Monday Morning One Liners

Morning Read

A farm worker connected to Trader Joe's 'Two-Buck Chuck' wine has died.

Grocery store operator Kroger Co. announced that it has reached a tentative agreement on a new contract with its Nashville-based union

Wal-Mart Stores here will unveil a new corporate logo this week, according to a report in the Memphis Business Journal.
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Super 88, a six-unit chain of Asian supermarkets here, last week agreed to pay $175,000 in back pay to current and former employees after the state accused the company of failing to pay overtime and violating minimum-wage rules, according to reports. The company also agreed to pay the state $25,000.
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A&P here yesterday said it would convert eight SuperFresh stores in the Philadelphia market to its new Pathmark Save-A-Center banner, and would also convert the 16 Pathmarks it operates in the area to the price-impact format.
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The Huffington Post asks if "Locally grown food has gone Corporate?"

A plastic bag recycling law set to take effect in New York City next month may be relegated to the trash pile. Proponents of the legislation, which was introduced and approved by the City Council, say it will be gutted by another recycling bill that was approved by Albany lawmakers earlier this week, much to the surprise of council members.

Anheuser-Busch has agreed to stop producing caffeinated Tilt and Bud Extra, and cease selling all alcoholic energy drinks nationwide, after an investigation revealed the company was illegally marketing these drinks to young people, state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced here yesterday.
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Citizens Financial Group Inc. plans to add 57 new in-store branches in Stop & Shop supermarkets in New York through next year.

Politics

Acorn, Pratt target Coney Island plan The affordable housing group NY Acorn is teaming up with the Pratt Center for Community Development to demand that the Bloomberg administration alter its redevelopment plans for Coney Island, to include more affordable housing and add measures to prevent gentrification

City Is Pushing for H.I.V. Tests for All in Bronx The New York City health department plans to announce on Thursday an ambitious three-year effort to give an H.I.V. test to every adult living in the Bronx, which has a far higher death rate from AIDS than any other borough.

New York state ranked 10th worst in the nation by the percentage of women living in poverty, according to a Thursday report from the Institute for Women's Policy Research. The report concluded that women in New York state are now worse off economically than they were in 1989, according to a new report issued Thursday.

The Colorado Supreme Court rejected the legal challenges against the titles of a pair of ballot measures proposed by the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7.

Community Board 7 has threatened to nix Mayor Bloomberg's Willets Point redevelopment plan Monday night unless the city consents to giving the Queens Borough Board a binding vote on the proposal.

The only members of Congress from New York that disclosed what local projects they’re trying to fund were Peter King and Vito Fossella.

Obama backs UFCW in Tesco fight....Thursday One Liners

A UFCW spokesman said the union was likely to have "quite a few conversations" with Mr Obama over the coming months about continuing to apply pressure on Tesco.

US union has Barack Obama aid in Tesco fight

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2008/06/05/cntesco105.xml

An American union has stepped up its campaign against Tesco, releasing a dossier that includes the backing of Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential nominee.

	Barack Obama wrote to Tim Mason [right], Fresh & Easy's chief executive

The 1.3m-member United Food and Commercial Workers union (UFCW) yesterday launched a 46-page report, The Two Faces of Tesco, to highlight alleged differences in pay, conditions and union recognition between Tesco employees in the UK and the US.

In his letter, Mr Obama said: "Supermarkets play a critical role in America's cities and neighbourhoods as employers, purchasers of local products and anchors for economic development. A recent Occidental College report raises concerns about Tesco's record in these areas."

His Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, also wrote to Sir Terry Leahy, Tesco's chief executive, last November, pointing out that Tesco's non-recognition of union members in the US was all the stranger given its close relationship with USDAW, the UK shopworkers' union.

Tesco rebuffed the tone and content of the report. "The UFCW do not reflect the views of Fresh & Easy staff who are overwhelmingly in favour of the pay and benefits they receive," Tesco said in a statement. It added: "We strongly believe that union membership is a matter of individual choice and if our people want to join a union then they can and will. "

Here's more on the story: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/retailing/article4069795.ece

Here's the UFCW Press Release

Supermarket News covered it today as well.

The UFCW report on Tesco has received a lot of press in England.

Here's another story.

A&P announced it settled in cash totaling $45.7 million, the 4,657,378 Series A Warrants, issued in connection with the acquisition of Pathmark.

