January 2015 Membership Elects Officers, Executive Committee he IFRA general membership Larry Tobias, Kirby Foods – We look forward unanimously elected Jerry Champaign to working with Shawgo for a second term Ken Lansing, Martin’s IGA, these Association as Chairman of the Illinois Immediate Past Chairman – leaders in 2015 and TFood Retailers Association. The Effingham offer our sincerest general election took place during the congratulations. Newly elected Executive Committee IFRA Chairman Association’s annual state conference held We thank recently members: Jerry Shawgo, at the Tinley Park Convention Center, retired members: Oct. 8-9, 2014. Ken Casaccio, Leamington Foods, Orion IGA IFRA treasurer, Tom Chicago Also elected as officers were: Woodlock – Sentry Foods and Executive Luke Kotara, Berkot’s Super Foods, Vice Chairman: Art Potash, Potash Committee Member Dave Wilkinson Orland Park Markets, Chicago – Strack & VanTil for their many years Vice Chairman: Rich Niemann, Jr., Newly elected members of the IFRA of service to the Association. A tribute Niemann Foods, Quincy Board of Directors are: was presented to them at the Annual Newly Elected Treasurer: Rob Prisco, Mark Grube, Super Valu Midwest Awards Banquet. We also recognize IFRA Prisco’s Fine Foods, Aurora Region, Champaign member, Alfredo Linares – Chiquita Food Re-elected Executive Committee Charlie Lynn, Associated Wholesale Market – Chicago for his many years of members are: Grocers, Springfield, MO service to the association as a member of Mike Kozlowski, Fairplay Foods – Martin Sandoval, Chiquita Food the board of directors. Alfredo is a very Chicago Market, Chicago active member of the Association and Ken Nemeth, Central Grocers – Joliet Rick Van Klaveren, Spartan Nash, currently serves on the Board of Directors Phillip Salerno, Family Foods – Westville, IN of Central Grocers. Martin Sandoval Warrenville was elected to fill the seat vacated by Mr. Linares. Inside Beverly Arts Center Names Theater 2015-2016 IFRA for Baffes family, County Fair Foods Pages 4-5 IFRA Scholarship Program The IFRA Scholarship Program application process Legislative Update Page 3 Education began December 1, 2014. The announcement NLRB Email Rule Page 2 Foundation notice, mailed to all members of the Association, NLRB Again Approves should be displayed in a prominent location for all Expedited Election Rules Page 6 employees to read. continued page 2 2 IFRA Scholarship Program continued IFRA PLEASE NOTE: All IFRA member Additionally nine member companies participated Education companies are eligible to participate. in the Piggyback Program in order to provide a Foundation All completed scholarship program specifically for their applications must employees and employees' dependents be postmarked no later than March 1, utilizing the Education Foundation 2015, for consideration. We encourage For the 2014- application process. A total of $55,000 in students to apply online by going to the scholarships was distributed through the IFRA website at www.ilfood.org, where 2015 academic Piggyback program. they will also be able to print out an year, 82 students To assure complete impartiality in the application if they prefer. selection of winners and to maintain a For the 2014-2015 academic year, 82 received one-year high level of professionalism in dealing students received one-year scholarships scholarships totaling with students, parents, high schools totaling $67,000 through the IFRA and colleges, the IFRA Scholarship program. The scholarships funded by the $67,000 through the selection process is performed by Sands & Associates. Foundation are one-year awards in the IFRA program. amount of $1,000 or $500. Using funds Don’t forget to display the poster! You raised from the IFRA grand raffle ticket may have a deserving student who wins a sales and various golf outings throughout scholarship. the summer months, the Foundation awarded $12,000 in scholarships to employees or children of If you did not receive the posters, please full-time employees from Illinois Food Retailers Association contact the Association office at 630-627-8100. member companies. We would like to thank Central Grocers for allowing the Education Foundation to sponsor betting holes at their Annual Golf Outing with matching contributions to raise funds for the Foundation. Your support is greatly appreciated. t NLRB “Deletes” Employer Email Rule Excerpted from Seyfarth Shaw Client Alert, December 13, 2014 Until December 11, employers thought that they owned their email systems and could limit their use to company business. On that day, a divided National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) ruled “not so.” In Purple Communications, 361 NLRB No. 126 (Dec. 11, 2014, the NLRB ruled that employees who have access to an employer’s email system as part of their job generally may, during non-working time, use the email system to communicate about wages, hours, working conditions and union issues. The NLRB reached this conclusion notwithstanding the fact that Purple Communications