Friday Morning One Liners...Teixeria joins movement for Employee Free Choice, Local 7 updates...

 "Now more than ever, we need a strong union movement to protect our jobs, our pensions, and our future. The Employee Free Choice Act simply guarantees a level playing field for all workers. It makes sure everyone plays by the same rules. That’s as important in the workplace as it is in baseball."

-  In a joint statement from Jimmy Rollins, Mark Teixeira, and 13 other MLB Players.

UFCW members rally at Fred Myer after the company called the police on union representatives.

UFCW Local 7

Supermarket News: More than a week after contract negotiations broke down again, union grocery employees of Safeway here are demanding that the United Food and Commercial Workers sanction a strike. But it was still unclear Thursday whether an OK was forthcoming.

The Colorado Gazette has more.

The Fresh Market on opening it's first Connecticut store, and first New York store (Troy) "...[We] hope the opening is a sign of continued growth in the Northeast."

Aldi announced two new store openings in Florida.

Current and former Wal-Mart employees in Ohio and 29 other states can now apply for a share of an $85 million lawsuit...Read more about the judges approval of the $85 million lawsuit.

Powering the NYC Economy with Good Grocery Jobs...

Costco has announced they will accept food stamps nationwide. 

Politics, Health Care, Elsewhere....

The House speaker, Nancy Pelosi of California, on Thursday unveiled an $1.055 trillion health care package that would provide insurance to up to 36 million people by broadly expanding Medicaid, the state-federal insurance program for the poor, and by offering subsidies to moderate-income Americans to buy insurance either from private carriers or a new government-run plan...The New York Times has more.

Newsday covers the Nassau County Executive debate between Suozzi and Mangano.

Living without heat in the Bronx, tenants put up signs outside of building asking for help.

More than 200 food vendors held a spirited noon rally on the steps of City Hall. They were protesting police harassment, a charge the NYPD denies.

New York's budget deficit continues to grow, this time $3.2B

And Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino and Mark Teixeira,  Heath Bell, Dave Bush, LaTroy Hawkins, Torii Hunter, John Lannan, Andrew Miller, J.J. Putz, Justin Verlander and Adam Wainwright have all added their names to the broad coalition to support the Employee Free Choice Act.

Wednesday Morning One Liners...Wal-Mart voted Greenest by consumers?

Image via Wikipedia

AFL-CIO President Richard Tumpka to Bankers: "You work for us now."

In a surprising study, consumer see Clorox and Wal-Mart as the 'Greenest Companies'.

Fairway and Columbia Athletics are teaming up

The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co., Inc. (A&P) has promoted Carol DiNicolantonio to the position of VP of pharmacy, A&P..

Washington Square News looks at Fruit Vendors.

Workers at Ford voted against cuts yesterday, which would have been their third labor concession in the last two years. 

Politics, Politics

The Times reviews last nights final Mayoral debate between Thompson and Bloomberg.

The Daily News writes about the praise Andrew Cuomo is receiving from the White House.

Census Data: A Republican senator’s proposal to count only United States citizens when reapportioning Congress would cost California five seats and New York and Illinois one each, according to an independent analysis of census data released Tuesday. Texas, which is projected to gain three seats after the 2010 census, would get only one.

By 2050, the world's population will be 9.1 billion....Requiring a 70% increase in global food production, the New York Times asks, how will we feed them?

Update on yesterday's FRESH Hearing at the New York City Council

Image via Wikipedia

By: Mo Kinberg, Food Policy Coordinator, UFCW Local 1500


On Monday October 26th, the New York City Council, Zoning and Franchises Committee held the first of two hearings to review the City's proposed Food Retail Expansion to support Health program. UFCW Local 1500, along with a coalition of community and faith based organizations spoke on a panel in support of the program, on the condition that good food and good job standards are attached to any financial incentives stores receive through the program. Before hearing public testimony, Speaker Christine Quinn joined the committee to say a few words on how important this program is to her in the pursuit of addressing health disparities in NYC.  She acknowledged that the proposal is not perfect and that she is committed to working with all stakeholder groups including labor and business to continue improve the program before it is vote don by the full Council. 

