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petition 2UPS has put 250 drivers in New York on notice of termination for standing up to harassment and unfair discipline. 


 


In response, NYC elected officials and labor-community supporters are rallying behind the drivers. Political leaders are contacting UPS and a online support petition has been launched by community supporters.


 


Click here to sign the online petition to support Local 804 members who face termination. 


 


On Feb. 26, UPS fired a package driver and long-time union activist and denied him his “Innocent Until Proven Guilty” rights under the Union contract.


 


It was the final straw for UPS drivers in Maspeth, Queens who are fed up with 12-hour days, relentless harassment, an epidemic of workplace injuries and a company that walks all over the contract and grievance procedure.


 


Teamster drivers walked off the job in protest. They returned to work after sending their message. Packages were delivered, the customers were serviced. 


 


Local 804, which represents the drivers, sat down with the company to try to resolve the dispute and address the underlying problems.  


 


Instead of reaching an agreement, the company retaliated against the 250 drivers and put all of them on notice of termination. The drivers remain on the job, but management claims it has the right to fire them at any time. The local is continuing to try to reach a negotiated solution.


 


Teamsters everywhere stand in solidarity with the drivers in Maspeth. 




Click here to sign the online petition to support Local 804 members who face termination.





For more information and to show your support, go to www.Teamsterslocal804.org





Union

Safeway to be Bought


Safeway Inc (SWY.N), the second-largest U.S. mainstream grocery store operator, said private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management would acquire the company in a deal valued at about $9.4 billion.
     The offer price of $40 per share represents a premium of 1.3 percent to Safeway’s Thursday closing stock price of $39.47 on the New York Stock Exchange.
     The deal combines Safeway with Cerberus’ Albertsons chain, creating a dominant grocery franchise on the West Coast. It also creates a grocery network of more than 2,400 stores and 250,000 employees.
     No store closures are expected, according to the company.
     Safeway shareholders will receive $32.50 per share in cash plus other distributions with a value of $3.65 per share.
     Cerberus is a seasoned investor in the supermarket sector. Last March, a Cerberus-led investor group acquired a group of grocery chains from Supervalu Inc, including Albertsons and Jewel-Osco, for $3.3 billion.
     Cerberus previously owned 650 Albertsons locations as a result of a 2006 deal under which the chain was acquired and its stores broken up between the private equity investor, Supervalu and CVS Caremark Corp.
     Safeway has been in the hands of private equity before. KKR & Co LP (KKR.N) took Safeway private in 1986, and then sold its stake in 1999.
     Safeway has been trying to streamline its business by selling off non-core units. Last year, it spun off its gift card provider, Blackhawk Network Holdings Inc (HAWK.O), into a separate publicly traded company.
     It also sold off its Canadian business to the operator of Canadian retailer Sobeys for $5.8 billion in cash.
     More recently, Safeway has revealed plans to leave the Chicago market by early this year. That announcement came after activist investor Jana Partners pressured the company to review strategic alternatives, including exiting weak markets.
     Reuters first reported that Cerberus was exploring a buyout of Safeway last October.
     Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N) and Greenhill & Co Inc (GHL.N) advised Safeway on the transaction. Latham & Watkins LLP served as outside counsel.
     Citigroup Inc (C.N), Bank of America Corp (BAC.N) and Credit Suisse AG (MLPN.P) advised Albertsons, Cerberus and its investor group.
     (Reporting by Siddharth Cavale in Bangalore; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty and Jan Paschal)

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