MPR: Coborn's president urges employees to oppose health care bill

[SomeGuyInEagan]

You know, they've been advertising on AM950 lately and I was about to give them a shot at my business for grocery delivery (Coborn'sDelivers, used to be Simon'sDelivers). Then I heard this story on MPR recently:

"Coborn's president urges employees to oppose health care bill

St. Cloud, Minn. — The president of Coborn's, a St. Cloud-based grocery chain, is urging his employees to oppose health care reform legislation.

In an internal memo (pdf), Coborn's president and CEO Chris Coborn asks employees to e-mail or write letters to legislators opposing two pieces of legislation. He said the proposed health care reform bill and a union organizing measure are serious threats to the future of the company."

entire story at:
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/09/16/coborns-health-care/

[dpbrown]

1. Typical "I got mine, fuck the rest of you" Republican thinking

What an asshole.

[CatholicEdHead]

2. Trying to follow the Walmart retail model

to keep those unions out, let's not pay employees any more or be able to take care of themselves when sick.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. Damn. I've been using their service off and on,

and it's been pretty good -- but if this is their attitude I guess I don't need to do business with them any more.

[SomeGuyInEagan]

4. They advertise and sponsor a show on AM 950 ...

see http://www.am950ktnf.com/advertisers

I make it a point to mention to retailers that I heard them advertise on AM 950. But they really ought to reconsider this relationship with Coborns.

As I wrote, we were looking at CobornsDelivers (we already use a competitor maybe once a month) because our neighbors liked them. Sad thing is that real health care reform will actually help businesses, which should appeal to even those who are controlled by a me-first, bottom-line mentality.

[glinda]

5. They say they are an employee owned and run store. They treat their employees like crap if they are

not super buddy buddy or conservative. They hire assholes too. I have called and complained to them at least six times. Once when one of their employees rammed a cart into my Subauru and broke my tail light which cost me $325. They did not even as much as apologize. In Little Falls, their prices are so high and it is 40 minutes to another larger town to shop while taking advantage of the poor and the elderly. Asses.
They are really ass holes all the way around. Very conservative and totally should be boycotted.

[FiveGoodMen]

6. Side note: a tail light costing $325 is fucking obscene

[glinda]

7. The whole thing had to be replaced. Our insurance was at 350 so it would not pay.

We had to cough it up ourselves. Try pricing those components and labor.

[wellstone dem]

8. There chief spokesperson is a GOP representative in the MN House

Steve Gottwalt. NO surprise on this statement from Coborns.

[glinda]

9. Good enough reason to shop elsewhere.

[CatholicEdHead]

10. Harder than it seems in outstate MN

In most smaller towns, Coburns or their CashWise stores are their local grocery stores. Otherwise the only other option would be the closest Walmart Supercenter (e.g. Fergus Falls, Sauk Center, Little Falls, Litchfield, Hutchinson, Willmar, etc...). You do not have the extra competition in the Twin Cities like Cub (Supervalu owned) and Rainbow (Roundys of Milwaukee owned).

[glinda]

11. There is a Byerly's in St. Cloud and a Cub there as well as a Cub in Brainard. Where are you?

Coburns and Walfart are in Little Falls because the Mayor and pretty much everyone with some say are Republicans. They refuse to allow any competition there especially if they give to Dems. St. Cloud voted for Bachmann but it is big enough to have other places because it is the fastest growing City in the State.

[Brickbat]

12. Interesting -- I live in MN and have never heard of Coburns. But now I know not to shop there if I

ever see one.

[SomeGuyInEagan]

13. I am in the Twin Cities and have never seen a store ...

... but do see the CorbornsDelivers trucks (used to be SimonsDelivers before they went out of business; Coborns bought their assets, re-branded and restarted the business in 2008, I think).

I didn't know they owned CashWise as well. Haven't seen one in nearly 20 years, but will make sure to not buy anything there as well.

[glinda]

14. Coborns only goes up as far as Little Falls but they have a Cash-Wise in Brainerd I think.

[CatholicEdHead]

15. Cash Wise goes as far as Bismarck ND and Coburns into Huron SD

Otherwise from Big Lake to Park Rapids for Coburns in MN, also down to Pipestone, and Cash Wise from Moorhead to New Ulm and Owatonna.

[CatholicEdHead]

16. Greater west central MN

That is why I left St Cloud out, as there are other stores in the urban area. Outside the St Cloud urban area you have fewer and fewer choices. As you go into the Red River Valley you have more competition from Hugos, and some of their stores down south (New Ulm, Owatonna) also run into HyVee out of Iowa. Inbetween there is not much for much of west central Minnesota.

[glinda]

17. You are so right. We just shopped at Byerly's in St. Cloud yesterday and it was still

cheaper than Coborns,

[SomeGuyInEagan]

18. Byerly's has home delivery (in the Twin Cities, anyway)

We have used that on occasion, especially when they had a promo for free delivery. We're lucky in that we are both working, sometimes the convenience of home grocery delivery helps us devote time to more valued activities (pretty much anything but grocery shopping). That's why we *were* looking at Coborn's Delivers. But no more.

[dflprincess]

19. And a lot, if not all, of the Byerly's in the metro are union

as is true of most the grocery stores in the Cities.