Jul 14, 2008 12:00 PM

Senator Aided Chain in Deal: Report
LANHAM, Md. — The state senator under federal investigation for his involvement with Shoppers Food Warehouse intervened on behalf of the retailer when it sought public financing and other concessions to build a store in West Baltimore, the Baltimore Sun newspaper reported. As previously reported, Sen. Ulysses Currie of Maryland allegedly did not properly disclose his employment with Shoppers, which had hired the senator as a consultant. The report said the redevelopment of the Mondawmin Mall in West Baltimore, where Shoppers opened a store in 2007, was a “focal point” of the investigation. It detailed Currie’s intervention of behalf of Shoppers, including arranging a 2004 meeting in which Shoppers asked for public financing for the project, and his assistance in getting a financing deal with the center’s developer. Minneapolis-based Supervalu, which owns Shoppers, has said it is cooperating with investigators but has provided no further comment.

Kroger Workers Ratify Contract
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Members of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1995 here voted to approve a new labor agreement, the Cincinnati-based retailer said last week. The agreement covers 9,000 workers at 92 Kroger-owned stores in middle and eastern Tennessee, southern Kentucky and northern Alabama. According to UFCW 1995, the deal provides significant improvements in wages and health care, and greater pension security.

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