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UFCW Protests 'British Invasion' of Tesco
Sep 20, 2007
By ELLIOT ZWIEBACH
Supermarket News
      
SAN DIEGO - Union members dressed as Minutemen and Minutewomen appeared
at an industry conference here to denounce the impending "British
invasion" of Tesco and to announce a campaign to educate consumers,
lawmakers and opinion leaders about the potential dangers posed by Tesco
as it prepares to open it first U.S. stores. The company is scheduled to
begin opening its Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Markets in Southern
California, Las Vegas and Phoenix in about six weeks. "Tesco is the
Wal-Mart of the United Kingdom," Mickey Kasparian, president of United
Food and Commercial Workers Local 135, said. "I believe they intend to
saturate the marketplace and use their monopoly power to drive small-
and medium-sized stores out of business, much like Wal-Mart does. All
their profits will go the U.K., while all the losses will be experienced
by local business owners and workers." Kasparian said the union wants
Tesco to pledge to provide a living wage and affordable health benefits
to employees and to open more stores in underserved areas. A Tesco
spokesman declined comment.



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