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AG Cuccinelli Alerted About UFCWAction

by Ben Weber

Purcellville's Mayor, Bob Lazaro, sent a formal letter to Virginia's newly elected Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli about the possibility that the United Food and Commercial Workers and their law firm were "shopping for clients" throughout Purcellville. The letter also claims that this action was designed to "interfere with the creation of non-union jobs, private sector competition and economic development" for the Town. He has requested an official investigation by the Attorney General's office.

The letter, dated March 9th, also included several newspaper articles from the Purcellville Gazette, which was the first paper to report on suspected union involvement, as well as two other newspapers on specifics about UFCW and its actions to oppose the construction of western Loudoun's newest non-union grocery store, Harris Teeter, in Purcellville. The letter states that the UFCW is "violate[ing] the spirit of Virginia's Right to Work statues through the efforts of an out of state law firm to halt an important economic development project." Multiple calls to Tony Perez, Political Director of the UFCW, and Zachary Williams of the G. Macy Nelson law firm of Towson, Maryland seeking comment were not returned.

According to the UFCW website, they have 1.3 million members, 40% of whom are under the age of 40. They also state that they are "committed to changing the places where we work and the communities where we live so that all workers have the opportunity to reach the American Dream." The UFCW has opposed projects in the past that have included stores such as Whole Foods and Harris Teeter. Some members of the UFCW are employed by Giant Food of Purcellville.

According to one small business owner in the community, who asked to remain anonymous, he believes that when Harris Teeter is completed, it will have a direct impact on the bottom dollar of Giant Food, and not on Bloom. "They [Giant] have a lot to lose when Harris Teeter opens. No wonder they are trying to find ways to stop or delay the new store. Bloom has one level of clientele, while Giant has another; Harris Teeter is going to go after Giant's customer base. " When asked which store he shopped at, he said Giant during the week, but on Sundays they stop by Bloom on the way home after church.

The Mayor describes the pending lawsuit against the town by Sam and Uta Brown, Nick Pelchar and Tom Larry as "frivolous litigation," that these residents were approached by the G. Macy Nelson law firm to be named as plaintiffs, and that they would not have to pay for any of the costs of litigation.