A&P Retirees Petition for Representation

JON SPRINGER

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — A committee of retired A&P workers, headed by several its former executives, is seeking official representation in the retailer's Chapter 11 proceedings.

In a motion filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court here, retirees argued that their efforts helped to save A&P in the 1970s, and they were rewarded with a supplemental retirement plan to which A&P stopped making payments in November. The retirees "are uniquely positioned to contribute to a successful reorganization of [A&P], which is the only mechanism by which the retirees' benefits can be protected," the motion stated.

The committee includes Fred Corrado, a former chief financial officer, vice chairman and board member at A&P, and George Graham, A&P's former chief merchandiser officer. Robert Joyce, a former executive vice president for Pathmark who retired in 2008, is also a member of the group.