Westchester Faith Leaders to Hold Prayer Vigil for Fired Mrs. Green's Workers

 March 25th marked the 2 month anniversary of 9 workers being illegally fired by Mrs. Green's. The National Labor Relations Board is currently investigating the firings. Faith Leaders from throughout Westchester County are holding for a Prayer Vigil in support of demands that the company reinstate the workers who were unlawfully terminated.

WHO:  
9 Fired Workers from Mrs. Green's, Westchester Faith Leaders, UFCW Local 1500 Union

WHAT:  
March 25th marked the 2 month anniversary of the illegal firing of 9 workers from Mrs. Green’s Natural Market in Mt. Kisco.  As Holy Week is approaching, Faith leaders from throughout Westchester County are holding a Prayer Vigil at the Mt. Kisco store in support of demands that the company reinstate the workers who were unlawfully terminated.

WHEN:    Tuesday April 08, 2014 at 12:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)
WHERE:    Mrs. Green's Natural Market
666 Lexington Ave.
Mt. Kisco, New York 10549
NOTES:  
Photo/Video opportunity. Interview opportunities for: Clergy, Faith Leaders, Union, Fired Workers

9 Longtime Mrs. Green's Natural Market Workers to Mt. Kisco Customers: "We're Fired."

Happy New Year from Mrs. Green's, you're fired.

Since nine workers were abruptly fired from Mrs. Green's Natural Market in Mt. Kisco for "poor customer service", they've taken their fight to the streets, notifying customers of the disrespect and malice Mrs. Green's Natural Market showed them, most who were employees of over 10 years.

"We want to tell the community how Mrs. Green's treated us," said David Rameriez, who until two weeks ago worked for Mrs. Green's for over eight years, "They pride themselves on good food and good health, and as a neighborhood store...But they've shown no commitment to us, they've disrespected us."

Mrs. Green's Natural Market fired nine workers two-weeks ago for "poor customer service".  All of the terminated workers supported the union in an election last year, and some recently met with politicians and the union on working conditions at the store.

 "We're not backing down, we're letting the community members know what we've served over the last decade.  Most of them know us and once they've heard how Mrs. Green's treated us, they told us they support us and will tell management they support us," Rameriez said.

Throughout the weekend, community members were outraged that the "Natural Market" would sink this low and fire long-time employees for "poor customer service".  Many went inside to tell management their feelings, some left immediately saying they would no longer support the store and some even took to Twitter (left), like Rita Tobin, a longtime customer who won't be shopping at the store anymore.

UFCW Local 1500 organizers and the nine fired workers have been working hand in hand in alerting the public and putting Mrs. Green's on notice.  UFCW Local 1500 has filed federal charges against Mrs. Green's for the firings, calling them "retaliation" for supporting the union.

Support the workers on their picket line at:

666 Lexington Ave #1, Mt Kisco, NY 10549

Call management and tell them you support the nine fired workers at: (914) 242-9292



United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1500, based out of Westbury, New York, represents grocery workers in New York City, Long Island, Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess Counties. Members of Local 1500 are employed by A&P/Pathmark, Fairway, Stop and Shop, Gristedes, D'Agastino, Key Food, Shop Rite and King Kullen. Stay up to date with UFCW Local 1500 on twitter @ufcw1500, facebook.com/ufcw1500, www.ufcw1500.org email info@ufcw1500.org for more info or questions.

Target Targets Union Employees

Image via Wikipedia

Last week Gawker added another edition to its ongoing expose of life working at Target.  This edition, Gawker get's some inside info from a former Target Team Leader.  Some juicy stuff on the script the company uses to train managers to stay union-free and how to avoid hiring employees who were previously unionized or have union buzz words within their resume.

We all recall Target firing pro-union employee Tashawna Greene last August, a mere 7-weeks after the union election for essentially nothing, but this is a whole other level of anti-unionism by Target. 

On screening job applications:

We also had training on how to read job applications. They gave us words to look out for which may indicate the employee was in a union at a previous jobs. Those applicants were not to be hired. The official training paperwork didn't say this, but verbally they did...As far as job applications go, I do specifically remember they said if we see words like shop steward, steward, local, brotherhood

When unionizing came up amongst staff:

I do remember when the topics of unions came up one thing we were supposed to remind the hourly employees was that if they joined a union "Things could get better, but they could stay the same, and they definetly could get worse" and emphasize that "Just because you join a union, nothing is guarenteed and it might become a lot worse". We were supposed to talk about how if they join a union that essentially they would have no control over anything anymore and that their union leaders would essentially have a bunch of closed door negotiations and none of them would have a voice anymore and they would be forced to do whatever the union leaders wanted.

Check out the entire piece at Gawker: http://gawker.com/5889767/a-former-target-team-leader-explains-hiring-firing-and-staying-union+free

This is nothing new to us within this industry, but Gawker has been doing a stellar job reporting the truths about what it's like to work for the mega-retailer, Target, truths which are usually swept underneath the carpet and receive little media attention.

Friday Morning One Liners...

