Top 10 Stories This Week You Missed: Park Slope Car Washers, Merging Chains, Income Inequality Grows

FEATURED

 

Richest 1% to Own More than the Rest of the World

 

The wealthiest 1% will soon own more than the rest of the world's population, according to a study by anti-poverty charity Oxfam.

The charity's research shows that the share of the world's wealth owned by the richest 1% increased from 44% in 2009 to 48% last year.

 

"Extreme inequality isn't just a moral wrong. It undermines economic growth and it threatens the private sector's bottom line.

FEATURED STATS

Global Wealth

48%: owned by richest 1% in 2014

54%: owned by richest 1% by 2020

• $1.9tn wealth of 80 top billionaires - equal to bottom 50% of rest of world
   
• $600bn increase in wealth for 80 top billionaires in 4 years - or 50% rise
   
• $750bn drop in wealth for the poorest 50% of the world in 4 years

Source: Oxfam, Credit Suisse

WHAT'S NEWS THIS WEEK   1. "I'd Shoot the Union." That's what a Walmart manager said to an associate and his co-workers threatening them if they try to organizing.   2. Stew Leonards Gets Heat for Making Employees Walk to Work During Storm

3. Mitt Romney Will NOT Run for President The former candidate announced he will not be running for President in 2016.  Republican Senator Rand Paul called Romney, "yesterday's news".

4. Where is the Empathy? If you read one story this week, this is it. A MUST READ: A powerful Op-Ed by a New York Times writer on how income inequality lead to the death of his childhood friend.

5. Albertsons & Safeway Finalize Merger

6. Trade war between Obama and Dems Dozens of House Democrats are expressing deep reservations about the White House’s trade agenda, putting themselves on a collision course with President Obama over concerns that the deals will benefit big business at the expense of U.S. workers.

7. Park Slope Car Washers Vote in RWDSU Marks the 10th Car Wash unit to unionize.

8. Host a Union-Made Super Bowl

9. Obama Urges Strengthening Labor Unions

10. Reporters at Politico to Organize Union High turnover rates have pushed reporters at the popular news outlet to seek union representation.     11. Grocers Angry over Swipe-Fee Denial The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday denied a petition by the Food Marketing Institute, National Association of Convenience Stores, National Retail Federation and other groups, which challenged the Federal Reserve’s rule on debit card swipe fees.

12. Obama Wants to Give Workers Paid Leave The White House has made plans to give workers more paid time off.     13. McDonald's Sales Drop Most in Over a Decade To say this year has been a rough year for McDonald's is an understatement.  Worker uprising, food questions, health concerns, all led to lower sales and the removal of their CEO this week.   14. Senate Democrats Urge Obama to be  Aggressive for Higher Wages, Expanding Overtime Regulations Fixing income inequality one step at a time.   15. Ebola has mutated Scientists say the deadly virus is mutating, making it stronger.         Thank You: It's often a thankless job, so we'd like to say, thank you.  Your work throughout this week has helped hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers prepare for adverse weather.  We know it wasn't easy dealing with the pre-storm chaos, and we'd like to sincerely recognize you for helping your communities.

 

Shameless Plugs:

 

Union Blood Drive is coming up in March.  If you're interested in donating let us know!

 

Union Plus Benefits: You're eligible for discounts on cell phone bills, mortgages, gyms and more! Find out here.

 

 

When will Wal-Mart close the Union Shop?, Friday One-Liners...

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Happy Friday, here's what's in the news12/12/2008

The Island Harvest is holding a few food drives at some Local 1500 stores this weekend.

Lee Scott will address the nation including the economy on Meet the Press Sunday

There has been a call for a state probe in the Black Friday stampede

WakeupWal-Mart is wondering how long it will take for the recently unionized Wal-Mart [Canada] to close.

Delhaize Group said it has named Stefan Descheemaeker as its new chief financial officer, effective Jan. 5.
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BJ's Wholesale Club here on Thursday made it official: Laura Sen will be its next chief executive officer.
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A coalition of food safety, science and consumer groups has urged President-elect Barack Obama to appoint a Secretary of Agriculture "who has had experience with or has been an advocate of the USDA's nutrition, food safety, and conservation programs" and who "has had experience providing leadership to a large and diverse organization."
Read more of this story

Stuart Applebaum released a statement regarding the idea of Caroline Kennedy taking Hillary's vacant Senate seat.

Applebaum also released a statement responding to a Labor Department report that the number of Americans collecting unemployment benefits has soared to 4.43 million.

Christine Quinn announced, No rebate checks for Christmas

Betsy Gotbaum is meeting with her potential successors.

Tuesday Morning Quick Clicks...

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Just days away from Thanksgiving, in one of the premier food-selling periods of the year, the Stop & Shop Supermarket Company said yesterday it was recalling all butternut squash sides that are packaged with the supermarket chain's prepared turkey and ham holiday dinners, in the wake of a recall launched by one of its vendors.

A Thanksgiving meal in NYC will cost more than any other city in the country.

Eric Gioia wants to know why Costco doesn't accept Food Stamps.

