REGARDING AVAILABILITY OF PENSION BENEFIT STATEMENT VOLUME 55, N0. 1 – WINTER 2015 Harvey Whille IN THIS ISSUE PRESIDENT President’s Message . .3 Matthew Molinaro SECRETARY-TREASURER Secretary-Treasurer’s Message . 4 John Colella ACME Markets Purchases Former Pathmark Locations . 7 RECORDER State-of-the-Art ShopRite Opens in Howell . .8 EXECUTIVE BOARD VICE PRESIDENTS Ruby Boston, Pathmark Michael Kantor, Local 1262 ShopRite Celebrates Grand Opening In Newark . 10 Richard Brock, Stop & Shop Richard Madore, ShopRite Robert Brozowski, ShopRite Karen McManus, Local 1262 10 Scholarships Awarded to Local 1262 Joseph Cahill, Foodtown William McNeill, ShopRite Gerry Callan, ShopRite Donald Merritt, Local 1262 Members and Their Children . .12 James Cullen, ShopRite Irene Pereira, ShopRite Michael DeMartino, Local 1262 Michael Piccicacco, Local 1262 Michael Ebbe, Local 1262 Stephanie Pieper, ShopRite 7 8 Jeanette Galante, ShopRite Richard Taylor, ShopRite Pam Germain, Stop & Shop Darlene Walaszek, Stop & Shop Frances Green, Pathmark Kathy Wilder, ShopRite Dolores Jackson, ShopRite EXECUTIVE STAFF Michael Kantor John Colella NOTICE: The most important job protection you have is the right to collective bar- Executive Vice President Recorder & Field Director gaining. Because all employees negotiate together through their Local, those rep- Michael DeMartino, Director Contract Administration & Internal Operations resented by the union receive better wages and benefits than workers employed Sal Colarieti, Assistant Field Director in non-union companies. As an employee working under a UFCW contract you Elizabeth Laughery, Assistant Field Director are, as a condition of your employment, required to pay dues or fees to the union. Donald Merritt, Assistant Field Director People who are members pay dues to the union and people who opt out pay an Michael Piccicacco, Assistant Field Director equivalent fee. These fees, which are authorized by law, along with members’ Anthony Yodice, Organizing Director dues, are your fair share of sustaining your union’s broad range of programs that benefit all workers. Those who choose to file an objection should contact Cynthia McCarthy, Communications Director their Union Representative in writing at the Local union’s business address and request information on how these fees are calculated. Nonmembers are also ineligible to vote on collective bargaining agreements, cannot participate in the UNION REPRESENTATIVES nomination or election of officers or delegates, cannot participate in strike votes Steve Blaho, Jr. Karen McManus and cannot participate in numerous other union activities. Michael Ebbe Christopher Molinaro Rich Ebbe Tom Mount John Faulhaber Nancy Miller The 1262 Banner (ISSN-0190-4744) is If you have comments, suggestions, published quarterly by United Food & information or news you would like us to James Feimster James Mulholland Commercial Workers Local 1262 consider for publication, please send to: for its members. Kenneth Hassett Carmen Pizzi E-mail: [email protected] Margaret Hreha Gary Sague President: Harvey Whille Fax: 973-777-3430 Richard Janssen David Uczen Secretary-Treasurer: Matthew Molinaro Mail: 1389 Broad Street, Clifton, NJ 07013 Recorder: John Colella Periodical Postage paid at Clifton, NJ and Ed Magierowski Thomas Whille Editor: Cynthia McCarthy additional offices Volume 55, No. 1 – WINTER 2015 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Banner EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAL STAFF 1389 Broad Street, Clifton, NJ 07013 Christine Connery Gladyz Feimster Valerie Morano UFCW LOCAL 1262 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE A Message From President Harvey Whille t is at this time of year, when friends and family gath- er, that we find ourselves reminiscing about the year gone by and looking forward to what the new year I Harvey Whille will bring . As Local 1262 closes out the year with our nearly As a result, in late July A&P announced that it would 30,000 brothers and sisters who make up “our family”, AGAIN be filing for bankruptcy . This time, however, there we look back with some sadness mixed with brighter was no talk about a “turnaround” – only talk of a “shut- spots along the way . down ”. 