UFCW: Arizonans Are Still Hungry for Respect.

Statement from the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union

PHOENIX -- The baseless lawsuit filed by the Bashas' supermarket company against the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) underscores the company's disrespect for workers, consumers and the community.

Bashas' appears to be acting out in desperation, naming religious leaders, workers, journalists and their spouses in a lawsuit. It really is a sad day when a company unleashes its high priced lawyers in an effort to suppress the concerns of its customers and the communities where they operate.

Our coalition, Hungry for Respect, was formed by grocery employees, their union and community allies out of concern for the company's practices.

In the spring of this year, Hungry for Respect shoppers found and purchased 683 containers of expired infant formula from certain Bashas' Supermarkets, AJs and Food City stores in Maricopa, Yuma and Pima Counties. We then did what was socially responsible and alerted the public to what shoppers found. The lawsuit does not refute the fact that Bashas' was selling outdated infant formula to unsuspecting mothers.

In November, Hungry for Respect submitted to the Maricopa Board of Supervisors an analysis of county health inspections that found Food City stores had 47% more major violations per routine inspection than Bashas Supermarket stores from January 2005 through September 2007. We called upon Bashas' Inc. and the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to take steps to close the health inspection track record gap between Food City and Bashas' stores.

A federal administrative judge recently found that Bashas' Inc. broke the law and ordered the corporation to "cease and desist...interfering with, restraining or coercing employees in the exercise of" their right to address workplace concerns through their union.

In an attempt to work with Bashas' Inc. to address these concerns, Hungry for Respect asked corporate officials to sign a pledge that ensures clean stores, nutritious food, and respect for workers' freedom to choose to form a union. Rather than agreeing to follow these basic principles, Bashas' Inc. decided to attempt to silence us with a baseless lawsuit.

Bashas' bullying tactics are one more reason why 25,000 consumers and community members have joined the Hungry for Respect campaign. Thousands of families have already taken action--including petitioning the company to respect its workers and withholding their shopping dollars at Bashas'-owned Food City stores this holiday season.

Bashas' will not stop us from telling the truth about their corporate practices.

The UFCW will challenge this lawsuit, and any other attempts to silence workers and bully our community partners. Bashas' is a company operating in our communities. We have a right and an obligation to advocate for honesty and ethical behavior on the part of employers that seek our business.