has a rule providing that its email system was to be used for “business purposes only.” It is expected that the NLRB’s ruling will be challenged in the federal courts. ©Illinois Food Retailers Association/Page 2 At left: IRMA Legislative Update Vice President & IFRA Legislative Consultants: IRMA Vice President & General Counsel Tanya Triche General Counsel Tanya Triche IRMA Government Affairs Manager Alec Laird ollowing are some of the retail generally have no actual knowledge Fbills that were passed by the 98th that the software they are using may be General assembly and signed by protected under someone else’s patent. Governor Quinn with an effective The Attorney General’s bill puts in At right: IRMA date of January 1, 2015. place significant controls so that patent Government lawsuits are restricted to clear, intentional Affairs Manager Job Opportunities for violations of someone else’s protected Alec Laird Qualified Applicants Act work. (Ban the Box) Payroll Cards HB 5701 (Rep. Rita Mayfield, 1, 2015, to complete training in basic After almost a year of negotiations, HB D-Chicago/Sen. Antonio Munoz, responsible alcohol service by July 1, 2015 5622 (Rep. Art Turner, D- Chicago/ D-Chicago) created the Job or within 30 days after the alcohol server Sen. Kwame Raoul, D- Chicago) passed Opportunities for Qualified begins his or her employment, whichever through the legislature by a vote of 98- Applicants Act (Ban the Box). is later. It provides that a responsible 11-1 and was signed by the Governor. As amended, HB 5701 prohibits alcohol service training certificate shall be The final bill will allow the use of payroll employers from asking about valid for three years. Sets forth criteria for cards as an acceptable form of wage criminal convictions on the face of an classroom-based training, online training, payment. Employees will now be able to application. It allows employers with computer-based training, and testing. It make the choice to use them if offered 15 or more employees to ask about requires a certificate program to provide by their employer and will not only be convictions during the interview and access on a 24-hour-per-day, seven days- able to use the cards to receive their to conduct a criminal background per-week basis for certificate verification. wages, but they can also use them to check after determining that the It also provides that the server training make purchases, withdraw money from applicant is qualified for an interview. requirement (i) only applies to servers in the ATM and pay bills. Employers are It also provides an exemption for Cook County and (ii) does not apply to required to provide the employee with employers that are required to ask or special event retailers. certain notices regarding the terms and obtain specific information regarding conditions of the card, including listing Liquor Enforcement criminal backgrounds for a specific of any fees associated with the card. In position. SB 728 (Sen. Terry Link, D-Gurnee/ addition, the employee will be granted Rep. Arthur Turner, D-Chicago) an opportunity to receive a transaction Patent Trolls provides that when determining multiple statement for free, as well as unlimited violations for the sale of alcohol to a Prohibits a new phenomenon opportunities to check their balance person under the age of 21, a second known as patent trolling that has by phone for free. Once the employee or subsequent violation for the sale of affected businesses across the U.S. leaves the employment relationship, the alcohol to a person under the age of 21 and Illinois. SB 3405 (Sen. Daniel employer must send notice that the terms shall only be considered if the violation Biss, D-Skokie/Rep. Ann Williams, and conditions of the card may change. D-Chicago) seeks to protect the was committed within five years after the business community from patent Alcohol Server Training date when a prior violation for the sale trolls by placing a number of of alcohol to a person under the age of HB 5926 (Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, restrictions on the circumstances 21 was committed. It also provides that D-Chicago/Sen. Napoleon Harris, concerning a law firm’s ability to no agent of the Illinois Liquor Control D-Harvey) requires all alcohol servers, pursue a lawsuit against a company Commission shall inspect private areas except for alcohol servers who have that it believes is violating a patent. within the premises without reasonable been issued a valid server certificate by Often the use in question revolves suspicion or a warrant during an a certified Beverage Alcohol Sellers and around obscure patents regarding inspection. These include, but are not Servers Education and Training (BASSET) very specialized software commonly limited to, safes, personal property and trainer between July 1, 2012 and July used in the retail industry. Retailers closed desks. ©Illinois Food Retailers Association/Page 3 Beverly Arts Center Names Theater for Baffes Family ince he opened his first County friendship and stewardship.