Winter 2012 appy The officers and staff H of UFCW Local 152 ew wish you a happy N and healthy 2012! Year! 1 WinteAr l2s0o1 i2 nside: A&P workers ratify contract • Workers unionize at Teleflex • Eagles/Red Cross blood drive Buy American! A&P workers ratify contract Visit www.americansworking.com for information on finding American-made products. Support U.S. workers and help save jobs. UFCW Local 152 Unity Official Publication of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 152 Editor Brian String Union H EAdqUArtErs One White Horse Centre P.O. Box 637 Hammonton, NJ 08037 (888) Join-152 The Local 152 satellite office located in Dover, DE, is closed as of Dec. 31, 2011. A&P (Pathmark & SF) ratification meeting, Nov. 29, 2011 — The members voted overwhelm - Vol. 8, Issue 1 ingly to accept the new contract with a vote of 454 to accept and 27 to reject. UFCW Local 152 Unity (ISSN: 1542-720X) is published quarterly by UFCW Local 152, One White Horse Centre ! P.O. Box 637 Hammonton, NJ 08037 N Grievances filed or resolved: Periodicals Postage paid at O Trenton, NJ I 4th Quarter 2011 2011 Total POSTMASTER: Send address N U changes to UFCW Local 152 Unity 157 525 One White Horse Centre E P.O. Box 637 B Hammonton, NJ 08037 Published by: O Back pay and benefits T S restored to members: Y 4th Quarter 2011 2011 Total A P T $140,297.05 $299,499.67 I 2 Winter 2012 Holiday food basket distribution On Dec. 20 and Dec. 22, UFCW Local 152, with help from ShopRite Super markets, distributed Christ mas dinner baskets to union members. The UFCW Local 152 Women's Network “Giving Tree” is decorated with angels and elves in the lobby of the union office during the holiday season. Each angel or elf repre - sents a child of a member in need who was nominated by a steward. Gifts were donated and delivered to the fami - lies along with wishes for a happy holiday. Holidays 2011: The spirit of giving The UFCW Local 152 Women’s Network thanks everyone who par - ticipated in the 2011 Teddy Bear Drive for the Arc Organization of Burlington County. More than 215 teddy bears were collected and distributed at the annual Arc’s Christmas Party on Dec. 2, 2011. Winter 2012 3 rocery industry news G By Jeff Metzger When icons expand ■ In this column, analyst The recently announced Jeff Metzger looks at develop - agreement in which Ahold ments in the supermarket USA’s Giant/Carlisle unit industry around the country. would acquire 16 Genuardi’s stores seems to capture the Retirees ‘Club 56’ wo of the supermarket expansion mindset of each industry’s most iconic You are cordially invited to join Club 56. company in a nutshell. companies – Safeway And one of the reasons (at Meetings are held at 10 a.m. in the Yellow and Ahold – have in T least from a historical per - Room of the United Methodist Church, recent years defined them - spective) that the two compa - 3541 Pennsylvania Ave., Pennsauken, NJ. selves, in part, by their nies have had significantly expansion attempts. Club meetings will be held on different track records is the Ahold, with a $3 billion March 5, May 7 and Oct. 8, 2012. ability of Ahold to better acquisition kitty on hand, has assimilate itself into the cul - For more information, please contact been aggressive in seeking to ture of the acquired company Chairman George Kerth at (856) 429-0237 broaden its market share in while making the necessary or (856) 663-2864. the Mid-Atlantic and improvements and changes Northeast. Beginning with that the retailer it acquired Laneco about a decade ago, was unable to execute. and continuing with Clemens In Safeway’s case, we’ve in 2006, Ukrop’s in 2010 and seen little of that. In fact, in last year with five Foodtown all three key acquisitions that President Obama fills stores in central New Jersey Safeway made in the afore - and three King Kullen stores NLRB board posts mentioned three-year period in Staten Island, Ahold’s – Dominick’s, Randall’s and USA unit has done pretty during Congress recess Genuardi’s – its unwilling - well with “in-market” acqui - ness to utilize the strengths of he Labor Movement won a victory in sitions and geographic those successful retailers was January when President Obama appointed expansions. a prime reason those chains three members to the National Labor As for Safeway, as great a lost market share and suffered Relations Board. The five-member panel leader as CEO Steve Burd T from diminished employee oversees union elections and employer disputes. has been for more than 20 morale shortly after they For months, the NLRB operated with three years (he’s a certified first were purchased. members, while two of its positions