Verizon Workers are on Strike...Need Your Support

This morning at 6 AM, 39,000 men and women working at Verizon went on strike for good jobs and a fair contract! They have hit a breaking pointl after 10 months of contract negotiations.

Over the last three years these workers have helped the company earn $39 billion in profits. Yet Verizon wants to freeze pensions, gut job security and send their U.S. positions overseas.

We are standing with our brothers and sisters from CWA & IBEW.
What you can do:

1. You can help by signing the petition at http://bit.ly/1oXma6l 
2. Join a picket line or rally near you at standuptoverizon.com
3. Share this information, the petition and rally/picket locations on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and take action to stand in solidarity with CWA District 1 and IBEW sisters and brothers as they Stand Up to Verizon!
4. Use hashtag: ‪#‎Standup2VZ‬

Thursday Morning One Liners: CWA & IBEW Win Battle vs Verizon

Found on Twitter: According to #Romney's logic, he could not win the vote of his Dad, who would be one of the 47% via @MoveOn #47percent ow.ly/dRfiW

High rents are hitting middle class New Yorkers harder than anywhere else in the country.

Middle-income renters, defined as those earning between $35,000 and $75,000 annually, face the most pressure in Manhattan, where 45% pay rent that is officially "unaffordable." But even those living in less expensive Staten Island and Queens aren't much better off. There, 44% of middle-class residents in both boroughs shoulder unaffordable housing costs.
According to the study, 30% of New Yorkers devote more than half their income to rent alone. The high cost of living here is threatening to drive the middle class out of the city, Mr. Liu said.

Read more: http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20120919/ECONOMY/120919873#ixzz271FO9JNy

CWA& IBEW Win battle w/ Verizon after 13-month negotiation.  Read the statement from the CWA.

More @ Crain's NY: Verizon reaches a tentative contract

Good Read: WNYC looks at New York's 47%.

Elsewhere: Profiting from Climate Change: Oil companies rush to the arctic to drill as glaciers melt.

Monday Mornin' One-Liners: #OWS & Labor, Walmart's Health Plan Gets Worse

Good Monday Morning! Below are relevant NY grocery industry news stories for today:

Stop & Shop signs a lease for a new store in Purchase, NY.

Ben & Jerry's newest ice cream, Schweddy Balls, has been banned by Stop & Shop.

In Europe, rumors of Aldi's plans to sell beer for a buck in 2012 have people angry.

The highly criticized Walmart health plan is changing, for the worse: Wal-Mart is substantially rolling back coverage for part-time workers and significantly raising premiums for many full-time staff.  This is due to "rising costs", meanwhile the five Walton heirs who are listed in the Forbes 400 Billionaires list are worth a total of $86.4 billion.

New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn slammed Walmart on Friday after learning of the Health Care cuts.


UFCW International President Joe Hansen released a statement on Walmart's Health plan changes, saying, "This lowering of working standards will have repercussions throughout the retail industry- particularly for part-time workers."


UFCW International also endorsed Barack Obama last week.

Editorial: Walmart shifts employee health costs to States.

Walmart could seek World Trade Organization relief in their controversial Massmart (South Africa) deal. 

USA Today wonders if Walmart's business problems in China are just an example of a growing trend for foreign retailers in China.

"Our Walmart" held a teach in at Occupy Wall Street last week.

Walmart workers Occupy Wall Street.

NBC, NY 1 & Crain's covered the Walmart teach in. 

Verizon workers marched with #OWS on Friday.

New poll shows over a third of Americans support #OWS.

AFL-CIO: Unions join Occupy Wall Street movement.

The Washington Post examines the uneasy alliance between #OWS protesters and the labor movement.

Fairway is teaming up with a local TV Chef to help public TV in Connecticut.

In Commack, Long Island, Pathmark leaves a big spot to fill.

A new ShopRite in Somerville, NJ, which replaced a closed Pathmark, has the community excited and hopeful for a revitalization of business.

A&P has been fighting to save a development in New Jersey, where the landlord was accused of soliciting other retailers & having reservations about the bankrupt company...Last week a judge adjourned the dispute, encouraging A&P and the landlord to settle out of court.  Another hearing has been scheduled for Nov. 14.

JBS workers in Minnesota vote in the UFCW!

Local 1500 raised over $9,000 for the Making Strides against Breast Cancer walk at Jones Beach.  Local 1500 member Jessica Goldstein was quoted, “We walk every year to show support from the union we work for,” in the Long Island report.