- Members of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) working at 14 Kessel/Kroger stores in Michigan have approved by a two-to-one margin a new contract that the UFCW called “the best package attainable.”
At the same time, the UFCW reportedly has begun negotiations for new contracts covering workers in Ohio who work at Giant Eagle, Tops, Heinen’s and other area retailers.
- As expected, the New York City Council passed the Health Care Security Act, which requires grocery stores with more than 35 employees and retail stores with 10,000 square feet of food to contribute $2.50 to $3 for health care for each hour their employees work.
- Unilever is bringing out Wish-Bone Spray salad dressing, which it believes will be appealing to diet-conscious consumers because it is a way of providing the taste and the flavor without using as much dressing.
Advertising Age reports that this is an attempt to “boost sales in the stagnant pourable-dressings category.”
- Warning: Keep your chickens indoors.
Published reports say that Dutch authorities have told farmers in that country to keep their chickens indoors, hoping that such a draconian move – the toughest restrictions imposed in Europe – will protect the birds from the spread of bird flu.
There are concerns that the disease could spread from Russia, where there have been several outbreaks, to Europe.
