benefits, pensions and negotiations answered by your Union Reps. and Executives. The meeting is held at UFCW Local 1500 HQ: 425 Merrick Ave. Westbury, NY 11590.   RSVP Now Emergency Blood DriveMarch 25, 20142:00- 8:00 PM @ UFCW 1500 HQ Make a difference in your community, give blood!  After a cold winter filled with blood shortages, the New York Blood Center has reached out and asked our union for help. Please donate or volunteer on March 25th, so we can help others in desperate need of blood!  RSVP is necessary, food and refreshments will be served throughout the day. Learn More Now & RSVP your time slot now! March Newsletter Now Available Online Check out the latest edition of The Register, our quarterly periodical addressing important issues our union faces each day.   Inside this issue we take a close look at our Organizing Team's fight against Mrs. Green's Natural Market in Mt. Kisco, we check-in at Whitestone Key Food, give a 2014 Political outlook and much more!  Download your copy (PDF) here! After you've read it, we'd like to know what you think!  Simply reply to this message or email info@ufcw1500.org with your comments or suggestions! UFCW International Scholarship: Apply Today - June 20, 2014! In 2014 the UFCW International will award several Scholarships, up to $8,000 each, to UFCW members or their unmarried dependents under the age of 20.  The application will be available online through June 20, 2014.   If you're unable to apply online, you may request an application by writing to: UFCW  International Union, Attn: Scholarship Program, 1775 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006. If you need the scholarship rules or an application in another language, please contact us at 1-800-551-4010 and we will obtain assistance for you.  Learn More Now Get social with your union:  Find us on Facebook.com/ufcw1500 and follow us @ufcw1500