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California's attorney general has filed suit against four manufacturers, including Whole Foods Market Inc., accusing them of failing to label soap products that contain a potentially cancer-causing chemical.

The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 said today that it is withdrawing two of four proposed ballot initiatives, part of an effort to get business interests to pull their right-to-work measure. "We want to show that we're open to negotiation with the business community," said Manny Gonzales, a spokesman for UFCW Local 7, which represents food and health care workers and barbers in the Rocky Mountain region.

Montauk and Shinnecock fishermen will meet for the second time with representatives of the United Food and Commercial Workers union this afternoon at the Top of the Wharf restaurant in Hampton Bays.

Unionized workers at Tops Markets have overwhelmingly approved a three-year contract. United Food and Commercial Workers Local One said its members voted 97 percent in favor of the deal. Utica-based Local One represents about 9,000 workers at Tops stores in New York state and Pennsylvania.

Penn Traffic has reached a tentative contract agreement with United Food and Commercial Workers Local One, the union representing roughly two-thirds of its workforce, the retailer here said.

John Mackey, founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Whole Foods Market here, said he has some regrets about last year’s Wild Oats acquisition, a merger of the two largest so-called “super-natural” retailers that triggered an antitrust investigation and an inquiry by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Read more of this story

Specialty grocery chain The Fresh Market here will make its debut in New England next year as part of a new waterfront shopping district under construction in Hingham, Mass.

A major retail expansion is under way in Brooklyn, especially in Red Hook and downtown. The emergence of more retail stores comes in response to rising local incomes, growing demand for quality goods, and a national consolidation of retail into urban areas to avoid high energy costs, experts say....Ikea is leading this new retail push.

Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo said his office intends to take legal action against drug chains Rite Aid and CVS after a state investigation revealed their stores sold expired products including milk, eggs, medicines and baby formula.
Read more of this story

Two statewide drug store chains have been selling expired food, medicine and baby formula, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said Thursday.Cuomo said the items were found at 142 CVS and 112 Rite Aid pharmacies in New York. Many stores sold milk and eggs that had expired, and some sold medications that were more than a year past their expiration dates.

Officials Find Expired Items at Drugstores in New York

Stores still selling expired pills

BIG RX CHAINS RATTLED

Policy

Just over 3 million city residents, or 38% of the population, had difficulty affording food for themselves and their families last year, according to a report from the city's Food Bank.

Daily News : Tough to pay for food, 35% say

NY Sun :More Families Report Trouble Affording Food

Political

Labor union officials and some liberal activists were seething Tuesday over Barack Obama's choice of centrist economist Jason Furman as the top economic advisor for the campaign. The critics say Furman, who was appointed to the post Monday, has overstated the potential benefits of globalization, Social Security private accounts and the low prices offered by Wal-Mart -- considered a corporate pariah by the labor movement.

The Queens County Board of Elections commissioner, Anthony Como, will represent the 30th district in Queens in the City Council after winning a special election to replace Council Member Dennis Gallagher, who resigned earlier this year after pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges of sexual abuse.

Union endorses Hiram Monserrate over Sabini in Queens Senate race

City Councilman Hiram Monserrate picked up another endorsement Wednesday in his bid to unseat state Sen. John Sabini. The New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council tossed its support behind Monserrate

Anthony Weiner wants more foreign models in America.

And it looks like Babe Ruth's house has finally been found.

Balducci's Infamous "Chanukah Ham"

By: JOE FEDELE
www.ufcw1500.org

Yesterday it was the worker who wasn't normally in the Meat Departments fault...Today Balducci's blames their employee in training program. If you haven't heard or seen this popular story picked up yesterday by the NY Daily News, Balducci's on 14th St. had this Chanukah Ham on display.

The article read

"A Balducci's official was so verklempt about the error he didn't want to speak on the record. He fessed up that "it was a mistake," blaming it on a stock clerk who normally doesn't work the meat department.. "

Today Balducci's came out with this apology on their website, noting they are reviewing their "employee training policy" the story was also picked up by the AP. It's no wonder that the employees at Balducci's are voting to Unionize on December 17th. The company continues to treat them with disrespect, as seen in this case when a Balducci's official quickly pushes the blame of a pre-made sign to a someone who "normally doesnt work in the meat department" Their slogan seems to be "When in doubt, Blame the worker" Gourmet grocery workers are constantly mistreated, whether it be in pay rate or ethically, they're viewed as a lower class person by the managment. Mygourmetgrocer.com is working to bring workers rights to the gourmet industry in Manhattan.

This simple corporate mistake by Balducci's is evidence enough to what Gourmet workers go through everyday, being blamed for mistakes they had nothing to do with and essentially having no rights in the workplace. If you'd like to help more workers like the ones at Balducci's please get involved by signing up here. Don't let Balducci's get away by passing blame on the people that make their company what it is, we need to come together in solidarity to show that corporations cannot walk all over the working class.

Check out our leaflet here, and if you happen to be by Balducci's this weekend please tell a worker that you support their campaign!