NPR vs. Huff Po coverage of bankrupty A&P grocer

[HappyTexan]

Originally Posted by residinghere2007

The USA today article said 12 but 35 is extra ridiculous IMO.

I got my number from the WSJ article:

A&P Bankruptcy Filing Indicates Likely Demise - WSJ

At a hearing Monday, an A&P lawyer said the grocer has been burning through more than $14 million a month. The lawyer, Ray C. Schrock of Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP, said the company has set a “tight” but “realistic” timeline to get out of chapter 11 quickly.

More than 90% of A&P’s workers are union members, with 35 different collective-bargaining agreements that A&P said require benefit increases that are unsustainable.

[bluesjuke]

Originally Posted by HappyTexan

Lived in Florida for over 10 years and agree. I only shopped at Publix.

Here in Texas we have HEB which is just like Publix.
This year HEB came in #3 but last year it was #1.

Florida grocer ousts H-E-B as top-ranked supermarket chain - MRT.com: News Blogs

Same here.
18 years in Florida and was a Publix Shopper and now 20 years in Texas, an HEB Shopper.

[Mathguy]

Originally Posted by residinghere2007

Maybe because of my work with public unions I just don't agree that they run anything. As stated, they do not run an organization. They don't have control of the finances and whoever controls the money, runs the show.

But maybe I am just naive in this. But honestly, in what way can a union actually even partially run a company? If a company has a good policy book and decent collective bargaining reps themselves then there is no way that a company can be run by a union.

Unions ask for things and ask for support mostly in regards to salary and benefits and the rights to employment hearings but companies have the right to flat out deny or just negotiate salary and benefits and they also have to agree to employee grievance procedures with the unions and I just don't see how a union in todays day and age especially can hold any company hostage or "run" anything.

I think it mostly manifests when things are going badly or changes are forthcoming and they want to resist them.

The most obvious example would be the ability to strike.

For the public unions it really would depend IMO how politically connected they were.

I think we can both agree that it's probably just too varied and complex of a landscape for any general rule to hold true.

[Boss]

Years ago (1980's) A&P was a chain which did not get the marketing message and maintained itself in leased floor space in the NE. Sq. Foot costs in the NE are really really high to the point that a business working with an 8% or lower margin cannot compete.

Today they have the same issue as lots of their Stores are in leased space.