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House of RepresentativesWhereas, Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc., a wholesale grocery cooperative owned by three hundred fifty members who operate approximately eight hundred fifty retail grocery stores, for many years has been a major employer in the Kansas City and Springfield metropolitan areas; and
Whereas, Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. is now embroiled in a labor dispute with its warehouse, maintenance and transportation who are represented by Teamsters Local 955 in Kansas City and Teamsters Local 245 in Springfield; and
Whereas, that labor dispute has resulted in a lockout of approximately twelve hundred workers in those two metropolitan areas; and
Whereas, Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. has contracted out those twelve hundred jobs to nonunion contractors who have imported out-of-state workers to operated the Kansas City and Springfield distribution centers, none of whom are expected to be long-term contributors to our state and local economies; and
Whereas, a consumer boycott of retail grocery stores supplied by Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. has impacted hundreds of the eight hundred fifty stores it serves, including many located in our state; and
Whereas, thousands of businesses and workers, including wholesale, retail and related businesses, are suffering direct and indirect hardship because of the labor dispute; and
Whereas, as the representatives of the citizens of the state of Missouri, the Missouri General Assembly supports the peaceful resolution of labor disputes at the bargaining table; and
Whereas, the continuation of this labor dispute will further disrupt the cities, towns, communities and neighborhoods affected by this labor dispute:
Now, therefore, be it resolved that the members of the House of Representatives of the Ninetieth General Assembly, Second Regular Session, the Senate concurring therein, hereby endorses and recommends to Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc, Teamsters Local 955, Teamsters Local 245 and the workers directly involved in this labor dispute that they return to the bargaining table at the earliest possible opportunity to resolve the outstanding issues between them; and
Be it further resolved that the members of the Missouri General Assembly believe that renewed efforts at the bargaining table will bring this labor dispute to a prompt and peaceful conclusion which protects the viability and economic health of the company, its workers and their families, as well as for the benefit of the citizens of our state who have been impacted during this unfortunate period of labor strife; and
Be it further resolved that the members of the Missouri General Assembly hereby affirm our support for restoration of economic peace and prosperity for Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. and its employees through good faith collective bargaining and urge both sides to utilize their best efforts to resolve outstanding issues at the bargaining table rather than through lockouts, picketing and consumer boycotts which impact large segments of our state's economy and its citizens; and
Be it further resolved that the Chief Clerk of the Missouri House of Representatives be instructed to prepare properly inscribed copies of this resolution for Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc., Teamsters Local 955 in Kansas City and Teamsters Local 245 in Springfield.
Offered by Representative Henry Rizzo and Representative Brian MayReturn to the Missouri
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