Monday Morning Quick Liners...

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Aldi, has apparently put the brakes on opening their first NYC store for the time being, Supermarket News reports.

Fry's and Safeway workers ratify contract in Arizona.

Big Y Supermarkets has launched what it called a voluntary layoff program for full-time store employees in Massachusetts and Connecticut, reports said.

Meanwhile, the board of directors of Safeway (California) said Friday that it had authorized the company to repurchase another $1 billion worth of its stock.

King Soopers creates job posting for replacement workers.

Tops Markets has officially bid on a majority of Penn Traffic stores, some of them in Western New York, reliable sources said late Saturday.

More on Walmart's expansion in Upper Deerfield New Jersey.

State AFL-CIO leader Dennis Hughes calls out New York State Legislature.

The Journal News learned that Andrew Spano spent $2.5 Million on his losing campaign this past year.

Thursday Morning One Liners...FoodWorks NY is a hit,

“Unfortunately, while more and more chickens are cage free, many workers are still caged.”
Bruce Both, President, United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local 1500 – at Monday's F.R.E.S.H. Celebration.

Supermarket News covers Christine's Quinn's  FoodWorks New York initiative, and F.R.E.S.H.. 
Monday's F.R.E.S.H. celebration event was picked up by ABC, The Gothamist,  Crain's, NY1, & WNYC,

Kroger Co. stock took a beating Tuesday — falling nearly 12% to just over $20 — as the company reported a net loss of $874.9 million

Politico looks at UFCW's release of www.fixthebill.org, and attacks on the proposed Health Care bill's leniency towards Wal-Mart.


Stop and Shop is said to be looking at Wind Power.

Food Lion opened their 'greenest' store.

Ahold yesterday said said it has named Rick Herring division president of its Giant of Carlisle chain, based here. Herring is a 20-year veteran

Politics, City, Elsewhere

NYC: Shortage of Beds for Homeless. 

Yesterday, the NYC Council passed a watered down (weakened) initiative to reduce greenhouse gases throughout New York City.

Councilwoman Melinda Katz will join a law firm.

Patterson says former NY Governor Spitzer may work as Comptroller.

FoodWorks New York, and the Good Food, Good Jobs FRESH Celebration

On Monday, Local 1500 co-sponsored an event at the New School regarding the expected passage of F.R.E.S.H. (Food Retail Expansion to Support Health).  Local 1500 President Bruce Both spoke at the event, along with New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn (you can read her speech here, or watch it here).

“Unfortunately, while more and more chickens are cage free, many workers are still caged.” Bruce Both, President, United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local 1500 –

Bluntly opening her speech, Quinn noted some oversight by the council, "Suppose I told you that New York City had the opportunity to create thousands of new jobs – but we just weren’t doing it... Now suppose I went on to say that we’ve actually had that opportunity for years, we just weren’t paying close enough attention..." Her honest point came across clear,  New York City  (and NY State) has ignored the economic potential and the amount of impact a certain sector can have on one's health for what seems like forever.  The sector is of course New York City's Food System.  The facts are all there, as Peggy Shepard from WE ACT pointed out, "The recession leaves us unemployed, obese and diabetic, not only because of individual decisions, but because our environment works against our own being."  The abundance of fast-food stores throughout the Bronx and Harlem strikes anyone who walks through those neighborhoods.  KFC, Burger King, McDonalds, Popeyes and a bodgea, these are the options our youth is left with.   More than half of New York City adults are overweight, and 34% are obese, 58% are either obese or overweight.  In the past 10 years, the number of people with diabetes in NYC has more than doubled. An estimated 530,000 adult New Yorkers know they have diabetes. For every two people who have diabetes, there is another person who has it and doesn't yet know it, suggesting another 265,000 New Yorkers with diabetes. (NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene)

 "What they came up with was the first of its kind in the nation – the use of both zoning and tax incentives to bring more grocery stores to underserved communities. And we should all be incredibly proud and excited that the FRESH zoning initiatives are about to be passed by the full City Council this week."
- Christine Quinn, Speaker, New York City Council.

In what seemed like a too good to be true event, Christine Quinn outlined a well informed five point plan called FoodWorks New York.  Covering everything from manufacturing and transportation to the health of our communities, the broad Good Food, Good Jobs coalition has clearly taken much into consideration regarding the potential of the Food System for New York City by Quinn's blunt admissions on prior oversights, "But the truth is, each step in the food cycle – from the farm all the way to the table – has a major impact on the lives of every New Yorker. And each step has the potential to create jobs, to improve public health, and to preserve our shared environment. Or – if we continue to ignore those opportunities – the potential to cost us jobs, increase obesity, and pollute our air."  