2015 marked the end of an era as Negotiations began, but this time an icon of American business, The A&P the “negotiations” were not between Company, shuttered its doors leaving The labor“ move- the UFCW and A&P but rather within the nearly 2,000 Local 1262 Pathmark mem- bankruptcy system where Local 1262, bers out in the cold along with some ment in general is the UFCW International and the other 12 20,000-plus UFCW members employed locals affected by the bankruptcy fought in other A&P stores throughout the poised for growth tirelessly to protect our members jobs, Northeast . their benefits and everything else that Just four years ago at this very same too – despite all was owed to them . While Bankruptcy time of the year, our Pathmark members Court Judge Drain was more sympathetic were feeling confident about the future the gloom and to the plight of the workers than most of Pathmark as the company began what judges, the outcome was still the same it was calling a “restructuring ”. That doom you hear with the company’s creditors and senior restructuring did not come without a from the media. executives getting the largest share of price for our members, however, who, the pie and the workers left with the faced with bankruptcy court regulations, crumbs . were forced to renegotiate their con- Fortunately, unlike A&P, there are tracts in an effort to help the company ” companies that value the skill and dedi- save money . Those “savings” were to be reinvested in the cation our Pathmark workers have always exemplified and company so it could get back on its feet and re-establish Local 1262 was able to negotiate for our Pathmark mem- itself as the industry leader it once was . bers with Stop & Shop (which purchased two stores) and Like any “family” facing a financial challenge, our Acme (which purchased six stores) . Local 1262 is currently Pathmark members tightened their belts by voting to undertaking negotiations with several other companies – accept the renegotiated contracts . Our members gave such as Best Market and Uncle Giuseppe’s – who are buy- back vacation time and accepted salary freezes so that ing other Pathmark locations where Local 1262 members they could maintain their jobs and benefits and help the are employed . company make a turnaround . In the locations where “non-union” companies are The Company, however, did not hold up its end of the trying to purchase stores, we have entered objections deal . A revolving door of management, poor marketing, to the sales and will continue to dig-in to ensure those and a host of other issues continued over the course of the locations become “union” stores and employ union last four years and the much talked about “turnaround” workers . never materialized . (Continued on page 14) WINTER 2015 1262 BANNER 3 UFCW LOCAL 1262 SECRETARY-TREASURER’S MESSAGE Union Contracts – Worth The Fight! 015 was a tough year for our Local 1262 members who were employed by Pathmark and rather unexpectedly found 2themselves looking for employment elsewhere when in July the company announced for the second time it would be filing for Matthew Molinaro bankruptcy . Throughout the bankruptcy process we would often out of the proceedings all together instead of getting be asked by the media, the public and even our own consideration for the “assets” that they in fact were to members why the company did not have to comply with the company . the provisions in our contracts that guided things such The bottom line is this: companies have more than as severance and bumping rights . Many people were – financial assets – they have their people and any good quite understandably – frustrated that after fighting so company will recognize that fact . hard for so many years to negotiate what was one of the Your employers – ShopRite, Stop & Shop, Foodtown, strongest union contracts in the nation it appeared that Fairway, Morton Williams and now ACME Markets – have the contract was simply being tossed aside . always recognized the value you add to their bottom-line Nothing could have been further from the truth . and they honor the contracts that Local 1262 negotiates A sad “truth” is that U S. Federal with them on your behalf . They operate as Bankruptcy laws are written to favor big proud union stores . business and their assets more than the Companies“ You union contract is an asset to you hard-working people who serve on the front too and that is why Local 1262 – and all the lines of the company each and every day . have more UFCW locals – are now working diligently A better “truth”? Union contracts and than financial with the companies buying Pathmark and the people they cover are in some ways other A&P-owned stores to ensure that they considered part of the company’s “assets ”. assets – they employ union workers . And because we And, because the contracts are just that – have their have a union contract with A&P, Local 1262 contracts – they do have legal standing dur- people. will continue to have a voice in the court ing the bankruptcy process, although the where will continue object to the sale of judge has great latitude in how and what stores to supermarket operators who do will be honored . not want to operate under a union contract For instance, if the Pathmark work- or hire union workers . ers did not have a contract – or a union for that matter ” Going forward, in 2016 you will see a great deal of – there would have been no one to speak up on their organizing activity taking place both at the local and behalf when the court was determining how funds from international level as part of our work to “protect” your the sale of company stores and other assets would be contract .