It`s time - Missouri Grocers Association

Missouri Grocers Association
Board of Directors
State Director
Dan Shaul
TOPLINE
report
Volume 16 Issue 3 • April 2012
Chairman
Linda Ryan
Dierbergs, Inc.
St. Louis
President
Erick Taylor
Ramey/Price Cutter Supermarkets
Springfield
Vice President
John Porter
Porter’s Super Market
Crane
Treasurer
Mike Beal
Ball’s Super Food Stores
Kansas City
Steve Dillard
Associated Wholesale Grocers
Kansas City, KS
Kim Eskew
Harps Food Stores
Springdale, AR
Jim Hamblin
Town & Country Supermarkets
Fredericktown, MO
Jim Hickman
Hickman’s IGA
Mexico
Dan Kramer
SHAZAM
Johnston, IA
Jon McCormick
Retail Grocers Association of Greater KC
Shawnee Mission, KS
Greg McVeigh
Mac’s Super Saver
Kahoka
Rich Morris
Supervalu
Champaign, IL
Ed Mullins
Prairie Farms Dairy
Carlinville, IL
Chuck Murfin, Jr
Murfin’s Markets
Ozark, MO
It’s time
...to profit
...to learn
...to bag
Joe O’Neil
O’Neils Market, Inc.
St. Louis
Rick Prenger
Prenger Foods
Marceline
Joyce Shaul
Mid-America Grocers Association
St. Louis
Bill Smillie
Ozark Empire Grocers Association
Springfield
Bob Snyder, III
Snyder Foods
St. Louis
Dan Wampler
Hy-Vee
West Des Moines, IA
Rich York
Affiliated Foods Midwest
Elwood, KS
Join Missouri Grocers Association at the
Chateau on the Lake on August 23 -26, 2012
for the Annual Convention and Merchandising Show.
(new location and date)
A publication of the Missouri Grocers Association dedicated to providing information on legislative
and regulatory issues within the state that directly affect the interests of the Missouri food industry.
Missouri Grocers Association • 315 North Ken Avenue • Springfield, Missouri 65802 • 417-831-6667 • ISN 1522-0990
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Springfield, MO
Permit No. 293
Health Care Uncertainty Impacts
Labor Talks
By: Jon Springer, Supermarket News
WASHINGTON — Uncertainty over changes in
national health care policy has emerged as an
issue in supermarket labor contracts.
Union employees of Giant and Safeway stores in
Washington and Baltimore last week agreed to a
new contract with an unusual duration of 19
months, a period during which both sides hope to
gain more visibility into the potential financial
impacts of changes set to take place as a result of
the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
(ACA), the sweeping changes in national health
care policy approved two years ago. Although
provisions of the act have been gradually rolled
out since March 2010, a flood of new regulations
still awaits, much of it tangled in political and
legal challenges that have made the difficulty of
forecasting the future one thing employers and
labor strongly agree on.
“The 19-month contract duration was mutually
agreed upon by all parties,” Jamie Miller, a
spokesman for Ahold’s Giant-Landover chain,
told SN last week about the new contract
covering 17,000 Giant associates represented by
the United Food and Commercial Workers. “The
contract duration is related to uncertainty over the
Affordable Care Act. All parties decided it would
be beneficial to have greater clarity on the
direction of health care legislation in order to
address implications to our 17,000 associates
represented by UFCW Locals 400 and 27.”
Union labor contracts in the supermarket industry
typically run for three or four years. The 19month deal agreed to by Giant and Safeway
workers last week — one of the largest to be
negotiated in the supermarket industry this year
— would cover workers through October 2013.
Numerous provisions of the ACA are scheduled
to become law in January 2014, including the
establishment of insurance exchanges allowing
employees to buy their own insurance with
money their employers would otherwise
contribute to a company plan; and penalties for
employers who do not offer health care.
Many of the provisions are facing challenges from
states and other organizations.
Supermarkets and their labor force in particular in
the meantime are still awaiting final regulations
on how the new laws will affect Taft/Hartley
multi-employer funds, Nicky Coolberth, a
spokeswoman for the UFCW national office, told
SN last week.
