UFCW Members and Ahold Workers to Address Ahold Annual Meeting

Three Martin’s and Giant Food employees from Virginia are expected to speak about efforts to organize workers at Ahold’s annual meeting in Amsterdam today.

From the Supermarket News article:

The workers said they would denounce what they called Giant-Carlisle’s “actively campaigning to prevent workers from exercising the same fundamental rights that many of their U.S. and Dutch counterparts enjoy.”

About 65% of Ahold’s U.S. workforce is represented by local unions of the United Food and Commercial Workers, but the Giant-Carlisle division, including Martin’s stores, is not organized.

“It does not make sense and seems unfair that we all work for the same company but some employees do not have the same rights as other employees,” said Stafford, Va., resident Michele Hepner, a UFCW Local 400 union member who has worked at one of Ahold’s unionized stores for the past 37 years. “Ahold must treat all its workers fairly, and that is the message I intend to share with the shareholders at the meeting.”

The union sent three members to the meeting last year with a similar message.

Click here to read the original article. 

Yet another issue with self-checkout: increased theft risk

Risk of theft is up to five times less when cashiers are on duty at a checkout - not to mention the friendly service they provide!

We’ve discussed the impact of self-checkout on retail jobs – and how that impact poses a threat to one of the few growing sectors of our economy. Now, from USA Today, comes a report that increased use of self-checkouts is connected with a spike in intentional and unintentional theft – up to five times more than when cashiers are working. Talk about a threat to the retail industry.

According to USA Today, at least two major grocery chains – Albertson’s and Big Y – have abandoned self-checkout, in part due to the theft rates associated with the technology. Check out the full story here, and follow UFCW online for more news on self checkout and the retail industry in general.