published a list of 25 city supermarkets that racked up the highest in violation fines during 2010 from the Department of Consumer Affairs for overcharging customers, failing to properly mark items or using faulty scales to price goods.
Three Bronx markets made the list of worst offenders: a Pathmark in Co-op City, a Pioneer Supermarket in Mott Haven and the Morton Williams on Jerome Avenue in University Heights. All of the stores had over $3,000 in violation fines to their names.
The owners of the the same Morton Williams were a vocal party during the great Kingsbridge Armory debate two years ago, fighting the developer's plan to open a supermarket in the landmark building and storming out of a public hearing after the Community Board 7 voted in favor of a new market (see photo above.)
In the recent Post article, a spokesman for the Food Industry Alliance told the paper that most of the supermarkets made the list for minor, unintentional mistakes.
Monday, March 7, 2011
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Surprise, surprise... a supermarket that exploits its workers by not paying them a living wage, now overcharges their community (which qualifies as a food desert)!
ReplyDeleteWhere is the fight for our civil right to have fresh, fairly-priced food?
Guess who pays the fines? Not the store but the customers... They just jack up the price so the customers pays more so the store will pay the fine. Pass the buck, boys... The bucks doesn't stop at the door of the corporations who are running the store. *Sheesh!* As for the Morton Williams store keep... What are you afraid of, a little competition to keep you honest and your prices honest too. If you lose you customers to the newest upstarts in your neighborhood, chances are your business isn't dealing right by its customers.
ReplyDeleteNo wonder they spent so much money funding KARA in an attempt to kill a new, clean supermarket. This is so gross. Where's the outrage from the activists who got hoodwinked into supporting this horrible store? Disgusting on so many levels. Or maybe they didn't get hoodwinked and were in on it the whole time. End justifies the means, anyone?
ReplyDeleteWow, surely these are not the only Supermarkets overcharging. What a scheme! Low income communities are the worst in overcharging. To think most can purchase with food stamps, but not all fit into that category.
ReplyDeleteThe supermarkets will go to Consumer Affairs, settle the fines for pennies on the dollar and continue to do business as usual. They have been doing this for more than twenty years!
ReplyDeleteWhere is KARA?
ReplyDeleteWe all know they read this blog. They post all over it when they want to kill something or promote their candidates.
Where is their outrage now? They supported these people, who don't provide their workers with living wages either, and are robbing the working poor in our community.
Where's the "hit," the rally, the angry protest? Desiree Pilgrim-Hunter, we want to hear from you! Ava Farkas, where are you now? This is your mess - fix it!
Overcharge just 50 customers a day by $0.50, you take in over $9,000 per year. They could pay $3,000 in fines without blinking and walk away with $6,000 in extra "profits" (i.e. theft).
ReplyDeleteAnd what is the City really doing? Just taking its own cut from the poor?
Are we saying we want a new, larger, and more responsive supermarket now? Where was everyone when Morton Williams & Company were paying employees to show up to meetings and protests and fabricating community support!!!
ReplyDeleteOh and consumer affairs fines are completly BS! By the way, has anyone checked out the number of violations MW has received from the NYS Dept. of Ag & Markets? This poor service is not the first or the last time they will screw this community.
We need to fight back by spending our dollars somewhere else until they get the hint. We deserve better!!
BTW, to answer Anonymous at 9:08pm...
ReplyDeleteMs Hunter used the Armory as a platform to launch her dismal state senate campaign, Ms Farkas landed a high paying job with the Retail Workers Union, MW got to keep their local monopoly, and the community got $0/hr for supporting these fools. We also get to shell out millions of dollars a year to maintain an empty building instead of using that money for schools and public safety.
Also don't forget the BxNN's role with its one-sided propaganda and misinformation used to kill this project. Let's see if this gets posted now!