Wednesday Afternoon One-Liners:

Target just doesn't provide lots of hours to workers as we saw in Valley Stream, but now a Target Manager was fired for working through lunch.

A UFCW Local 1500 King Kullen will be opening in a new store in Garden City this November.

Huntington Patch: Future Uncertain for Local Pathmark Employees.  A spotlight on Local 1500 member Pete Globoschutz.


Walmart Free NYC will be hosting a teach in tomorrow in NYC @ Liberty Park.  More info @ Facebook.

In Long Island, a proposed bill could give the County executive the power to unilaterally open all county contracts up and decide which provisions he/she would like to retain or eliminate.  We, along with thousands of Long Island working families, find is ridiculous and unconstitutional. 


Occupy Wall Street: Working Families are Struggling.

Working Families Party's Dan Cantor is interviewed in City Hall News this week, discussing #OWS.

An advertiser's take on the middle class: More Diverse, Harder Working--and Still Shrinking....

Labor costs and inventory shorts have Walmart struggling to stock shelves.

Some grocery stores are unplugging their self-checkouts.

Biggest strike to date leaves Greece at a standstill for two-days.


UAW workers have ratified a new agreement with Ford.

And elsewhere, Carmelo Anthony planted Harlem's 500,000th tree this weekend.

NY Industry News Briefs: 4/1-4/5

Cover of Martin Luther King, Jr.

In March, jobs increased by 216,000.

AFL-CIO Blog: Walker's attacks on workers creates a new interest for unions in America.

Stop & Shop hires 150 local workers, 100 from the closed Shaw's store in CT.

Last week a judge upheld the ruling for Walmart's $7K fine from OSHA, for the tragedy at their Valley Stream store, when a temporary employee was trampled to death on Black Friday in 2008.  The Times reports how Walmart aggressively fought this fine, and is planning to appeal it, spending over $2 million fighting the $7,000 fine. More @ Columbia Journalism Review.

Walmart is also thinking of testing California deliveries. More @ Consumerist.

Last month, the NY POST wrote an article which inaccurately depicted supermarket prices throughout NYC.  Today, Nicholas Dagostino published his response.

On April Fools Day the Working Families Party put out a fake press release announcing a partnership with Walmart.

No joke, Mini-Walmarts are coming; WSJ.

Walmart's massive PR campaign continued today with new mailers going out throughout NYC.

Here's why Martin Luther King Jr. would support Public Workers.

MLK III is also making a push for living wage with elected officials. 

A&P is suing Stop & Shop for hiring Ex-Operations Vice President.

A&P also announced a new Kosher promotion, hiring/establishing a new "Kosher category manager".

Aldi to Queens in 2010, The WFP wins again, Wednesday Morning Read...

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Nearly 300 UNITE HERE members protesting demands from major hotels in Chicago and San Francisco for cutbacks, and the firing of 100 housekeepers in Boston, were arrested in peaceful civil disobedience demonstrations in recent days.

Sign the petition to keep Stella D'oro production plant open in the Bronx!

Whole Foods protests are getting more creative, a musical protest was performed in Oakland this week.

Wal-Mart & K-Mart are targeting recession-weary toy buyers this holiday season, Wal-Mart is planning on offering 100 toys for $10.

Washington Post: From Whole Foods to the Food Bank, Middle Class residents find themselves with hat in hand.

Duane Reade launched a private label food brand.

Aldi Supermarket, [sister of Trader Joe's] will open its' first NYC store in Queens.  Don't expect the expansion to stop, they're plans are much larger than one store. For those new to Aldi, Aldi is known for its store-branded merchandise, with about 95% of the items exclusive to Aldi.  According to the company, Aldi's prices are up to 50% lower than the prices at traditional supermarkets.  Ranked 25th among U.S. grocery chains in gross sales, Aldi's Queens' store is part of a larger expansion plan, under which the company is opening some 80 new stores this year. BNet analyzes the move.

Meanwhile, Trader Joe's is in talks for opening another store, this one in Chelsea on 6th between 21st and 22nd.

Politics 

The turnout was low, but Bill De Blasio (138,736 votes) and John Liu (121,173) were winners in last night's runoff, marking another victory this election season for the Working Families Party, the NY Times City Room has more.
 

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• Can America's Urban Food Deserts Bloom? (time.com)

Monday Morning Read,

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"It was labor that helped build the largest middle class in history. So, even if you're not a union member, every American owes something to America's labor movement,"
- Barack Obama, speaking at an AFL-CIO rally in Cincinnati.

A new study revealed retail jobs are expected to grow dramatically over the next few years, which begs the question: will they be good jobs?

A&P plans to split stores into four store types, 
Over the next five years, about 100 stores will be converted to price impact or discount stores. Currently, around 150 locations are operating as price impact stores, with plans to add an additional 50. By 2014, A&P will have 50 or 60 discount stores...The announcement is getting a lot of press.

Workers at Safeway's Edmonton distribution center returned to work Saturday afternoon, ending a six day strike.

UFCW Local 7 in Colorado and King Soopers are still in a deadlock today, as their contract expired at midnight.

The Teamsters call on Whole Foods to support Health Care reform.

Time Magazine: Wal-Mart's new plan to crush competition: Project Impact.

Politics
Crain's looks at the tremendous growth (and power) of the Working Families Party.

