Times Supermarkets Union Members Blast Boycott,
Take Action To Decertify Teamsters Union
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  February 12, 2008

HONOLULU, HI (2/12/08) — The management of Times Supermarkets said today 59 percent of its employees who are members Teamsters Union Local 996 have signed petitions to decertify the union from representing them.  In keeping with federal rules, Times has notified the union.

Local 996 is composed of 110 meat cutters, wrappers, and fish cutters; it began a strike action against Times on December 17, then returned to work in January even as the union’s leadership simultaneously urged the public to boycott the company. 

John Quinn, the owner of Times, said while the company had nothing to do with the petition, it understands why 65 members want the union out.  “The majority has made a choice to reject the union leadership’s tactics,” Quinn said.  “They’ve courageously taken a stand on why they no longer can follow the leadership.”

 A former union shop steward and one of the union members to cross the picket line and return to work told Times management why he and others have decided to sever their ties with the union: 

“The boycott is hurting the business, and it’s the business that feeds our families, not the union.  If there’s no business, there’s no job.  How are people supposed to come back to work if the company has no business?  This is not a choice that anybody wants to make.  It’s a choice that has to be made.  We have to stop the union from trying to take our company down.  We have a lot of dedicated employees who want to come back.  If the union really cares about these people, why won’t it let the company make money and bring people back?  They gave us no other choice.  We need to get them off our backs.”

Quinn said the boycott is what pushed many of union members over the edge.  “The boycott negatively affects our business and therefore restricts our ability to recall union members,” he said.  “It hurts everyone -- union members, our 1,000 non-union associates and the company itself.  We’re not surprised by this move to decertify.”

Quinn said since a majority of Local 996 members has signed a petition requesting withdrawal of union representation, Times has told the union it no longer represents the employees, as authorized by Federal labor law.  He said Times intends to bring back employees who have been out of work as business allows. Quinn said that since acquiring the company in 2002, there has been more than $10 million invested in the stores and more than 200 new jobs have been created.  “The strike never should have happened, the employees support their company and it is time to get back to the business of providing a better shopping experience for our customers and a better place to work for our associates,” he said.

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Media Contact: Bob Stout, 831-0811 x202 or Doug Carlson, 330-3449