Grocery Workers Union Pledges Pickets At Down State Events Attended By State Senator Valesky

Senator Valesky Votes Twice To Repeal Wage Theft Bill

WESTBURY, NY (03/13/2012)(readMedia)-- New York State's largest grocery workers Union has pledged to randomly picket events in down state New York attended by New York State Senator David Valesky, a Syracuse based Democrat who supports repealing the Wage Theft Prevention Act.

Yesterday, Senator Valesky voted in favor of the State Senate budget resolution that included the full repeal of the Wage Theft prevention Act. The Wage Theft Prevention Act was passed in 2010 and increased penalties for employers who fail to pay their employees their proper wages. The Senator also voted last week in favor of a Republican sponsored bill that repeals parts of the Wage Theft Prevention Act.

"Perhaps Senator Valesky should focus on strengthening identity theft laws considering his attack on the Wage Theft Prevention Act suggests some one has actually stolen the Senators identity," stated Patrick Purcell, spokesperson for United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1500.

"This clearly is not the same Senator Valeskly who, after careful deliberation and extensive negotiation, voted to pass the Wage Theft prevention Act in 2010 and is someone who is now more interested in voting the way the Syracuse Post Standarad tells him to vote rather than voting in the best interest of working families," Purcell continued.

"Should Senator Valesky choose to leave upstate and travel down to our part of the world, members of UFCW Local 1500 will be waiting with enthusiasm for the opportunity to explain our disappointment and extend a helping hand to the Senator as he tries to regain his identity as a Senator that supports working men and woman rather than employers who steal from their workers," Purcell concluded.

UFCW Local 1500 represents 23,000 grocery workers in New York State. Members are employed by Stop Shop, Shop Rite, Pathmark, King Kullen and Fairway. Their members live and work in Long Island, the five boroughs, Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess Counties.