Stocks in supermarket operators — including battered names like Whole Foods Market and A&P — rebounded strongly Monday as markets reacted to news of Citigroup's bailout.
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Wal-Mart locations in California will pay consumers $3 at the register when they make a pricing error, according to terms that are part of a settlement over price-scanning errors announced Monday by officials here.
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Whole Foods Market has rolled out a selection of socially responsible holiday food and nonfood gifts that range from handmade Nepalese felted wool ornaments to organic cotton peace scarves.
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Politics (From the NY Observer)

Senator Chuck Schumer will exit the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee after two cycles as the chief of the campaign arm, Schumer’s office confirmed Monday afternoon.

The Times reports that Charlie Rangel helped maintain a tax loophole for a drilling company whose top executive donated $1 million to Rangel's eponymous CUNY center. Rangel previously opposed the loophole

Writing in Politico, Tom Suozzi floats an plan to have the federal government take over the local cost of Medicaid.

Morning Read

David Wild, who was said to be heading up the development of Wal-Mart’s small-format Marketside concept, is leaving to join British retailer Halfords Group as chief executive officer, Halfords said Friday.
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The King Kullen Supermarket chain has plans to build a superstore in the Tuckahoe Hills area within the next few years.

A new study has found that New York City needs at least seven new dry docks like that one that Ikea turned into a parking lot in Red Hook. Experts say it could cost about $1 billion to replace the 730-foot-long former graving dock. The Port of New York has 18 dry docks, including four larger graving docks. The study estimated the port would lose $50 million to $150 million in revenue over the next five years because it does not have enough docks. Opponents of the Ikea, which opened last week, want the city to take back its dock because they say it would be less costly than building a new one.

A&P Press Release; MONTVALE, N.J.-- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Inc. (A&P, NYSE Symbol: GAP) has published on it’s website, unaudited prior year quarterly information for Pathmark Stores Inc, acquired in December 2007, in response to shareholder inquiries concerning the effect of the acquisition on Pathmark’s prior year results including summarization of Pathmark’s results to conform to A&P’s quarterly reporting calendar, the impact of purchase accounting adjustments and classifications of certain non operating items consistent with A&P practices.

Supervalu Inc. hired the CEO of online grocer Fresh Direct to become its new chief marketing officer.

A permanent fresh food market will open on South Street this summer, as part of the long-term redevelopment plans for Pier 17 and the Seaport. The 16-stall market is the first of General Growth Properties' plans, which call for a 495-foot tower, hotels and condos, retail buildings, and the relocation of the landmark-protected Tin Building. A community center and a public plaza are also in the works. Read the entire story here.

The soaring price of food has complicated efforts by Whole Foods, the nation's largest natural and organic grocery store, to move toward provide "more sustainable" products, a company official said on Friday.

Here's more on how Whole Foods & Wal-Mart are coping with high food costs.

Ed Ott, the executive director of the New York City Central Labor Council, an umbrella group for the city’s labor unions, has an unexpected and unnerving warning for New York’s more than one million union members.

There already are vending machines outside most so-called big-box stores that dispense soda cans. But similar machines may soon be collecting them. A bill that cleared the state Senate last week and is now before the Assembly for a vote will, if it passes, require large retail stores such Costco, Sam's Club, BJ's Wholesale Club and Wal-Mart to install reverse vending machines, or RVMs.

Politics

Francis H. Powers, a retired Wall Street executive who was recently selected by Republican leaders on Staten Island as their candidate for the Congressional seat being vacated by Representative Vito J. Fossella, died on Saturday at his home on Staten Island.

When the numbers were finally and officially tallied a little over a week ago, Anthony Como had won a special election for a City Council seat by a mere 41 votes. Mr. Como’s razor-thin victory in a four-candidate race is not only a triumph for him, but also a victory that brings bragging rights for the Queens County Republican Party’s leadership.

Rep. Anthony Weiner has sworn off special interest money for his mayoral campaign next year - but he's raking it in for his congressional reelection bid this fall, federal records show.

Brooklyn community activists are putting up candidates for the borough's Democratic county committee.

Community Board 2 is set to vote on the Hunts Point new mega-development.

Hillary Clinton made her first major public appearance in New York yesterday.

In addition to Obama and McCain, Clinton will speak at the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials

Tuesday Morning One Liners...

D'Agostino Supermarkets President and Chief Operating Officer Nicholas D'Agostino III was recently named chairman of the Food Industry Alliance of New York State here.
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Aldi here on Monday opened the doors to a store in East Syracuse, N.Y., that showcases the chain’s new marketing and environmental approaches, a report said yesterday.
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A State Supreme Court judge in Suffolk Monday invalidated a controversial worker status law that required Suffolk County's 17,000 licensed contractors to prove their employees are not undocumented immigrants.

Talk Bronx, has covered the loss of the supermarket throughout NYC.

Here's more on the UAW withdrawing at Foxwoods.

Dayton, Ohio: As part of its “Eat Local” promotion, Dorothy Lane Market has launched a monthly local food “challenge” and gift card giveaway.
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Politics and What not...

John Tasini comments on SEIU's "Call Centers"

New York State's excise tax on cigarettes becomes the highest in the nation today, when it increases by $1.25 a pack - to $2.75....City Smokers Prepare for New State Tax

The Republican presence in the City Council could be whittled down to two members as voters go to the polls today in Queens to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Council Member Dennis Gallagher

Starrett City residents were assured their rents would stay 'affordable' yesterday