In her public testimony, Lisa Sharon-Harper, Executive Director of NY Faith and Justice reminded the Council of a previous incentive program passed in 1984, the Industrial Commercial Abatement Program.  Pointing out that although this program was passed with the best of intentions, to create job in low-income areas in hindsight it spurred the proliferation of fast food restaurants and poverty level wage jobs.  Pat Purcell, Assistant to the President of Local 1500, told the story of the good, the bad and the ugly in NYC City's supermarket industry, urging the council to ensure bad employers like Whole Foods and Amish Markets are not eligible for public subsidies.   Kerry Bernbach of New York City Coalition Against Hunger spoke on the need to consider high-rates of poverty in relationship to obesity and diabetes in low-income and communities. 

In her closing Lisa Sharon-Harper quoted

Cardinal Roger Mahony who echoed Ghandi when he said that: “Any society is judged on the basis of how it treats its weakest members -- the last, the least, the littlest.” She called on this Council not to be remembered for their good intentions but "by the effect of your policies on the last, the least, and the littlest in our city."

On Monday Nov. 16h the full Land Use Committee will hold a second hearing on F.R.E.S.H. We encourage and hope for all of you to attend!

SUMMIT ON GROCERY STORES AND GOOD JOBS IN OUR COMMUNITY

In the midst of one of the worst recessions in American history, community groups, local political leaders and academics will consider the role of grocery stores as both retailers and employers.

Recent research suggests that the retail sector will generate thousands of new jobs as the economy recovers…

What does that mean for the Upper East Side?

How will these jobs impact our local economy?

What should we expect from grocers-as-employers?

Hear from experts on the economy, community leaders, and grocery workers as they participate in a roundtable discussion of the Upper East Side’s future in retail.

We hope you’ll join us on Wednesday, October 28, for a roundtable discussion of the issues faced by grocery store employees and grocers-as-employers. You’ll hear from major local employers, grocery store workers, policy experts, and community leaders, as they discuss the ways in which successful grocery businesses can also be community-leading employers. An open discussion will follow the roundtable.

Check out the flier or print the flier here: http://www.buildingblocksproject.org/files/media/thank-you/GG_Summit_Turnout_StorefrontFlyer.pdf

RSVP ON FACEBOOK

Rockaway gets a Stop & Shop, Tuesday Morning One Liners...

Mayor Bloomberg broke ground on a $23 Million, 55,000 Square-Foot, Stop and Shop at the Rockaway Peninsula Saturday.  The Stop & Shop will bring union jobs and a long needed supermarket to the under-served community.

The state of Tennessee is considering the sale of wine in Grocery stores.

Meanwhile, two Giant Eagle stores in Pittsburgh were awarded licenses to sell beer.

Winn-Dixie Stores (Florida) yesterday said it posted a loss of $8.1 million for the 12-week first fiscal quarter, as smaller average purchases dragged same-store sales down 1.5%. In the year-ago first quarter, the company posted a loss of $2.3 million. 

Wal-Mart announced their projected total cap ex for the fiscal year ending Jan. 31, 2010, to range from $12.5 to $13.1 billion, up from about $11.5 billion in fiscal year 2009.

Moody's Investors Service here last week said it expects revenue growth in the supermarket industry "will remain close to flat or slightly negative" into early 2010.

About 20,000 Fry's and Safeway workers in Arizona are still without a contract.

Fresh & Easy will expand into Fresno (California).

Fresh Direct is teaming up with Robin Hood, to fight poverty in NYC.

NJ: Mini-Marts and Bodega's, filling the void of no supermarkets in Atlantic City.

The re-developing Brooklyn Navy Yard received $1 million to develop a Green Manufacturing Center. A facility expected to employ 300 full-time workers.

Tomorrow Local 1500 is co-sponsoring a Summit on Good Food and Good Jobs in New York's Upper East Side all are invited and encouraged to attend the round table discussion.

UFCW Local 876 has developed the first UFCW Hearing benefits program.

1.5 Million people left New York between 2000 and 2008, the largest population loss in the nation.

Politics

The New York Times has endorsed Michael Bloomberg for Mayor.

The NY Post reports Andrew Cuomo will run for Governor.