Owner Blames UFCW for Store Closing
On Aug 31, 2017A 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.