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By OSHRAT CARMIEL; Times Leader Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 09, 1998 Page: 3A
KINGSTON- He’s 67 years old and working for a company that’s all but
folding its operations in the county.
But Bob Williams, a longtime BiLo employee, is fighting for his job for
reasons more sacred than the food he bags.
“God told me to keep working; he doesn’t want me to retire,” Williams said.
Divine message and corporate policy might be at odds as BiLo prepares to
close six stores in Luzerne County by Jan. 2 and lay off 1,100 workers.
Williams says his 30 years at the company should secure him a job, but feels
his bargaining rights whittling away. He has gone from full-time to part-time,
and could end up with no time.
In August, when the BiLo in Edwardsville closed, Williams requested to be
“bumped” to the West Pittston store, the next convenient location from his
home in Kingston. He was offered a job in Scranton, which was too far for
Williams to travel because he does not own a car.
He collected unemployment for one month and challenged the United Food and
Commercial Workers Union, Local 1776, to come up with a better deal. He said
they offered him part-time work at the West Pittston store with the promise it
would become full-time.
“I took the 20 hours a week and then I got only my partial benefits back,”
he said, which meant losing $8,000 worth of life insurance.
After two months at part-time, Penn Traffic, the company that owns BiLo,
announced the West Pittston store was scheduled to close by Jan. 2.
Now he wants to bump the least senior employee in the remaining Dallas
store. That person could be his own brother. But he says the union told him
that as a part-time employee he does not have the same bargaining rights.
Union officials did not return calls for comment. A Penn Traffic
representative declined comment.
Williams is scurrying between supermarkets and stores to fill out
applications. He has seen too many of his friends retire, he said, only to
lose their posture and lean on canes and walkers.
“I’m going to be laying down there too, as a cripple,” he said, if he
doesn’t stay active.
He’s considering formal action against BiLo and against the union for
failing to represent his interests. He says an official at the unemployment
office suggested he file an age discrimination complaint at the Human
Relations Commission or contact the Bureau for the Aging.
As an older employee, Williams said he understands the needs of an older
population, like carrying bags to the car