Los Angeles (Oct. 11, 2007) - Members of the California Food and Drug Council met this week to discuss a united response to the arrival of British supermarket company Tesco in California and the Southwest.
Labor leaders from Southern and Northern California, Nevada and Arizona attended the meeting.

Tesco says it hopes to capture one-sixth of the American retail food market with its new Fresh and Easy chain of small “neighborhood” style stores. Fresh and Easy markets are expected to open in Arizona, Nevada and Southern California beginning in early November.

“Tesco's stores in the United Kingdom are staffed by union employees,” said Paul Kenny, President of the Food and Drug Council. “But they seem to be determined to make their American operation non-union.  We hope that is simply due to a misunderstanding of the mutual goals we share.” 

“We may need to educate the public about Tesco's use of child labor in Bangladesh and its other anti-worker business tactics.” Kenny said. “We are firmly committed to upholding hard fought labor standards in our industry and protecting the rights and dignity of all working people in the United States.”

The Food and Drug Council has promised to coordinate this campaign for its affiliates representing hundreds of thousands of union workers in the retail food and drug industries throughout the State. It serves its affiliates by educational programs designed to inform the public about the benefits of working and buying union.

The Council's affiliates include the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the United Food and Commercial Workers, the International Union of Operating Engineers and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union.