New York State's Largest Grocery Workers Union: "Wegmans is the Wrong Fit for Brooklyn"

Says Brooklyn Doesn't Need Another Out of Town Transplant

WESTBURY, NY (05/15/2015)(readMedia)-- Bruce W. Both, President of New York's largest grocery workers union, the 23,000 member United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1500 Union (UFCW), today released the following statement after the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation announced Wegmans will anchor the redevelopment plans for Admirals Row.

"Our communities surrounding the Brooklyn Navy Yard are in desperate need of a supermarket, one with a proven track record of providing healthy food, affordable food, and sustainable jobs for New York City. While the public spotlight is on the popularity of Wegmans to its upstate consumers, it's our responsibility to shine a light on the types of jobs they may bring to Brooklyn.

"Brooklyn deserves jobs with benefits in order to support and grow our families. Our communities surrounding the Navy Yard deserve jobs which provide guaranteed raises, pay, benefits, and job security. But most importantly in the New York City food retail industry, our community needs a guaranteed set amount of working hours, to make it possible support our families and to balance a schedule between work and family life. Will Wegmans be offering this to the Brooklyn community?

"After all, it's about providing our Brooklyn community members with opportunities for stable and sustainable careers. Simply put, the company has no familiarity or understanding of providing good jobs and healthy food in New York City.

"The Brooklyn Navy Yard needed a responsible employer that our communities and families could count on to build a better Brooklyn. They needed a company that would help Brooklyn families attain the American Dream. What it didn't need was yet another out of town transplant to move into its neighborhood again. Brooklyn deserved better."

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United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1500, based out of Westbury, New York, represents 23,000 grocery workers in New York City, Long Island, Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess Counties. Members of Local 1500 are employed by Pathmark, Fairway, Stop and Shop, Gristedes, D'Agostino, Key Food, Shop Rite and King Kullen.

Stay up to date with UFCW Local 1500 on twitter @ufcw1500, facebook.com/ufcw1500, and at ufcw1500.org.