Unions and Liquor Stores Unite Against Grocery Store Wine Sales

Union leaders and small wine and liquor store representatives are calling on Governor Kathy Hochul to block a new piece of legislation that would permit grocery stores in New York to sell wine. The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) and the Metropolitan Package Store Association argue that the proposed bill jeopardizes union jobs and threatens the existence of locally owned retailers across the state.

In a letter sent to the governor, thirteen local presidents of UFCW, representing workers involved in wine and liquor sales, warehousing, delivery, and food production, expressed their concerns. They claimed that allowing large grocery chains to sell wine would significantly increase their market power and could result in the loss of hundreds of union jobs tied to the existing system, which mandates that wine be sold through licensed wine and liquor stores.

The Metropolitan Package Store Association, representing over 3,300 independent wine and liquor stores throughout New York, echoed these concerns, stating that the legislation could harm small, family-owned retailers that provide numerous jobs within the community. Industry experts note that if grocery stores were allowed to sell wine, it could result in a shift of wine sales from local independent retailers to large grocery chains, concentrating sales with a few major players.

Opposition voices argue that while the proposal does not aim to increase overall wine consumption, it does threaten to redistribute sales, primarily from liquor stores to supermarkets.

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