Kenny Jones, Fairway
Fairway has grown into the supermarket giant they are today because of people like Kenny Jones. The warm, soft spoken, humble and bright Kenny Jones has worked at Fairway for 34-years, starting at the company’s first store, on 74th Street.
“I started out working in Security and Dairy, then moved into the Cheese Department full-time,” Kenny explained, “I learned a lot about cheese and loved it right away. I had to sample everything and learned quickly to always recommend different types of cheese to customers.” Now Kenny works in Fairway’s Cheese/Dry Fruits & Nuts warehouse in Harlem, and is Fairway’s “go-to-guy” when it comes to the cheese warehouse.
After all these years it’s only right that he oversees the orders as well as cuts and packages tons and tons of cheese items for distribution to all of Fairway Market’s 11 stores. “I love my job cutting cheese, but I also like helping new people out and training them. New hires come here and I show them the ropes, teach them about the job, teach them about cheese.”
Kenny genuinely loves his job and his union, “The best thing about belonging to a union: I have rights and they’re protected, people can’t run over you with disrespect. It keeps everyone on their toes.” Kenny finished, “I’d really like to thank Howie, David and Harold for being behind me all these years, believing in me and for teaching me about cheese.”
Peter Hoffman, Stop & Shop
It’s not easy to be the first person to arrive at our Union’s General Membership Meeting. It’s even more difficult to arrive eager, excited and alert after riding a bike through the rain for a few miles. But rain or any negativity has never stopped Peter Hoffman, and won’t stop him from riding to any meeting, regardless how hard the commute may be. Peter Hoffman is one of the most dedicated, positive union members in UFCW Local 1500.
“I started out with Local 1500 in 1998,” Hoffman explained, “Ever since then, I’ve been dedicated to the union, seeing how much they care and how much they help workers.” Peter currently works in the Front End at Stop & Shop 516, where he is always talking up the importance of going to union meetings, sticking together and being positive to his coworkers. “My favorite thing about being in a union is being involved with others, and having a place to explain and talk about work issues,” Hoffman explained, “There’s never a right or wrong answer at union meetings, you can say what’s on your mind.”
Peter lives with resounding positivity and pushes solidarity amongst all of his coworkers. “If everyone can stick together we can do amazing things. When people think differently about the union than I do, I tell them why I like the union so much, I’ve been around for a while, I know and have seen people get in trouble, and the union is the only one there to help you,” Hoffman said. He also enjoys raising funds and awareness for various charities like Making Strides Against Breast Cancer or the Leukemia Lymphoma Society.
Peter genuinely enjoys helping customers at work, and talking to them about his union. “The best thing I’ve learned in life is to never say never, and don’t give up your belief in yourself. That’s the most important thing in life,” Hoffman said.
Artan Shabani
Artan Shabani currently works at Shop Rite. He began his career in 2010 in Yonkers as a night crew clerk because he wanted a job that had union benefits.
He was eventually transferred to another Shop Rite location as a full time employee in 2013. With his hard work and attention to detail, Artan was quickly promoted to the non-food manager which is his current held position.
Artan is a present member on the UFCW Local 1500 E-Board.
Kim Nicholas-Allen
Kim Nicholas-Allen is the lead clerk for the HBC Department. Kim has worked at Stop & Shop for 3 years. After transitioning from a non-union job to entering a unionized workplace, Kim found it reassuring that she had a contract and union representatives who are dependable.
In her spare time Kim works on music with her husband and fellow band members of Kymestry. They cover all kinds of music genres and blend them together in a unique performance you can catch every third Saturday of every month.
Richard Livingston
In 1956 a 16 year old Robert Livingston took his first job making $1.05 an hour, working to build and prepare for the opening of a First National Store in Tarrytown, New York. The 72 year old Livingston says he didn’t foresee it becoming the first steps toward a 56 year career as a Local 1500 union member. He went to work with the same hard working attitude each day for 56 years, only working out of two stores, one of which was for only a few weeks. Aside from that short stint he’s worked out of the recently shuttered Stop & Shop in Tarrytown for nearly 56 years.
