British grocery chain Tesco, which predicted it would become one of the largest grocers in the U.S. when it started opening its first Fresh & Easy stores five years ago, announced a far less ambitious plan for its growth and profitability Wednesday.
[...]
Tesco initially planned to have about 200 Fresh & Easy locations by 2009 but has continually revised down its projections in the last several years. Earlier this year, it announced plans to close 12 underperforming stores.
Tesco had also predicted Fresh & Easy would be profitable by early next year; it now says it will take about a year longer.
April, 2012
Statement from UFCW International President Joe Hansen on Final NLRB Election Rule
(Washington, D.C.) — Joe Hansen, International President of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Union, today released the following statement after the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) approved a final rule to modernize the union election process.
“”This NLRB rule is a modest but important first step toward ensuring a level playing field for workers in the union election process. Preventing unnecessary delays and frivolous litigation means less time for employers to intimidate, harass, and in some cases fire pro-union employees. Every worker has the right to decide whether he or she wants a union, free of interference.
“Now it is time for the Senate to confirm President Obama’s nominees to the NLRB. Leaving the Board short of a quorum in 2012 is unacceptable.”
UFCW Members and Ahold Workers to Address Ahold Annual Meeting
Three Martin’s and Giant Food employees from Virginia are expected to speak about efforts to organize workers at Ahold’s annual meeting in Amsterdam today.
From the Supermarket News article:
The workers said they would denounce what they called Giant-Carlisle’s “actively campaigning to prevent workers from exercising the same fundamental rights that many of their U.S. and Dutch counterparts enjoy.”
About 65% of Ahold’s U.S. workforce is represented by local unions of the United Food and Commercial Workers, but the Giant-Carlisle division, including Martin’s stores, is not organized.
“It does not make sense and seems unfair that we all work for the same company but some employees do not have the same rights as other employees,” said Stafford, Va., resident Michele Hepner, a UFCW Local 400 union member who has worked at one of Ahold’s unionized stores for the past 37 years. “Ahold must treat all its workers fairly, and that is the message I intend to share with the shareholders at the meeting.”
The union sent three members to the meeting last year with a similar message.