WASHINGTON - Joseph T. Hansen, international president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union here, asked Britain's Prince Andrew to help arrange a meeting with Tesco so the union can help the retailer gain a better understanding of the communities it serves. He made the request in a letter, dated last Friday, that the union said was hand-delivered to the prince, who is in the U.S. as an emissary for British trade. In it, Hansen wrote: "It has been reported that [Tesco's] first three months of business [in the U.S.] has been very slow. In fact, retail analysts speculate that Fresh & Easy is not meeting sales expectations. We have a great deal of experience working with employers and helping them better serve their employees, the community and their customers. We would like the opportunity to discuss this with Tesco. To date, they have refused to meet with us." The letter was signed by Hansen and distributed to the media. Tesco officials could not be reached for comment late Friday.

Read More of Today's Headlines