Local 1500 Meets with Mayor Bloomberg to Help with Struggling A&P

Courtesy of SupermarketNews.com

In late December, Local 1500 executives met with Mayor Bloomberg, seeking help for the struggling A&P.  Supermarket News covered the story, and NY1 had an exclusive (with video).  Local 1500 is determined to exhaust all resources and options to help the struggling A&P who recently filed for bankruptcy.  Local 1500 President, Bruce Both has also sent letters to all Pathmark members which may be found here.  President Both has also sent personal letters to both Mayor Bloomberg and City Council Speaker, Christine Quinn, which can be found here.

Monday's One-Liners: Walmart Skips out on NYC Hearing & Launches a Massive PR Campaign

Walmart is skipping out on the NYC Council's hearing Wednesday, the Daily News and NY1 reports. Surprised? Speaker Christine Quinn sums it up,

"If they don't show up it's because they don't have anything to say to refute the arguments that my colleagues and myself have put forth," she said. "If they did ...why wouldn't they come and rub my face in it?"

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/01/10/2011-01-10_walmart_skips_appearance_at_city_hearings_about_potential_ny_store_council_membe.html#ixzz1Ag8MWvsA

Crain's NY has a list of questions (or cheat sheet) for the panel, and City Council for Wednesday's Walmart hearing.

If you haven't heard Walmart has launched a massive PR campaign to open up here in NYC.  They launched a website (www.walmartnyc.com) and are advertising all over the radio and print (NY Post, NY Daily News).  The Village Voice gives their thoughts on walmartnyc.com.  Crain's NY reports on the PR push.  Then there is this guy from New Jersey who demands a Walmart in NYC (via walmartnyc.com of course). The New York Times says the site looks more like a politician's campaign website than a retailer's website.

Don't forget about Target, they've just announced their plans to remodel 400 'general merchandise' stores throughout 2011 to include groceries. [AP]

A lot in Somerville, NJ is being cleared for a ShopRite.

A&P was approved for an $800 million loan on Monday afternoon. [Bloomberg News]

The Record: Struggling A&P chief handed tough task.

Friday Morning One-Liners: Supermarkets are still failing inspections, Shoprite opens in Scarsdale

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NYC Department of Consumer Affairs: "NYC Supermarkets are still ripping you off." [Press Release]

DCA Commissioner Jonathan Mintz, “DCA will continue its aggressive enforcement of pricing and other consumer protection violations in the City’s supermarkets, including this year’s doubling of inspections, until these stores finally take the quality control steps necessary to get it right.”

More @ CBS: Report: City Supermarkets May Be Ripping You Off (newyork.cbslocal.com)

In Scarsdale, a Local 1500 represented ShopRite opened this week, Patch was check out the new supermarket.  January 9th will be the 'Gala Opening' with ribbon cutting.

They're [ShopRite] also holding their bi-annual can-can sale this week.

UFCW Local 1743 has filed charges against employer Klement Sausage Co., who has implemented a policy that penalizes employees for not direct depositing their paychecks.

Workers at Disney are at the bargaining table negotiating a new contract in Orlando.

Walmart has conducted another poll, this time in Charles Barron's district and the results are shockingly in favor of Walmart building a store, again. The NY Post conveniently has more.

The Neighborhood Retail Alliance posts their opinion of the Post's latest Walmart push.

Target sales dropped big in December [WSJ]

BJ's Wholesale Club announced they'll be laying off 500 workers, closing 5 stores. [BJ's Wholesale Club Workers Blog]

Today, the Department of Labor announced our Nation's unemployment rate has dropped, as we've added 103,000 jobs in December, the unemployment rate fell to 9.4%, the lowest since July 2009.  Regional and State statistics will be available on Jan. 25.

 

The New York Times has more and a interesting chart comparing past recoveries to this one.

Here is a statement from Secretary of Labor, Hilda L. Solis, on December's employment numbers.

 

Part of the strategy to create more jobs is creating more "Green Jobs".

 

And here in New York, if you're worried about the snow, the NY Times reassures us there is about one truck for every snowflake.  

Thursday's Mid Week One-Liners: Store Closings, BJ's, Acme, Shaw's

NY1 ran another story on Walmart in NYC, interviewing a Walmart spokesman.

 

The new Fairway Market in Douglaston, Queens will open by the end of the summer. [Patch] [NY Daily News]

Walmart tried building a store on a Civil War battle field, so what why wouldn't they try and build a store in Paradise, California.  Just seems weird, to have a Walmart in a place called Paradise.

Store Closings

BJ's Wholesale Club announced they're laying off 500 workers and closing 5 stores.

Shaw's also announced they'll be closing five stores, three in Rhode Island and two in Connecticut.  So far they've been silent on how many workers the closings will affect, read more @ Boston Globe.

And one more company announced store closings, Acme announced they will close five Philadelphia stores by the end of February.

Must Read: WNYC Blog, Conservatives Use Blizzard to Push Anti-Labor Agenda

Online Organizing was the key to an IEBW Organizing victory this August, read the entire article @ the AFL-CIO Blog.

Bloomberg News reports that Royal Ahold, (Owners of Stop and Shop Supermarket) is more likely to make an acquisition in the U.S. than to sell any units in the country.

Stop & Shop is likely to cut and move workers from it's Quincy headquarters.

Change.org asks if the D.C. Mayor will support 'Good Jobs' or 'Walmart'.

Walmart is having a lot of trouble with environmental studies in Orchard Park, Buffalo.

 

Happy New Year Morning One Liners

YourNabe (Queens Edition) explains the Walmart poll,  gets a few opinions from local elected officials in Queens, U.S. Representative Weiner had to say on the issue,

“I think that Walmart is an omnivorous competitor that squashes small business wherever it goes and small business is the lifeblood of New York City,” Weiner said. “I think that people like the shopping strips of Queens, which would become ghost towns if Walmart moved to the neighborhood.”

The story also quotes the President of the local Chamber of Commerce who said no one has came up to her, asking for a Walmart in the neighborhood.  Read the entire spot here: http://www.yournabe.com/articles/2010/12/30/queens/qns_queens_walmart_20101230.txt  

More @ The Queens Courier 

From Racked via WWD, gives a nicely detailed report on the potential Walmart NYC store format (with picture) with quotes from Steven Restivo, Walmart's Northeast Director of Community Relations, questioning the NYC Council hearing.

Next Animation TV created an interesting video of the Walmart/NYC saga.  The Observer has more.
 

NY Mag tell their readers that 'Wal-Mart Will Invade Brooklyn Come Hell, High Water, Or Lack of Parking Space', and asks, why won't Walmart listen to our disinterest and why do we need a Walmart in NYC?

In non-Walmart news, there will be a CB-11 hearing tonight on the new Fairway in Douglaston, Queens. [Patch]

Upstate NY, Supermarket Price Wars: Weis Markets, Wegman's Aldi, Walmart, Price Chopper continue.

Boston Herald: BJ's Takeover Back in the Spotlight

In Manchester, Iowa, a Mom & Pop store owner is circulating a petition to not allow Walmart's grocery expansion of their store.  The family operated store "Main Street Market" would be in jeopardy of closing if the Walmart expansion would occur. [Chicago Tribune]

Andrew Cuomo is seeking a One-Year salary freeze for all state employees. [NY Times]