Friday's News Before Noon: Shaw's March Concludes...

Kroger Workers OK Dallas Contract

Workers at 90 Kroger stores in the Dallas area have voted to approve a new contract. The new agreement covers 8,000 workers represented by United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1000.

Wegmans Rolls Out Season's First Shipment of Wild-caught Salmon
The Rochester,N.Y.- based upscale supermarket received its first shipment of fresh sockeye salmon caught in the pristine waters of the Copper River. 


Shaw's 60-Mile March


Shaw's Protest Employees Protest in Cambridge's Central Square
A group of more than 50 Shaw's employees marched through Central Square on Thursday during the fifth and final day of their march against the corporate grocery giant.  Local 1500 sent delegates to Cambridge, Mass. for the conclusion of the march yesterday (photos to the right)

Boston Herald: Shaw's 60-Mile March Ends...


More @ Wicked Local


UFCW Blog :300 families, 60 miles, 5 days: the march for justice at Shaw's concludes 



Strike! Catfish Workers in the Mississippi Delta Reject Company Contract and Vote to Strike

By a 99 percent margin, workers voted to strike rather than accept a contract that would essentially gut most of the changes that their historic three-month strike won them in 1990.

Trader Joe's Coming to Rochester

ROCHESTER, Minn-- The grocery chain with foods and berverages from the exotic to the basic, has signed a lease to open a store at 1200 16th Street Southwest, located inside Apache Shoppes.

Trader Joe's is turning Paper Bags Into Art.

A&P has re-opened its Pompton Plains, N.J., store, two months after a flood forced the store to close.  The remodeled store features a community center available free to all residents and local organizations for use with advance registration, A&P said. The room can accommodate up to 30 people.[Supermarket News]

Walmart's Asda, has bought out a U.K. food retailer, Netto Foodstores, for $1.1 billion. 


Wal-Mart Thinks Small
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is taking the next step in its British invasion.



Stop & Shop gives out a grant check:
Principal Jennifer Monaco received a giant check for $1,809 from Bob Silver, the manager of the Stop & Shop on Palmer Avenue in New Rochelle.


Unions Begin to Organize California Marijuana Industry
One hundred employees in Oakland pot shops will announce today that they will join the United Food Commercial Workers (UFCW).


New Martha Stewart Grocery Items
Grocers nationwide now have the opportunity to create a unique shopping experience in their aisles for Martha Stewart's loyal fans with a variety of all-natural Martha Stewart-branded products to be offered across multiple departments within stores.


And finally...Oscar Mayer Auctions Wienermobile Adventure
Now through June 4, the Kraft Foods brand is giving everyone the opportunity to bid on eBay for a "Ride Shotbun in the Wienermobile" package.  Put your bids in here.

Have a great, safe Memorial Day, everyone! 

Related articles by Zemanta

• Cannabis Workers Vote "Union Yes," Oaksterdam Workers Have Joined United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 5 (eon.businesswire.com)

Wednesday News After Noon: Living Wage in NYC? Cuomo's Running Mate, More

Wal-Mart Seeking More Control of its Supply Chain
The company is contacting manufacturers and seeking to provide its own transportation in instances where Wal-Mart can do the same job for less. Wal-Mart asked for 6 percent reduction in the price it pays for products based on its own cost calculation, while suppliers estimated the actual expense was equal to about 3 percent.


Wal-Mart isn't what Liberty Road Needs (MD):
"People need to connect to their neighborhoods."


Trader Joe's and Wal-Mart Sprouts Recalled for Salmonella
Sprouts sold at Trader Joe's and Walmart have been recalled after an outbreak of salmonella sickened more than 20 people in 10 states.


Labor History Month All Year Round
The month may be nearly over but union leaders, students, teachers and activists are taking advantage of new resources to keep telling our story and building our future beyond May, which is officially Labor History Month.


MOTT'S Workers Peel Away Contract to the Core and Find Nothing but a Rotten Apple... Declare a Strike
Over 300 full time manufacturing workers at the Mott's plant in Williamson,NY went out on strike because of painful wage cuts while the company enjoyed a record year of $555 million in profits.


More Arrested in Immigration Law Protest
Nearly 40 people were arrested Monday during an act of civil disobedience in Lower Manhattan meant to rally against Arizona's immigration law.


Boston.com is covering the Shaw's march...

Worcester Hospital Workers Authorize Strike

About 1,300 housekeepers and lab workers at a number of UMass Memorial Care facilities have rejected the company's latest two-year contract proposal and authorized a strike.