Union representatives elsewhere in the country
said they also recognize health reform as a
growing concern in negotiations.
“Currently, there is a lot of uncertainty and some
confusion with the law that makes negotiating a
contract that spans from before implementation to
after implementation quite difficult,” Coolberth
said.
Some UFCW locals that have contracts still to be
renegotiated this year said the reforms would be
an issue. UFCW Local 5, San Jose, Calif., is
discussing the possibility of a two-year deal with
Safeway, Ron Lind, president of Local 5, told SN.
“There’s a reluctance from Safeway to do [a twoyear contract] since it would align the contract
expiration in Northern California with the
expiration of the Southern California agreements,
but there are so many issues on the table, we
haven’t reached any decisions on that yet,” Lind
said.
In Dayton, Ohio, UFCW Local 75 is negotiating a
deal with Kroger that will consider the impacts of
provisions already in place under ACA — such as
allowing individuals to remain on their parents’
health plans up to age 26 — while keeping an eye
on changes ahead, Brigid Kelly, a spokeswoman
for the union, told SN. Local 75’s contract,
covering 4,000 workers, expires in June.
“A lot of the challenge is no one really knows
what the future of Affordable Care is going to
look like,” she said.
— Additional reporting by Elliot Zwiebach
April
3
coupon redemption in the digital age
seamless redemption for digital, electronic &
paper coupons
American Coupon Services
Division of Your Local Grocers Association
For more information call ACS at 417-831-6667.
Shaul Receives Association Leadership
Award
Supermarket News
ARLINGTON, Va. — The National Grocers Association here has
presented its Association Leadership Award to Dan Shaul, president
of the Missouri Grocers Association, for his dedication to and
continued service on behalf of the grocery industry in the area of
government relations.
According to Peter Larkin, NGA president and chief executive officer,
"Dan's dedication to his members and his commitment to the
continued success of the independent grocer has made a significant
difference in his state. Dan has been instrumental in achieving several
pro-business reforms in the areas of workers compensation, tax policy
and e-WIC implementation. He has been a leader and is a model for
getting his members to act and produce results."
The award was given to Shaul during NGA's annual "Day in
Washington" conference, where executives meet with members of Congress and administration
representatives to discuss issues of importance to the industry. This year's event was held in
conjunction with Food Marketing Institute and Food Industry Association Executives.
2012 Grocers Day
Jefferson City ,
On April 10, 2012 the Missouri Grocers Association hosted
its annual Grocers Day at the Capitol event in Jefferson City,
Missouri. We had great attendance with 34 retailers and
vendors representing the grocery industry.
case. HB 1403 alleviates this burden on employees and their
workers by raising the standard to gross negligence for an
employee to be sued. Here in the House, we think that employees
shouldn’t be sued for simply doing their job.
We began the Day with an Issues Briefing presented by
Dave Overfelt, MGA’s Lobbyist, Ray McCarty, Director of
Associated Industries of Missouri, and Dan Shaul, State
Director of MGA. Each presenters gave a broad overview of
the atmosphere at the Capitol and several bills affecting the
industry.
Finally, HB 1403 includes a provision that will reform the 2nd
Injury Fund, moving it closer to solvency. The fund has been in
trouble for some time, and it seems that past legislatures have been
unwilling to make the difficult decision to fix the problem.
MGA is focused on issues that will provide relief to
businesses in order to prosper in today’s economy. One way
to do this is by reforming the workers’ compensation
system. During our visit to the Capitol, we placed a huge
emphasis on HB 1403 which will help Missouri businesses
by making workplace accidents, injuries, and diseases easier
to resolve for employees’ and less expensive for small
businesses.
On April 11th, State Representative Lyndall Fraker
addressed HB 1403 in an e-mail by elborating on the three
signficant changes to the law. Here is what he wrote:
“First, HB 1403 puts occupational diseases back under workers’
compensation where it was prior to 2005. In 2005, a change in the
law resulted in court rulings that moved cases involving
occupational diseases outside of the workers compensation system.
