UFCW bullying of local businessman reminiscent of Mafia unions

Youngstown grocer Henry Nemenz   (vindy.com)

(Youngstown) Henry Nemenz has been a fixture in the Mahoning Valley for better than half a century. Pretty much everybody in the area has shopped in his stores and probably knows someone who works (or used to work) for him.

He is one of the few local grocers which ultimately means that all tax revenues generated from Nemenz groceries stays within this community, not just employee's. On top of that Mr. Nemenz has contributed generously to local causes ranging from a small fundraiser for Autism in Youngstown to public New Year celebrations.

 Local media outlets such as the Tribune Chronicle, the Vindicator, and Radio 570 WKBN have shown their support for Mr. Nemenz as have local residents such as Mike Prelee on the website Tales From the Rust Belt.

Yet the United Food & Commercial Workers local 880, which represents Giant Eagle/Get-go, Starbucks and other large corporate chains, have been harassing Mr. Nemenz since the 1990's in an attempt to get their greedy hands into his stores.

They pay picketers to stand in front of his stores and chase customers away, claiming it is for the benefit of the employees. So far their picketing has forced the closing of two of his stores, which employed many, due to loss of business.

A local radio commentator recently noted that he asked one of the picketers why they were picketing and she said she did not know, she was being paid to.

The employees have advised local media that they do not want or need a union as Mr. Nemenz treats them well, but the UFCW refuses to back off. This is akin to the days of the Mafia run unions bullying their ways into businesses, whether wanted or not, to get "their cut" of the profits.

The UFCW #880 obviously is not operating in the interests of the employees, but their union coffers, as evidenced by the fact that union paid picketers were posted in front of a Nemenz store on US-224 in Boardman, OH for five years in the 1990's, but abruptly stopped when a Giant Eagle (represented by UFCW 880) opened right behind his store. If it was truly in the interest of the employees, the picketers would have remained, even if their union shop lost customers due to their aggressive picketing.

Local writer, Don Shilling, wrote a piece in the Vindicator "Are pickets picking on Henry?" in which he stated "Thomas Robertson, Local 880 president, did not want to be interviewed but said in an e-mail, “We believe the picketing is truthfully advising the public that those stores are not union stores and that Henry Nemenz is anti-union.”

Their refusal to be interviewed is a running theme, as more often than not, they will only issue pre-written "press releases" which prevents questioning.

This bullying must not be tolerated, and shows the true intentions of the UFCW. They will continue to employ picketers in an attempt to shut down all of Mr. Nemenz's stores which would cause approximately 1000 people, give or take, to lose their jobs while acting "in the interests of the employees."

 The UFCW is not picketing any other grocers in the Mahoning Valley, only Nemenz stores.

On a personal note

I do all of my grocery shopping at Nemenz IGA, specifically do to the UFCW bullying. I do not shop in Mahoning County for anything else due to the passage of the WRTA bus tax, but make a special trip to Nemenz stores. I have never personally met Mr. Nemenz, but his treatment by the UFCW thugs sickens me, which is why I no longer shop Giant Eagle/Get-Go or Starbucks. I hope to encourage everyone to shop at a Nemenz store.

For any who wish to contact the UFCW Local 880, Youngstown:

United Food and Commercial Workers Local 880