Tavern on the Green Staff Hold Out Hope for Jobs
Mayor Bloomberg has said the city will solicit new proposals for a restaurant in coming months, using the space as a visitor center in the interim. Many of Tavern's former employees wonder whether that future includes them


Gourmet Garage Opens on Upper Park Avenue
Gourmet Garage, New York Citys own specialty food marketplace, will be opening its fifth store in Manhattan at 1245 Park Ave between 96th and 97th Streets in February. 


FreshDirect Expands its Office Food and Beverage Delivery Service
FreshDirect At The Office, the office food and beverage delivery service division of the leading online grocer FreshDirect, is now delivering to business customers in Westchester and Fairfield Counties.

ShopRite plans 8th Maryland store.


Walmart  is reportedly testing a virtual makeup mirror in a 90-day trial at 10 stores in various locations around the country, according to StoreFrontBacktalk, a technology blog. [SN]

UFCW Local 418 President was beaten by the police.

Organizing victory for UFCW Local 5, read more at MyUFCW.

And another story from MyUFCW, Small business owners believe strong unions help business.

AFL-CIO Blog: Jobs Bill, 1 Million Jobs at Stake...Tell Congress to Pass it

Politics


Pushing a Living Wage Bill in NYC
The Fair Wages for New Yorkers Act is expected to go before the New York City Council today.

More @ Globe St.

New York Times: Wage Proposal May Prompt Fight at City Hall.


Local One Endorse Kathleen Rice for Attorney General 
Nassau District Attorney Recognized for Fighting Labor and Safety Violations by Wal-Mart and Other Employers

Poll Puts Cuomo Far Ahead of GOP Opponents
Attorney General Andrew Cuomo Goes to his party's nominating convention this week with a commanding lead over his Republican opponents in the race for governor, a new poll shows. 


Cuomo's First Union Endorsement, UFCW Local 1500.


Cuomo has selected an Lt.Governor candidate.

Monday Morning News

Cuomo's First Union
Before he had even formally announced his candidacy for governor yesterday, United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1500 President Bruce Both offered a formal endorsement of AG Andrew Cuomo, callling him "a man of action, not just empty rhetoric."

Striking Shaw's Workers Begin March
METHUEN,Mass-- About 80 striking workers from Shaw's warehouse began the first lef of a 60-mile march to Boston yesterday to protest their contract disagreement with the chain, according to local reports.

Wal-Mart Worker Fired for Stopping Shoplifter
WICHITA, Kansas-- A Wal-Mart worker hailed as a hero for stopping a shoplifter was fired Saturday. Wal-Mart refuses to comment but Heather Ravenstein says she was told she was being let go because of her actions Friday.

Columbia Athletics Joins Fairway Market in Supporting Breast Cancer Research through WBCA Pink Zone Initiative
For the third year in a row, Columbia University Athletics joined the Women's Basketball Coaches Association and over 1,800 schools around the country raising money and awareness for breast cancer research.

Whole-Foods-Sporting 57th Street Tower Breaks Ground
A groundbreaking ceremony was held for 250 East 57th Street that will have two schools, a Whole Foods supermarket and a 350-unit glassy residential tower hovering above it.

California House Speaker to be honored at Labor Awards
California's Speaker of the House John Perez will be honored on Saturday at the 10th annual Solidarity Leadership Awards.

ShopRite to Debut Four Stores in Connecticut

UFCW Local 1500 Endorses Andrew Cuomo for Governor of NY

News from UFCW Local 1500

New York State's Largest Grocery Store Union Endorses Andrew Cuomo for Governor,

UFCW Local 1500 Pledges the Support of 23,000 Members

QUEENS VILLAGE, NY (05/22/2010): New York State's Largest Grocery Store Union Endorses Andrew Cuomo for Governor of New York, UFCW Local 1500 Pledges the Support of 23,000 Members.

The leadership of New York State's largest Union representing supermarket workers, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Union Local 1500 have given Andrew Cuomo their endorsement to be the next Governor of New York State. The Union pledged the full support and resources of it's 23,000 members.

"Like many in New York State, this is an announcement that the 23,000 members of UFCW Local 1500 welcome and have eagerly awaited," stated UFCW Local 1500 President Bruce W. Both. "Throughout his career Andrew Cuomo has been an unwavering supporter of working men and women. Through his policies, he has shown us all he goes well beyond talking the talk, Andrew Cuomo walks the walk. He is a man of action, not just empty rhetoric." said Both.

