NEWSWATCH 2000-07-24

Farmer Jack Supermarkets, Detroit, a subsidiary of A&P, Montvale, N.J., said it has acquired Felice Food Markets, Waterford, Mich., a three-store chain. Farmer Jack said it has reflagged the stores and will retain all Felice employees at their current seniority level.

yees, as well as pension and health benefit increases, Niccollai said. Stores were granted certain pay adjustments for new hires working on Sundays, he added. Niccollai said assistance from federal negotiators and a threat of a strike helped spark an agreement shortly after midnight Sunday, ending a seven-week deadlock. The union, which is scheduled to hold a vote on the contract this week, represents 9,000 A&P workers in New Jersey and New York.

United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1000A, Etobicoke, Ontario, last week set a strike deadline for yesterday if it were unable to reach a contract agreement with Toronto-based Loblaw Cos., the union said. Members of Local 1000A, which represents 15,000 Loblaw workers in 63 Ontario stores, have been working on daily extensions since the union's contract with Loblaw expired June 28. The sides were scheduled to meet for negotiations late last week for the first time since talks broke down in June. Earlier last week, union members authorized a strike by a 97% vote.

Ahold, Zaandam, Netherlands, said last week that U.S. Foodservice -- its wholly owned, Columbia, Md.-based subsidiary -- has signed a definitive agreement to acquire GFG Foodservice, Grand Forks, N.D. GFG, which generates sales of $110 million annually, services 4,300 accounts, primarily restaurants, schools, universities and health care institutions in North Dakota, South Dakota and northern Minnesota, according to Ahold. GFG also operates three distribution centers. Ahold also said last week it plans to open hypermarkets, megamarkets and supermarkets in Slovakia. The company said it intends to build on the infrastructure and experience it gained in the neighboring Czech Republic. Ahold added that its first Slovak store will open in Bratislava this fall.