Trader Joe's & Target were lauded for business ethics.

Balducci's is celebrating South America.

Andy Stern, the president of the Service Employees International Union, went into its convention under heavy fire from one of its largest locals, but he emerged stronger — overwhelmingly re-elected for another four years and with his power consolidated.

Michael Barbaro writes on Wal-Mart today.

And The Triborough Bridge will soon be the "RFK Bridge" named after the late Robert Kennedy.

Thursday Afternoon One Liners...

Chris Chafe will become the new executive director of Change To Win

Here's more on Greg Tarpinian stepping down as the executive director of Change to Win.

RedOrbit News picked up the story on Local 338's strike authorization vote.

Crain's picked up the supermarket shortage story as well.

Here's the NY Observers take on supermarket closings...

Political

Newsday writes, Brian X. Foley's candidacy for state Senate opens up the possibility of a special election for Brookhaven Town supervisor in which Republicans could widen their one-vote majority on the town council.

The Staten Island Democrats voted to endorse Michael McMahon for Fossella's seat last night.

And Ben & Jerry's has a new Ice Cream flavor modeled after John and Yoko.

Membership Involvment

By: Staten Island Representative Joe Castelli.

Union Membership is everyones responsibility, not just the representatives. Today, more than ever it's important for all of us to get involved and stay involved. If you go to work everyday and wonder what the union is doing, then you are missing the key point of union membership...
What are you doing? What are you doing to make the union stronger or healthier? Are you taking your 15 minute breaks? Are you making sure you're getting Sundays? We pass out contracts, read them. If you're full-time you should be getting 8 hours on holidays... Request a contract by clicking this link right here.

Don't be coerced by your store manager or DM to give up your contractual rights....The Contract is a 2 way street, there are things that work for the company and for you, the member. Don't give your rights away, because once the next negotiations begin the company will want those rights back...Ask your union rep how you can get involved, there many programs and activities that the union continues to look for members to get involved in....The S.T.A.R.T. Program, Political volunteering, Organizing (sign up by clicking here for these programs).

The dumbest question is the question that is not asked, if you have a question please call your representative (to find your reps phone number click here) or just simply email our web master Joe Fedele here. Demand the rights and protection your contract gives you, don't give these away because your manager needs help making labor, that isn't your problem, that's their problem. And remember it's not a grievance until the company has denied you your rights under the collective bargaining agreement.

Is it time for New York Supermarkets to start recycling plastic bags?

The New York Times Blog asks New Yorkers if it's time for supermarkets to recycle plastic bags. Here is an excerpt from the blog.

Paper or plastic? It’s no longer much of a choice in the United States, where plastic bags — introduced in 1977 — make up 90 percent of all grocery bags, according to the Progressive Bag Alliance, which represents plastic bag manufacturers. Now two City Council members, concerned about the number of plastic bags entering the New York City waste stream, say supermarkets should be required to take an active role in recycling them.

City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn and Councilman Peter F. Vallone Jr. are proposing legislation today that would require grocery stores to collect, transport and recycle the bags. The bill would put New York near the forefront of a movement to curb plastic bag use. The United States goes through an estimated 100 billion plastic bags a year, as Peter Applebome noted in an Our Towns column in September.

What do you think? Check out the rest of the opinion here.

S.T.A.R.T. Political Phone Bank Tonight

Attention all S.T.A.R.T. Members, Just a reminder tonight there will be a political phone bank at our office. All members who participate will receive 100 S.T.A.R.T. Points...Here are a few more events scheduled. Please call our office (800) 522-0456 ext.254 if you are interesting in participating in tonights event....Thanks!

Upcoming Volunteer Dates:
October 25th & 26th: Phone Banking @ UFCW Local 1500 Office 5:30-8:30, Members who volunteer will receive 100 S.T.A.R.T. Points

November 3rd: Election Day Prep
10 AM-2 PM in Suffolk and Dutchess Counties
Volunteers will receive 250 S.T.A.R.T. Points, Plus a S.T.A.R.T. T-SHIRT

November 6th: Election Day
Locations are TBA
Volunteers will receive 250 S.T.A.R.T. Points, Plus a S.T.A.R.T. T-SHIRT

Please send us an email if you are interested in participating in any of these events! Simply hit reply on this email to let us know you're interested! Thanks!