Bruno's grocery stores

[FormerCashier]

hey chris you are welcome.........

and i see so many typos in my posting haha guess the batteries in the wireless keyboard goin bad. so do you think will we hear somethin in the next few days since they now have until what the 4th to talk to the unions???

[Chris322]

hey chris you are welcome.........

and i see so many typos in my posting haha guess the batteries in the wireless keyboard goin bad. so do you think will we hear somethin in the next few days since they now have until what the 4th to talk to the unions???

[FormerCashier]

chris i beilieve the only thing we will get is a "sorry no comment".

but yes your right----they need to know that WE WANT THIS. and i think that by a bunch of us calling them they will firmly believe and hear us. but no....i doubt that we will be told anything.

i also agree with you that there may be some stores that kroger does not want........i can name a few off the top of my head........do you have your list as well? care to share lol.......

ok heres my list------the first would be the greensprings food-world in bhm-----was in there the other day----that store has truly gone to the dogs....sandwiched inbetween a publix and wallyworld market....truly sad. the food-world in demopolis would be next---honestly that is the farthest west store and i just dont see kroger taking that one. and finally the trussville food-world. now that is a good store from what im told---but honestly it is way too small to house a kroger. that one is a tough call....but it is a former food-fair and it is beginning to show its age. along with being sandwiched in-between a publix, winn-dixie (which in my opinion shouldve been closed already--horrible store) and a supertarget....err really unless like you said kroger replaced that store i just dont see them taking that location either. as for brunos....eh really with this last round of closings they took care of their problem locations, although the wildwood location surprised me.

[Chris322]

chris i beilieve the only thing we will get is a "sorry no comment".

but yes your right----they need to know that WE WANT THIS. and i think that by a bunch of us calling them they will firmly believe and hear us. but no....i doubt that we will be told anything.

i also agree with you that there may be some stores that kroger does not want........i can name a few off the top of my head........do you have your list as well? care to share lol.......

ok heres my list------the first would be the greensprings food-world in bhm-----was in there the other day----that store has truly gone to the dogs....sandwiched inbetween a publix and wallyworld market....truly sad. the food-world in demopolis would be next---honestly that is the farthest west store and i just dont see kroger taking that one. and finally the trussville food-world. now that is a good store from what im told---but honestly it is way too small to house a kroger. that one is a tough call....but it is a former food-fair and it is beginning to show its age. along with being sandwiched in-between a publix, winn-dixie (which in my opinion shouldve been closed already--horrible store) and a supertarget....err really unless like you said kroger replaced that store i just dont see them taking that location either. as for brunos....eh really with this last round of closings they took care of their problem locations, although the wildwood location surprised me.

[FormerCashier]

so chris did you call kroger today? what did they say?

i had a extremely busy day at work and didnt have time to....planning on it tomorrow tho

and like i referenced earlier---why was the wildwood brunos closed? it was always busy everytime i was in there....what was the story behind that?

[Chris322]

so chris did you call kroger today? what did they say?

i had a extremely busy day at work and didnt have time to....planning on it tomorrow tho

and like i referenced earlier---why was the wildwood brunos closed? it was always busy everytime i was in there....what was the story behind that?

[FormerCashier]

Wow yea now i have a sick feeling in my stomach. C&S is proably the lone buyer of the 9 stores........

Stranger things have happend tho.....have faith and dont let it get you down! If the hearing is Thursday, most likely we will know something that night or Friday morning.

Anyway brother, keep your head up and dont let your customers see you sweat.

[DR Gizmo]

Wow yea now i have a sick feeling in my stomach. C&S is proably the lone buyer of the 9 stores........

Stranger things have happend tho.....have faith and dont let it get you down! If the hearing is Thursday, most likely we will know something that night or Friday morning.

Anyway brother, keep your head up and dont let your customers see you sweat.

[/quote

Hi guys--I've been off here for a while but good to see ya'll are still around and knowing I'm not the only scared one out there.A couple of stores in our area sent a petition to the judge asking him to please pull out the successorship clause --did ya'll have a petition up there? I think a lot of people are justing getting panicky about the sale of the chain. No doubt they are gonna get split-up and I hope whatever happens we'll stay in touch on here to see how things are panning out for us.

They(?) had a couple of people in the stores in Mobile with cameras over the weekend--not sure if it's a buyer or taking pictures to offer up at an auction. Anyway, time is running close and we will have to hear one way or another soon. I think the Union has to know 20 days in advance of a sale so maybe the negotiations are a sign of that.May 31st is not far off and I will continue to pray for ya'll as well as my co-workers that we will have a solution soon.

Also, I eceived a letter in the mail that seemed to be written to vendors--not an employee-what's up with that? did someone stuff the wrong envelope or am I just lost in this procedure?

[Chris322]

Are you talking about the letter about the meeting of creditors? If so, all employees got that. We didn't do a petition at 240. The union folks got to the people first and conned them into signing their petition. By that point there were only a few of us that handn't signed it, and we just didn't see the point in having an alternative petition. The people in your store were most likely potential buyers. An email was sent out saying they would be in the stores. I am still praying for everyone involved. This will work out one way or another. If we close we'll find other jobs. We are experienced and can offer a lot to any establishment. Most likely you have made connections at other stores and businesses just as I have, so we should be able to find something.

[FormerCashier]

I have always been pro-union, but I think that if it is for the good of the company and the teammates----the union needs to make the concessions. I know alot of yall would proably take me out back and stone me haha but if they dont----how many people will lose their jobs and how many stores will close? I am definitely praying for you guys too--------and its not over yet........God knows whats going on and like my granny used to say---He hasnt brought us this far to drop us in the middle of the stream.

