A Minnesota grocery store, which has 40 employees, is set to close. The owner cites the UFCW as one of the causes for the store’s closing. The store’s closing will be a real loss to the community due to its convenience, its affordable prices, and its selection. Soon, the store’s low- and moderate-income customers may have to travel further by car or bus to purchase groceries, especially some hard-to-find ethnic products that the grocery store carries.

[Store owner Gary] Cooper said he felt “clobbered by all sides” — local government, the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1189, and even his beloved but declining customer base.

“I always thought I had a good relationship with the unions,” he said. “In negotiating with the union, we haven’t really gotten a contract and we’ve had some extensions.”

The new sick-leave mandate also hurt, he said.

“If you look at (the city of St. Paul’s) sick-leave mandate, frankly there’s some things I found pretty upsetting, like the record-keeping,” Cooper added. “I guess I kind of feel underappreciated.