Sheboygan-based Piggly Wiggly Midwest to close store (union demands)

Sheboygan Press ^ | 6/12/12 | Staff

[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.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

A guy in our Sheboygan office led the Bratwurst Days parade. It was one of his proudest achievements...

[knittnmom]

Cool! Madison, WI has Bratfest on Memorial and Labor Day weekends. Metcalfe’s grocery is the main sponsor, Johnsonville donates the brats, Oscar Mayer donates hot dogs, other companies make big donations. They recruit volunteers to grill, package, and sell the brats and beverages, run the shuttles, clean the grounds, etc. Then the funds raised go to charities represented by the volunteers. In my case, raising money for a mission trip through our church. I worked with a couple of really nice teens during one of my shifts, who were raising money for their private school near the Minnesota border. Lots of churches and youth groups are represented, the boy scouts, etc. It’s a big deal!

[GGpaX4DumpedTea]

“At least they were working.”

Yes, ‘were’ is the operative word here. Union bosses F’ their members once again.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

‘swhy they call it “Weenietown.”