Posted on 06/13/2012 10:49:10 AM PDT by Jean S
Sheboygan-based Piggly Wiggly Midwest notified the state on Tuesday it intends to close its south-side Sheboygan store by Sept. 1, the same store that had been the subject of a recent complaint by the United Food and Commercial Workers union.
The closing would result in the loss of 108 jobs at the store at 3124 South Business Drive, the notice to the state Department of Workforce Development said. Workers would not be offered bumping rights to other locations.
The letter was signed by Piggly Wiggly President Paul Butera, who addressed a copy to Sheboygan Mayor Terry Van Akkeren.
In May, a National Labor Relations Board administrative law judge ordered the company to restore full-time status and benefits to represented employees at the store whose hours were reduced without bargaining with their union.
United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1473 accused Piggly Wiggly Midwest of violating federal labor laws and not bargaining in good faith last September when it reduced hours for 19 of its represented employees shortly after the union’s labor deal expired.
Federal labor laws require employers to provide labor unions prior notice of such changes and an opportunity to bargain, which the company did not do, the union alleged.
The judge’s decision is subject to appeal.
Employees have been working without a labor contract since Sept. 7, 2011.
Following the judge’s ruling in May, a company attorney said the company was exploring all options related to the future of the south side Sheboygan store, including the viability of continued operations there.
Butera, Van Akkeren or union representatives could not be reached for comment Tuesday evening.
Piggly Wiggly Midwest supplies more than 102 grocery stores in Wisconsin and northern Illinois, most of which are operated by independent franchisees.
Ping! I wish Wisconsin would become a right-to-work state. This is horrible.
“Employees have been working without a labor contract since Sept. 7, 2011.”
At least they were working.
another smart move by the union, now those members are unemployed....but the union bosses still get paid....
Unions and useless, destructive government bureaucrats like the NLRB are going to wake up one day and discover that their constant attacks on viable, honest, productive businesses was A Bridge Too Far.
Looks like another signal to the unions that they don’t run the place anymore. PW closes one store, doesn’t give transfer privileges to the employees, and employees in other union stores get the message.
Ah yes, the Unions destroy another one. Boy, good thing the Union is for the “little guy”, huh? Now these people can sit home, watch Oprah while collecting gubmint handouts and complain the government and evil Republicans aren’t doing more to help them.
Funny thing is, that Sheboygan is a big Democrat stronghold. Funny how people never seem to make simple connections, just like how the people from Detroit will steadfastly vote for Democrats as they circle the drain.
Well now they're not working without a labor contract, and I feel certain they're delighted.
I would stay clear of thet store, no telling what these people will do.
“Sheboygan is a big Democrat stronghold..”
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Which definitely rules it completely out as being “the greatest little town in the world”.
Amazing. Do they sell chitlins by the ten gallon tub there, too?
Meanwhile, union honchos kill jobs by making outrageous demands and generally acting like thugs. The result: no store, no transfer, no job. They can thank their union and the NLRB but they'll probably blame their former employer - and vote Democrat in the next election.
Well, perhaps not. One hopes that sheer self-preservation will motivate unionized workers to think hard about the value of being in a union that kills jobs and bribes contributes a big part of their dues money to leftists like Obama.
A lot of the union members may be moving away from Obama, but they still want to keep their government pensions and collective bargaining rights.
Sheboygan is home to the annual Bratwurst Days parade and celebration.
I wouldn’t say greatest little town in the world.
But there has been a major improvement to their waterfront areas for tourism, fishing, boating, restaurants and beach lovers. They basically took dilapidated oil storage areas doing nothing and totally turned it around. Both public and private sectors had a part to play. One of the few successes one can point to there and see a real economic improvement. Also a general quality of life improvement for people living there too, to be able to enjoy their best natural asset, the lake.
Been there for over 42 years.
They are not hick stores, regarding your chitlins remark. They are full blown grocery/supermarkets. You even ever set foot in one? No different than Sentry, Publix, Pick and Save, or any other fairly large grocery store chain.
Wow! If Piggly Wiggly has been around that long it ought to now be called Hoggly Woggly!
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