Yall have a great day!

[Chris322]

I have always been pro-union, but I think that if it is for the good of the company and the teammates----the union needs to make the concessions. I know alot of yall would proably take me out back and stone me haha but if they dont----how many people will lose their jobs and how many stores will close? I am definitely praying for you guys too--------and its not over yet........God knows whats going on and like my granny used to say---He hasnt brought us this far to drop us in the middle of the stream.

Yall have a great day!

[DR Gizmo]

Those are definitely words to live by! I was always pro union until this mess started and the mess with the auto workers and the UAW started. Unions just don't understand that when a company is losing money, they can't possibly make the same amount of money and the same benefits as when the company was prospering. At this point, it boils down to the fact that I need a job. If the store closes, I'll most likely go to work at Winn-Dixie, which is non-union. Most of our co-workers will most likely do the same. So tell me, what is the difference? I don't see what the big deal is. If you have to work non-union, which you will, wouldn't you rather do it in the same environment with the people you've grown to be friends with?

[Chris322]

ANY NEWS????? I have been on the 'puter non-stop all day and I'm getting nothing about today's court proceedings.Any word?

[DR Gizmo]

Hi Chris,

I have been searching the court docs all day and alot of UFCW signatures wanting the judge to keep the "clause" in and alot of landlords but nothing about if the judge took it out or not. I thought today was the day he was deciding.We'll probably read it in the paper tomorrow--that's how we've found out most of the proceedings. Kind of depressing with the rain, job outlook not good.gotta get relief---maybe tomorrow the sun will be out and jobs are secure.

[Chris322]

Hi Chris,

I have been searching the court docs all day and alot of UFCW signatures wanting the judge to keep the "clause" in and alot of landlords but nothing about if the judge took it out or not. I thought today was the day he was deciding.We'll probably read it in the paper tomorrow--that's how we've found out most of the proceedings. Kind of depressing with the rain, job outlook not good.gotta get relief---maybe tomorrow the sun will be out and jobs are secure.

[Chris322]

According to the Birmingham News, the judge is trying to figure out whether he can delete the clause or if he as to reject the entire contract. He is expected to make a decision next week. Here is an excerpt from the article concerning potential buyers:

Two prospective buyers have expressed initial interest in buying more than 25 Bruno's stores, hearing testimony showed. Neither got past the initial stages. One of the groups was opposed to union organization of the stores, instead preferring an employee-stock ownership structure. The other expressed a desire to work with the union as it is, testimony showed.

[DR Gizmo]

According to the Birmingham News, the judge is trying to figure out whether he can delete the clause or if he as to reject the entire contract. He is expected to make a decision next week. Here is an excerpt from the article concerning potential buyers:

If I had to make a guess, I would say that they company preferring an employee-stock ownership structure was Publix. They were most likely looking at some of the coastal stores and some of the Birmingham stores. The other company was most likely Associated Wholesale Grocers or Rouses.

I'm still holding out for Kroger!

[Chris322]

I think I have figured out which stores the second interested company wanted. Court documents show that they wanted 33 stores. Bruno's has its stores divided into two regions, the Northern Region and the Southern Region. The Southern Region includes districts 1 and 2, and has 23 stores. The Northern Region includes districts 3, 4, and 5 and includes 33 stores. More than likely the interested company wanted the stores in the Northern Region, leaving the Southern Region to someone else.

[FormerCashier]

OK Chris ive had some surgery and been out of the loop the past few days..........fill me in on whats goin on here.

Having a hard time (it could be the drugs and pain HAHA) following...... what has happened? Does the company not want the 33 stores anymore? Or am I just reading somethin wrong???

Sounds like the buyer for the 33 stores may just be the one we have been or had been hoping for....

Please fill me in.......again Im just having a hard time folowing (sorry....pain and pain meds LOL)

[Chris322]

OK Chris ive had some surgery and been out of the loop the past few days..........fill me in on whats goin on here.

Having a hard time (it could be the drugs and pain HAHA) following...... what has happened? Does the company not want the 33 stores anymore? Or am I just reading somethin wrong???

Sounds like the buyer for the 33 stores may just be the one we have been or had been hoping for....

Please fill me in.......again Im just having a hard time folowing (sorry....pain and pain meds LOL)

[FormerCashier]

ah ok........yea they proally wouldnt want to meet with the union. i hope we hear somethin this week........thanks buddy

well if not kroger than who??? any ideas???

[Chris322]

ah ok........yea they proally wouldnt want to meet with the union. i hope we hear somethin this week........thanks buddy

well if not kroger than who??? any ideas???

[FormerCashier]

yea.......again C&S has proven their skills in running a company------

Yea they would get a heck of a bargain.......

Still tho the thought of these stores turning into a SFM or PW makes my stomach turn. HAHA, remember back when Belk bought Parisians, how the Summit here in BHM put up a fight to keep Belk out of the Summit......imagine if they replaced the Bruno's there with a SFM or PW.......I can only imagine the fight!!!!!!!!!!!

[Chris322]

yea.......again C&S has proven their skills in running a company------

Yea they would get a heck of a bargain.......

Still tho the thought of these stores turning into a SFM or PW makes my stomach turn. HAHA, remember back when Belk bought Parisians, how the Summit here in BHM put up a fight to keep Belk out of the Summit......imagine if they replaced the Bruno's there with a SFM or PW.......I can only imagine the fight!!!!!!!!!!!

[FormerCashier]

haha yea thats funny.........rebuild the brand back.......thats too funny.

yea they most likely will try and sell the "good" stores that might actually make them some money and keep the crap.........brunos family markets has a certain ring to it....LOL KIDDING