Liz Benjamin of the Daily News, says the Working Families Party has a target on their back, as several groups are rallying together to try and reduce their growing clout.

Gov. David Paterson said Saturday that he won't support the Legislature's proposed ethics bill, which he says would be like "rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

Remember tomorrow is Primary Day get out and vote!

Thursday Morning One Liners..

al-Mart is sparing no expense on their frugal attempts to enter the south-side of Chicago, now they're planning on sponsoring a 'farmers market' in a weak pathetic attempt to be welcomed into the graces of the Chicago citizens. Wal-Mart + Local Famers Market=???

UFCW Local 371 held a Wal-Mart rally.

Displaced Wal-Mart workers fear for benefits.

Wal-Mart got another property valuatinon cut, this time for $1.2 million.

Gaming workers at Bally’s and Caesars casinos in Atlantic City voted overwhelmingly over the weekend to authorize a strike if they are unable to reach a contract agreement with management.

Great editorial: "No excuses left on EFCA [Employee Free Choice Act'"

"Raising the minimum wage is one of the easiest things we can do to give working people a leg up. It's an instant economic stimulus for the people who need it the most."-Dan Cantor, WFP Executive Director, on today's ten cent increase in the minimum wage, in Newsday.

5 New York Democrats holding up Healthcare.

An estimated 123,000 New Yorkers will get a raise on Friday.

City
Ikea slaps a $5 fee for an allegedly "free" water taxi.
More at the Daily News.

A Cancer awareness group is suing Nathan's Hot Dogs.

Wal-Mart uses rescession as ally to open new stores in Chicago, Fresh Market and family, Monday Morning News...

Image by

What's the haps with Wal-Mart

Citing the need for new investment to boost the sagging local economy, Wal-Mart is preparing to launch a new push for approval of as many as five new stores in Chicago, sources said Thursday.

Wal-Mart eyes 12 'Food Deserts' in Chicago.

Wal-Mart to cash a check for up to 6 times to state fee in Connecticut.

Grand Jury is calling witnesses for the Wal-Mart stampede this past Thanksgiving.

Springsteen fans: "disappointed" [Wal-Mart deal]

Elsewhere

Fresh Market goes corporate: The 26-year family run 'The Fresh Market' came to an end last week when the Berry family stepped down from CEO position.

A Federal agency declares Bashas' discriminates against Hispanic employees.

Smith's & Food 4 Less ratify UFCW contracts in Las Vegas.

BJ's Wholesale Club goes back to basics.

Politics

New York Times: Patterson's Supermarket Winery's.

More on the debate on selling wine in Supermarkets.

NY GOP to Guiliani: "Help"

Working Families Party pushes forward in Suffolk County.

SEIU, UCFW and other worker rights advocates are escalating their campaign against Republican efforts to obstruct the appointment of Congressmember Hilda Solis as the new Labor Secretary. Solis

Companies and Unions set to square off on Employee Free Choice.

Gillibrand the flip flopper.

Andrew Cuomo, not running for Governor, speaks to conservatives.

Morning Briefs...

Image via Wikipedia

Canadian supermarket operators and city officials here have reportedly agreed on a plan to introduce legislation requiring consumers to pay 5 cents for each plastic bag they get from stores.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc., known for avoiding many of the blowups that have battered its Wall Street rivals, now is likely to report a net loss of as much as $2 billion for its quarter ended Nov. 28, according to industry insiders.

A New Hyde Park man used forged coupons to buy about $2,000 worth of Pathmark supermarket goods, state police said Monday.

The Working Families Party saw a major increase in votes this election.

The Oregon Editorial Board believes the Wal-Mart death should have been averted.

The lawsuits have started to be filed.

The unresolved State Senate contest between Senator Frank Padavan, a Republican, and his Democratic challenger, James F. Gennaro, moves on Tuesday into a Queens courtroom, where nearly a dozen college students have been subpoenaed to verify their residences.

Gov. David A. Paterson won't appoint a replacement for Hillary Rodham Clinton until she leaves the U.S. Senate, which is unlikely before next month.

Gristedes on Henry St., BJ's in Brooklyn, Whole Foods cuts jobs, Wal-Mart still booming and Friday Morning One Liners

More Eli Zabar press

Prominent labor groups are seeking an investigation into whether Wal-Mart Stores Inc. violated federal election laws by telling employees that electing Democrats would lead to passage of legislation making it easier to unionize companies.

Organizing campaign turns to the Supreme Court in Brooklyn.

Gristedes on Henry St. in the Brooklyn Heights is all cleaned up.

Two popular local blogs picked up the BJ's story....Queens Crap.....and The Gothamist.

Whole Foods Market Inc. said Wednesday it is cutting 49 jobs out of 650 in Austin.

  

Wal-Mart keeps reaping benefits in a tight economy.

Willets Point

Hiram Monserrate introduced a bill Thursday to require financial impact reports to be conducted before land can be seized by the city under eminent domain.

Political

The NY Sun analyzes the most competetive race in NY: Staten Island Congressional Race.

Working Families Party knocks ally Paterson

This is the week of the broken alliance. On Wednesday the state Working Families Party, which went all out for the Eliot Spitzer-David Paterson ticket two years ago, launched an advertising assault against the new governor's proposal for a 4 percent cap on school-related property-tax increases.

Enjoy the weekend