As a Part-Timer for 46 years, Livingston not only outlasted countless bosses and managers, but four store banners: First National, FINAST, Edwards and Stop & Shop. He worked every job in the grocery store except for Produce and the Meat Department, finishing his career in the Dairy Department and as a Backup Receiver. “Back when it was First National and FINAST, we didn’t have all this technology, everything was on a smaller scale,” Livingston explained, “I think it was easier, I liked it, but just like anything new, you’re scared when you first start with technology like a computer, then you get used to it and you say, how did I ever live without it?”
Livingston explained during all his years, enduring all the company and management changes working over half a century entails, he rarely had problems with management and coworkers. “I never had any issues of being suspended or fired. I never really had issues like that. I Just always had a feeling of security, I always felt secure knowing that the union was always there to back me. I was never really in a dispute with the company, but I just felt safe with the union backing me, knowing if I ever did have a problem I could always go to them. That’s a great feeling.”
In 1987 Livingston was forced to leave his job at Edwards tem- porarily for a medical issue, he explained “I was out of work for about a year, but I kept my union dues up and when I was feeling better about a year later I got my job right back in 1988 with no issues. Since then it’s been solid working. That’s another great benefit belonging to the union provided.”
Livingston retired this past March, after the Stop & Shop in Tarrytown closed in order to relocate to a larger store nearby. Stop & Shop threw Richard a retirement party in March thanking him for his 56 years of service, where former coworkers and colleagues attended, including former Regional President of Stop & Shop, and current SVP of Operational Initiatives at Ahold, Ron Onorato. Livingston has been enjoying his retirement and his free time, “I’ve been getting things done around the house, stuff that I’ve put off for a while, I took a week to visit my daughter in Ohio, it’s been great. When I do get caught up with my housework, I’m probably going to volunteer somewhere, I don’t want to become a couch potato, I probably could have kept working, but just figured it is time. I decided when they announced they were going to close the store that, I opened the store and I closed the store, I figured…this is a good time to get out, I was there when they built it and I was there when they closed it.”
Richard is a proud husband, married for over 53 years, has seven grandchildren and one great grandchild. Congratulations on your retirement, Richard, and thank you for 56 proud years!
Barbara Balos
By Joe Maniscalco,
Courtsey: Labor Press
Mineola, NY – In her 25 years with UFCW Local 1500, Barbara Balos, 48, has helped run several major chain supermarkets throughout the city. For the last several years, the Long Island mom has been the non-foods manager at a bustling Bronx Pathmark, overseeing ordering, deliveries and more. Balos has a knack for getting things done – and that steady determination has not only helped her employers succeed, it’s also helped win better conditions for co-workers; raise a ton of money for numerous charitable organizations, and even change the way New York State protects its children.
“I have been a shop steward for Local 1500 for about 8 years, and have many wonderful opportunities with the union,” Balos says.
Many times, Balos is called upon to help correct unsafe working conditions like an overflowed grease pit or wonky loading dock – the kinds of things that could land an unlucky employee in the hospital.
Lately, however, Balos’ problem-solving skills have been tested trying to help co-workers reclaim lost hours guaranteed under their union contract, and securing new apartments for hard-pressed employees who’ve been reduced to part-time status as an unintended consequence of the Affordable Healthcare Act, and no longer able to make the rent.
One co-worker was forced to flee an abusive home environment and actually ended up on the street, while another had his Brooklyn apartment sold beneath his feet.
“Believe it or not, it happens a lot,” Balos says. “Unfortunately, a lot of the people I work with are part-timers. They’re getting 16-hours a week, and it’s tough to make ends meet. With the Obama care law, we’ve had problems with part-timers not getting enough hours, because they can’t go over that 30-hour threshold, so a lot of times, management will cut back on hours. But we help out our own.”
Over the course her union career, Balos has repeatedly met with members of the New York City Council, to make sure they understand just how important labor unions continue to be for workers like her.
“People are afraid to talk to management and stand up for their rights, or even to ask a question,” says Balos. “Many times, management will try to get away with things they shouldn’t.”
Just this past Christmas, Balos says the nicest present she received was a phone call from an older co-worker who faced the very real possibility of losing his job after arbitrarily being reassigned to a position he was not well-suited.
“I became a shop steward because I truly enjoy helping people and consider the other members as my family,” Balos says. “We rally around each other.”
Balos initially became politically active about 11 years ago, following a devastating incident which compelled her to try and convince the New York State Legislature to toughen the laws concerning convicted sex offenders.