Quinn's FoodWorks NY:

1. Improving City's Food Infrastructure.  Saying, "Too much of that infrastructure is outdated and inefficient, which costs us jobs and damages our
environment. That’s why we need to begin making key, targeted investments – creating better links between the city and upstate producers, and supporting a smarter redevelopment of Hunts Point"

2. Creating new and better jobs in the food industry.  Stressed the need to create better jobs in the Food Industry, "We talk a lot about getting
people food, so they can feed their families. Now let’s use food to get people jobs, so they can afford to feed their families."

3. Keep local food dollars in the local economy -
Outlined that 2% of fruits and vegetables coming from Hunts Point come from New York State.

4. Reduce diet related illnesses like obesity, heart disease, diabetes.
Bring healthier food to low income areas who lack access.

5. Reduce environmental damage from the consumption, transport and production of food.
Stressed the need to cut out needless transportation of food from other states that is produced here in NY State.  Cut greenhouse gases by using more rail transportation rather than truck.


United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1500 has been on the forefront advocating for the development of a City-wide food policy. Working with the Mayor, Speaker and Department of City Planning, UFCW Local 1500 and a coalition of community groups have spent almost two years developing F.R.E.S.H and targeting the City’s food deserts for supermarket growth.

Through our innovative Building Blocks Project,  we believe that Good Food, Good Jobs and Good Health are the building blocks of all communities and that New York City's economy benefits when communities are built on this foundation.

FoodWorks New York has been covered by Supermarket News & The NY Times.

Release: Campaign against Amish Market

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NEW YORK - (Business Wire)

United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1500 is launching a city-wide, multi-media ad campaign urging New Yorkers to avoid shopping at Amish Market as a part of its ongoing effort to call attention to mistreatment of grocery workers.

The campaign – which includes outdoor, mail, online, and transit components – focuses on Amish Market’s theft of more than $1 million in wages from its employees, a transgression brought to the attention of state officials by UFCW Local 1500 in 2007.

“New Yorkers need to know that stores like Amish Market don’t deserve our support,” said Pat Purcell, Director of Special Projects at UFCW Local 1500. “If you want to do business in New York’s neighborhoods, you have to meet New York’s standards. Stealing more than a million dollars from working people doesn’t come close.”

The print components of the campaign are mirrored on major New York blogs (including Gothamist, CityRag, SeriousEats and MidtownLunch), where ads encourage readers to visit NothingFineAboutIt.org. The site documents a number of abuses committed by Amish Market; New Yorkers can also send a letter to the company announcing their intentions to shop elsewhere.

Campaign creatives can be viewed here:

http://www.ufcw.org/images/amishkioskscreen.jpg
http://www.ufcw.org/images/amishmailerscreen.jpg
http://www.ufcw.org/images/ufcw-pickp-vert-150x6002_120409_135744.gif

Press inquiries should be directed to Corey Owens, cowens@ufcw.org, 202-905-2179.

UFCW
Corey Owens, 202-905-2179
cowens@ufcw.org

Tuesday Morning One LIners...

"Thanks to a classic display of cowardice, lawmakers failed to deliver the most basic labor rights to this chronically exploited work force."

-Editorial, in Yesterday's Daily News on the failure of the Farmworkers Bill of Rights.

Industry

Penn Traffic has named Price Chopper as a potential buyer for a handful of its P&C grocery stores, but Price Chopper says that offer is not current.

More on Penn Traffic: Quality Markets gets Tops' attention.

They're also [Penn Traffic] looking for $36.5 Million in Assets, Supermarket News reports.

Daily News Editorial: "Treated like dirt, again: Lawmakers let down exploited farmworkers for the umpteenth time."

Another report on King Soopers looking for 'replacement workers'.  (King Soopers and UFCW Local 7 are currently negotiating"

Details on UFCW Local 99's negotiations with Fry's and Safeway.

Walgreens' stores are looking to offer beer and wine throughout Kentucky and Indiana.

Walmart proposes more expansion in New Jersey.

Employees at a Wal-Mart location in Jonquière, Quebec who complained their store was shuttered as part of a union-busting effort have had their appeal turned down by the Supreme Court of Canada.

A new study released by the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) examines the Senate health care reform bill, and finds that a provision meant to hold corporations accountable actually encourages companies to duck their fair share of the costs of health care reform.  Read more at Fixthebill.org.

Politics

Same Sex Marriage fight heads to New Jersey. 

Yesterday the Senate Panel in Jersey approved Gay Marriage Bill.

Meanwhile: Joe Addabbo becomes number one target for Gay advocates, due to last weeks vote.

Robert Jackson's push to force a vote on the Small Business Survival Act has failed, the Observer says.

Other and Elsewhere

Martha Stewart will launch her own paint line at Home Depot.

The UFCW Blog highlights some UFCW made toys to give this holiday season.

Millions in U.S. Drink Dirty Water: "Those figures are particularly worrisome, say researchers, because the Safe Drinking Water Act’s limits on arsenic are so weak to begin with. A system could deliver tap water that puts residents at a 1-in-600 risk of developing bladder cancer from arsenic, and still comply with the law."