"We live in difficult political times and New Yorkers are crying out for leadership, direction and hope. That call will be answered by Andrew Cuomo as the next Governor of New York State. He works hard every day for the average New Yorker and now the 23,000 members of this Union are going to work hard to see that he is elected the next Governor of New York State." Both concluded.

United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1500, based out of Queens Village, represents over 23,000 grocery workers in New York City, Long Island, Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess Counties. Members of Local 1500 are employed by Pathmark, King Kullen, Stop and Shop, Gristedes, Fairway, D'agastinos, Key Food, Dairy Barn and Shop Rite.

Friday Morning One-Liners: Stop & Shop coming to Oceanside? Shaw's workers will march...

 “They stalk the workers and attack them. The nephew of an employer knifed one of the employees we assist,” Axt said. She said New York falls behind other states like New Mexico and Arizona, which have better wage enforcement and more strict penalties.
 Deborah Axt, deputy director of Make the Road New York, at on the Wage Theft Prevention Act, in the Queens Chronicle.

The Hartford Courant, covers ShopRite's plans to take over Connecticut.
ShopRite said Tuesday it will open new stores in Canton, Enfield, Stratford and Hamden at former Shaw's locations next week.  The Hamden store will open on May 28; the other three will open May 26.

SEIU, UFCW, lead suit against discriminatory law in Arizona.

Boston.com: Shaw's Strikers Borrow from History, Planning a Five-Day March:
When striking Shaw’s warehouse workers embark on a five-day march this weekend to draw renewed attention to their nearly three-month fight against the supermarket company, they will also be evoking the civil rights and farm workers’ marches of the 1960s.

“You can’t win a strike these days, generally speaking, just walking around on a picket line,’’ said Russ Davis, executive director of Jobs With Justice, which helped plan the march.

Miley Cyrus goes toxic at Walmart:
Via WakeUpWalmart: UPDATE May 20, 9 AM: At approximately 7:45 last evening the AP reported that Walmart was pulling the Miley Cyrus branded jewelry. USA Today says it really well in their headline Walmart pulls cadmium-tainted kids' jewelry it knowingly sold for months.  Check their entire blog post, they've covered the story from front to back.

Also a great headline by the AP: Wal-Mart still selling Miley Cyrus cadmium jewelery.
Testing of 61 samples purchased by AP reporters across the country from a Cyrus line and from a series of make-it-yourself metal bracelet charms indicated that 59 of the pieces contained at least 5 percent cadmium by weight, with 53 of those measuring 10 percent or higher.

Or from the Examiner: Is Walmart Trying to Kill Miley Cyrus Fans?

Walmart's Q1 Numbers: Sales, Earnings Up; Comps Down. [SN]

Target is seeing gains in Traffic and Profits.

And one more on Q1, BJ's Wholesale Club Profits Rise [WSJ]

Supermarket Alert: Stop and Shop is coming to Oceanside [LI Herald]
Plans to develop a 24-hour Super Stop & Shop on the former Camp DeBaun site in Oceanside are in the works, after Town of Hempstead officials approved a design for a project that some residents said would raise traffic and quality-of-life issues in their quiet neighborhood...."This particular Stop & Shop has been designed to blend in with the neighborhood ...," said Steven Krieger, a principal at Engel Burman. "It includes peaked roofs instead of the typical stucco, and looks more like a home. This is really a state-of-the-art store."

ABC filmed their show "What Would You Do?" at Key Food on Montague Street, Brooklyn.  The show aired Wednesday night... [Brooklyn Heights Blog]

Local 1500, along with other labor unions in the Greater NYC area, joined politicians, community activists and workers to support the new proposed Wage Theft Prevention Act. [Queens Chronicle]

Duane Reade, who opened a hit retail food store in Chelsea a few months back, revealed their "Fresh Food Strategy" to the Progressive Grocer, good read.  Q: We read about your Chelsea store debut in March with greatly expanded fresh food — what was the thinking behind it, and why do you think the concept will be a hit in a drug store?

Duane Reade (DR): Our goal for our fresh food program is to make it easy for New Yorkers to access tasty, quality fresh food such as bagged salads and select produce in a convenient and enjoyable way.

Price Chopper is offering a loyalty program in upstate NY.

Detroit's Push for more Green Grocers:
To help independent grocers expand on their fresh food offerings, Detroit Mayor David Bing unveiled a $1 million Green Grocer Project earlier this week.

Fresh Direct is expanding to Connecticut.


Good signs: NYC Unemployment drops four months straight [Crain's]


Thanks a bunch and enjoy your weekend, be sure to check out www.1union1voice.com for the 2010 contract updates!