As a result, these cases are now ending up in court causing
litigation costs to rise on all of our businesses. And for a small
business, a trial means a costly defense that may lead to huge
damage awards and bankruptcy.
According to ABC News, the 2nd Injury Fund collected $43
million from Missouri businesses last year while its obligations
increased to $77 million. As a result, the attorney general quit
settling cases in 2009 and laid off a third of the attorneys working
for the fund.
HB 1403 moves the fund toward solvency by increasing the
amount of money that can be collected when the fund is in need.
In exhange for the added surcharge, the business community gets
several key reforms. For example, the bill eliminates a claim for
permanent partial disability and suspends the liftime payment to
someone who can still be gainfully employed.
HB 1403 will help
by improving the
legal environment
for Missouri
businesses. This
bill is a huge step
toward preparing
the business climate
for growth as the
economy
improves.”
These lawsuits have resulted in a huge windfall for trial attorneys
with little left for the injured party or small business. Putting
occupational diseases back under workers’ compensation will
reduce litigation costs on our businesses while ensuring that
workers get the care they need.
Next, the bill also includes much needed co-employee liability
reform. A court recently ruled that injured workers can sue coworkers for action or inaction as part of their workers compensation
6
TopLine Report
Ted Barlows & Jim Hamblin discussing bills
with Representative Charlie Denison from
District 135.
Day at the Capitol
City , Missouri
Bill Smillie, Ozark Empire Grocers
Association; Greg McVeigh, MAC’s Super
Saver; Doug Cunningham & Rich York,
Affiliated Foods Midwest
Mary & Joe O’Neil, O’Neil Foods; Bobby
Snyder, Save A Lot; Linda Ryan,
Dierberg’s; Dave O’Neil, O’Neil Foods
John Porter, Porter’s Supermarket; Rob
Ballowe, Hiland Dairy; Larry Gayer,
Country Fresh Markets; Chuck Murfin,
Murfin’s Market
Jeff Reaves & Dan Johnson, Associated
Wholesale Grocers; Jon McCormick, Retail
Grocers of Greater Kansas City; Gene
Nelson; Mike Beal, Ball’s Food Stores
Jim Hamblin, Town & Country; Craig
Easter, Woods Supermarkets; Brent Rone,
SHAZAM; Don Woods, Woods
Supermarkets
Mark Speight & Ted Barlows, Hiland
Dairy; John Watson & Gary Fursman,
Food 4 Less
Paul Hoppman, Dan Wampler, Steve
Culbertson, Brad McAnally, Gary
Swearington, Jeff Thompson, Brian Willis &
Noreen Otto, Hy-Vee
April
7
Thank you to all fo the Grocers
Day Sponsosrs
Affiliated Foods Midwest
ALPS - Mt. Vernon
Associated Wholesale Grocers
Bairs Grocery - Springfield
Balls Food Stores - Kansas City
Bing’s (Web & Sons) - Sedalia
Bunzl
C & R Markets - Macon
Central Dairy - Jefferson City
Coca-Cola Bottlers of Missouri
Country Fresh Markets - Shell Knob
Dierbergs Markets - St. Louis
Farmland Foods
Food-4-Less (Harps) - Springfield/Joplin
Food Giant Supermarkets - Sikeston
Frito-Lay
Harter House - Hollister
Hickman’s IGA - Mexico
Hiland Dairy - Springfield
Hy-Vee, Inc
Lewis Bakeries/Bunny Bread
Mace’s Town & Country Market - Cuba
Mac’s Super Saver - Kahoka
Moser’s Discount Foods - Fulton
Murfin’s Markets - Ozark
Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr Pepper Bottling Co
Ozark Empire Grocers Association
Pepsi Beverages Company
Porter’s Supermarket - Crane
Prairie Farms Dairy - St. Louis
Price Cutter Supermarkets - Springfield
Resers Fine Foods
Roberts Dairy - Kansas City
Save-A-Lot (B & S Foods) - Trenton
SHAZAM
Supervalu
The Snyder Family Group (Save-A-Lot) - St. Louis
Town & Country Supermarkets - Fredericktown
Wood’s Supermarkets - Bolivar
April
9