“At the time, anyone who was a level 2 or 3 sex offender got off their probation period, and were off the sex offense registry,” Balos says. “There was talk from some senators about passing a bill to keep those offenders on the registry for life. So, I wrote to my local senator, told my story, and got a few thousand petitions signed to change the law.”
Not long after that, the Local 1500 shop steward was shocked to learn that her moving appeal would be heard on the floor of the New York State Senate.
“It was a great honor to help out,” Balos said. “We won that battle and got the laws changed. It was wonderful to know that I was a part of that.”
Balos continues to be passionate about activism, especially union activism.
“I think people are trying to cut corners and cut costs,” Balos says. “But our union can be tough. And management, no matter where they are, doesn’t want that.”
For the last few years, Balos’ daughter has been working at a non-union shop while attending college. For the Balos household, the enduring importance of organized labor is not some abstract ideological question to batted around endlessly by elites. Its efficacy is demonstrated daily in real life.
“When [my daughter] first started there, literally ever day, she should would come home saying, ‘I’m going to get fired. My boss is going to fire me because I asked for this day off. He just fired another person for no reason,’” Balos says. “There have been a lot of things that she goes through where I tell her – if you were union, that would not happen.”
Yarixa Rodriquez
Yarixa “Yaya” Rodriguez is our latest Member Spotlight. She is a member of Stop & Shop and is the head of the customer service department. She began her supermarket career at age 15 when she was hired at Pueblo Supermarket in Puerto Rico.
Although Yaya started working at 15 it wouldn’t be until 2007 when she officially joined UFCW Local 1500. She has been a member for 15 years and continues to work hard to ensure the success of her store, and fellow employees.
Juan “Juanito” Gadea-Alvarez
Juan Gadea-Alvarez also known as Juanito, started working in the Shop Rite maintenance department in 1996. He has been a member for 26 years, and continues working hard even though he is almost 92 years old. That’s right, Juanito is in his 90s and continues to be a model member.
Juanito has become a mentor for the newer and older members in Shop Rite. His magnetic attitude, and committment to the job helped positioned him as a man who can be relied upon in the Shop Rite ecosystem.
James “Hutch” Hutcherson
Shop Steward James Hutcherson: Pick Quick, Bronx
Hearing someone yell out, “Hutch!” is pretty normal at PickQuick. After spending a morning with the warm, hardworking cornerstone at PickQuick Foods, it’s easy to see why he was recommended to by his peers to be given a UFCW Local 1500 Member Spotlight.
James has been with the company for over 30 years, working for three generations of the Levine Family (PickQuick owners), working for father, son and now grandson.
The personable, hard working family man everyone calls “Hutch” owes his success and longevity to his Uncle Delbert and his father. “My Uncle taught me the business and my father taught me the work ethic,” Hutch says, “My Father was a single parent raising four kids, but he didn’t look back, he taught me the work ethic I bring into the store everyday.”
Shop Steward James Hutcherson is a proud union member, loves Butter Pecan ice cream and loves his union. His daughter was a past winner of one of Local 1500’s scholarship program, “I’m proud that my union helped my daughter go to college, I’m also proud to give a small shop like PickQuick some recognition. It’s the small shops that built this union and it means a lot to me to represent a great company who has been great to me and my family.”
Jimmy Wong, Pathmark
You get the sense from spending some time with Jimmy that he loves to laugh and enjoy life. Jimmy Wong started working at Pathmark when he was 16-years old.
Today at nearly 60-years old, the light-hearted Wong brings the same smile and sense of humor to the overnight shift at Pathmark on 145th Street. Aside from a short stint working afternoons early on, Jimmy has worked overnights his entire career, “I like overnights, I got used to it early on, and ended up liking it,” he explained. Born and raised in the Bronx, Jimmy is a proud parent of two children, and loves the benefits of belonging to a union, “Job security is invaluable, if it wasn’t for the job security they [management] would have tried to get rid of me a while ago,” Wong laughed, “In today’s world, have you ever seen somebody work for the same company for 43-years?” Wong asked, “Not without a union! Maybe if you’re the owner,” he laughed off and joked. That’s what Jimmy Wong seems to always do, laugh and live life light hearted, “You have to laugh, you have to, there’s nothing else you can do,” Wong concluded with a smile as he finished packing out.