*UFCW Protests 'British Invasion' of Tesco* Sep 20, 2007 By ELLIOT

ZWIEBACH Supermarket News
 
SAN DIEGO - Union members dressed as Minutemen and Minutewomen
appeared at an industry conference here to denounce the impending
"British invasion" of Tesco and to announce a campaign to educate
consumers, lawmakers and opinion leaders about the potential dangers
posed by Tesco as it prepares to open it first U.S. stores.

The company is scheduled to begin opening its Fresh & Easy Neighborhood
Markets in Southern California, Las Vegas and Phoenix in about six
weeks. "Tesco is the Wal-Mart of the United Kingdom," Mickey
Kasparian, president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 135,
said. "I believe they intend to saturate the marketplace and use their
monopoly power to drive small- and medium-sized stores out of
business, much like Wal-Mart does. All their profits will go the U.K.,
while all the losses will be experienced by local business owners and
workers." Kasparian said the union wants Tesco to pledge to provide a
living wage and affordable health benefits to employees and to open
more stores in underserved areas. A Tesco spokesman declined comment.