remained team Hall of Fame member Clearly, Safeway has vacant. After Craig Becker completed his term in by any account), acquisitions learned that the “one size fits early January, the NLRB would have effectively have never been his strong all” modus operandi of run - shut down because it cannot operate with only suit. ning stores doesn’t work any - two members. That seems obvious by the more. Today’s major markets Pro-business advocates in the Senate had been track record of major deals are both overstored and filled blocking votes to confirm Obama’s NLRB the retailer made during a with a multitude of diverse appointments. three-year period from 1998 retailing styles. The president finally broke the logjam by to 2001. Those less-than-suc - using his authority to make appointments unilat - cessful results speak volumes erally while Congress was in recess. about the Safeway’s unwill - ■ Jeff Metzger’s “Taking ingness to get in the acquisi - Stock” column appears tion game over the last 11 in Food World and Food years. Trade News . 4 Winter 2012 Use health care wisely s we move forward into the new year, it is a great time to One important make resolutions that will ‘ A bring about a happier and resolution is to healthier 2012. One important resolution is to use use our health care our health care benefits wisely. This benefits wisely.’ makes sense not just for our own physical, mental and financial wellbe - name product? Do you ever check to ing. It also helps preserve our benefits see how much your prescription costs so we can keep using them in the the trust fund, above and beyond your future. co-payment? Future contracts Here are some more questions you Secretary- No matter who the employer is, can ask yourself when you use your whenever we sit down at the bargain - health benefits: Treasurer’s ing table to hammer out a new con - • Are you an informed patient when tract, the most difficult and con - you are referred for tests or proce - Report tentious issues relate to the constantly dures? By Anthony Benigno rising costs of health care services. • Do you take your medicine exact - It’s a simple matter of arithmetic. ly as it is prescribed? If you don’t, The more time and resources we allo - what was the purpose of going to the room unless it is a potentially life- cate toward addressing these balloon - doctor to seek medical advice in the threatening illness or injury, or it is ing costs, the less remains available first place? after hours at your urgent care clinic for achieving wage increases and • Do you seek preventive care to and you need immediate care. Don’t other benefits. head off more serious — and costly go to an emergency room for any con - Many factors contribute to these — problems before they arise? You dition that can wait until the next day high costs, and not all of them are in should have physicals regularly and for treatment. our control. But we can make a signif - undergo preventive procedures, such If we all do our part to save money icant impact simply by becoming as prostate exams or mammograms, as and pay attention to our health, we more aware of where we go for health recommended by your doctor. Many can help control health care costs and care and how much we pay for it. diseases and conditions are treatable if protect the standards of care provided Do your part they are caught in their early stages. by the medical plan for you and your For example, when a doctor fills • Are you aware of the situations family. out a prescription, do you ask him or when it’s appropriate to use an emer - It will also enable us to allocate her if you can have a generic drug gency room or an urgent care facility? more resources toward your wages instead of a more expensive brand- You should not go to an emergency and benefits in future negotiations. Earn money and keep your union strong! Would you like to earn some extra cash? Provide an organizing lead to UFCW Local 152 that results in a union election. Member participation will be required. By getting involved, you are helping to make your union stronger and you have an opportunity to earn $275! For additional informa - tion, please contact Chad Brooks, Director of Organizing, at (888) 564-6152 . Winter 2012 5 From left: Union Representative Dave Salera, Brown’s Super Store President and CEO From left: Union Representative Dave Salera and President Brian String with Jeffrey Brown and UFCW Local 152 President workers from ShopRite 426’s Meat Department. Brian String. From left: Brown’s Super Store Presi dent and CEO From left: Brown’s Super Store Presi dent and CEO Jeffrey Brown; Jeffrey Brown and Penn syl vania State Rep.